Mkhondo to head up Ogilvy PR

Mkhondo hails from Discovery, where he was deputy GM for Marketing Services. Prior to his appointment at Discovery, he was executive manager for Corporate Communications at South African Airways where he managed the airline's internal and external communications, as well as its corporate social responsibility programmes.

Mkhondo has received acclaim as a world-class corporate communications executive, writer, author, former local journalist and foreign correspondent. In addition, he is author of Reporting South Africa, a book chronicling South Africa's transition to democracy.

A graduate of the Rhodes University School of Journalism, Mkhondo has also been deputy editor of the Pretoria News, US correspondent for Independent News and Media of South Africa (owners of The Star), and once covered 15 southern African countries for Reuters News Agency. He started his journalism career at the now defunct liberal Rand Daily Mail.

Ogilvy South Africa CEO Nunu Ntshingila is excited about Mkhondo's appointment: "Rich brings valuable marketing, communications and journalism experience to the group," she says.