Supplied. Adwela Ntombini changed his perspective when he went from electrician to digital copywriter and strategist

That is because he was an electrical artisan in Cape Town, after studying Electrical Engineering at the College of Cape Town’s Pinelands campus.

Following his instinct

The turning point for Ntombini came in 2015 when three months after his mother passed away, he resigned from his job. He decided to pursue his love for creative writing, a passion that has led him to where he is today.

“From the moment I decided to follow my instinct, the one that was screaming that I would only be happy writing and creating, it ignited my passion for building brands,” Ntombini expands.

His passion for advertising, he says, comes from a need to change perspectives.“I was a miracle baby. My mother had been told she would not have more children, but then three years I was born in Beyele, a village in Ngcobo in the Eastern Cape,” he tells.

Changing his life from being an electrician to where he is today was not easy. He says all he had was faith. “A drive to change perspective”.

Sinethemba Mashibini, HR Business Partner at Boomtown says that Ntombini applied to work at the agency in 2018 and then again in 2021.

Good things

He acknowledges that he did not have the usual conventional educational background and work experience as most of their hires, but despite this, they gave him an interview.

“His interview sold us on the decision to hire him. He was authentic and passionate about his work and the industry. We knew only good things could come from having him on the team,” says Mashibini.

While it was a dream come true for him, it had not been an easy journey to get there.

When he left his career as an electrician, all he had was just more than 100 poems and some short stories. He had no formal qualifications related to the creative industry. “I have never studied advertising or marketing, nor do I have a single course certificate to put on my CV supporting my claim for a career in advertising,” Ntombini says.

Everything he knows, he has taught himself. “It wasn’t easy. It means going the extra mile and pushing beyond what is humanly possible. It meant losing myself in a quest to find my true self and purpose.”

Challenges and perseverance

His journey has been one of challenges and mistakes but also perseverance and faith. But he says that did not deter him.

“I embraced each challenge. The moving between agencies, starting failed businesses and dealing with anxiety and depression allowed me to become the writer and strategic thinker I am today,” he says. “Because of this, I have a different opinion to others that allows me to see things differently.”
 
He says he is a digital copywriter and digital strategist at Boomtown because he believes in better. “I believed in a better me, a better future, a better perspective and a better advertising world.”
 
At Boomtown he builds digitally impactful brands. “As a digital strategist, I carve the digital road map for brands to build impactful relationships with their target market. Through a thorough understanding of the global and local digital marketing landscape, I craft digital marketing strategies that meet set objectives while uniquely positioning brands in the consumer's hearts and minds."
 
“As a digital copywriter, I weave insight, the human truth, brand essence and brand objectives into compelling copy lines to propel brands to greater heights. Here, I tell the brand story to speak to the consumer's hearts and minds," he says.
 
“Simply put, I change perspective.”