#Newsmaker: Nomaswazi Nkosi appointed PR specialist at Jaguar Land Rover SA

Jaguar Land Rover SA PR specialist Nomaswazi Nkosi | image supplied

Nkosi has a strong background in the media industry and started her career at The Sowetan and then moved to Pretoria News as a multimedia reporter. Thereafter she joined Ndalo Media as a senior content producer, where she was influential in the launch of Mentorfeed, which is a website that provides mentorship solutions for entrepreneurs. Nkosi also worked as an accounts director at the news agency explain.co.za.

She has a BA journalism degree from the University of Johannesburg and a BPhil journalism degree from Stellenbosch University. Nkosi also has an MA in Applied Human Rights from Sheffield Hallam University in Sheffield, England which she completed in 2020.

Bizcommunity caught up with Nkosi to find out more about herself, her new role, and the goals she has set for herself as a PR specialist for Jaguar Land Rover SA.

Congrats on your appointment. How are you feeling about it?

I’m excited to have joined such an illustrious brand. They do amazing work. It’ll be a challenge to raise the bar, but I look forward to it.

Tell us more about your new role

My responsibilities include creating and delivering public relations and sponsorship strategies for Jaguar Land Rover South Africa, ensuring that its excellent brand standard is maintained in all public relations activities.

What are some career highlights you have?

Being able to cut my teeth as a young journalist at one of South Africa’s leading daily national newspapers was a highlight. I gave a voice to the voiceless and shone a spotlight on various human rights violations that people live with daily. That brought me a great sense of fulfilment.

What prompted you to shift your focus from a career in print journalism to digital?

Honestly, newsrooms were shrinking every year, and I needed a varied skillset to ensure my longevity in the media industry. I also knew I would gain valuable transferrable skills that I could apply when making a career shift.

What goals do you have in this role?

I've set various short, medium, and short-term goals for myself. The company is going through some exciting times, and I’m keen to play my part in ensuring that the favourable public image the brand has worked hard to maintain, is elevated.

What advice do you have for PR professionals/journalists?

Make sure you’re truly passionate about what you do. The media industry, whichever side you fall on, is not easy. It can be brutal and can test your passion. Know why you do what you do, and make sure you have a vision for your career – and work hard to get there.

Take us through a day in the life of Nomaswazi Nkosi

My day always starts with a prayer. Without that, it feels like my day is incomplete. When it comes to work, I’m grateful that Jaguar Land Rover has a flexible working environment so I am working from home most days.

There are a few exciting projects in the pipeline for 2023, so I’m often juggling between responding to countless emails and attending meetings to ensure the PR functions are aligned with these amazing plans. I’m also still quite new, so I spend a lot of time learning the ins and outs of the company whenever I can.