Brenda Khumalo takes up Pendoring chair role with bold new course for the awards
A director of iPendoring since 2019, Khumalo says languages are living things. "They move with us, change with us and find new ways to express who we are."
She says that iPendoring has always been a space for that evolution, celebrating the creativity that happens when Indigenous languages find their place in advertising, media and culture.
"I'm honoured to take the chair and to help carry that spirit forward, with an eye on all that our languages and our creativity can become."
Khumalo carries forward a legacy of excellence while charting a bold new course for iPendoring, one rooted in authentic African storytelling and a fierce belief in the continent's creative voice.
The board looks forward to the vision, energy and integrity she brings, confident that under her leadership, iPendoring will continue to champion the stories that make South African advertising unmistakably its own.
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With over 20 years in the industry, she is a passionate champion of inclusivity. Alongside her seat on the iPendoring board, she serves on the board of the Association for Communication and Advertising, and mentors young talent while leading change with empathy and vision.
Her contribution to the industry has been widely recognised.
She was named the 2024 Standard Bank Top Women Entrepreneur of the Year, was a finalist for the 2025 Santam Women of the Future award, and most recently took Silver for Agency Leader of the Year at the 2026 Mark Awards. She believes in an African advertising future that is authentic, diverse, and globally influential.
Her agency is fully Black-owned and 70% female-owned,and takes its name from Lobengula Khumalo, the last king of the Ndebele, and works to a clear motto: craft or go home baba.
More than an awards platform
Venter, who remains a board member, says iPendoring is more than an awards platform.
“It is a place where language, culture and creativity meet, and where our industry is reminded of the power of telling our own stories, in our own words. It has been a privilege to help hold that space and to watch the platform grow into a stronger home for South Africa’s creative voices. I leave the chair knowing that the work continues, and I’m delighted to see it pass into Brenda’s capable hands.”
Venter has been part of the iPendoring board since 2013, serving first as vice-chairperson before taking on the role of chairperson in May 2017.
She has led the board with grace, wit and elegance through a period in which the Awards grew in reach and in standing.
She stepped down of her own accord, asking that the chair pass to someone more closely linked to industry. Izelle remains a director, and the board thanks her for her years in the chair.
Astrid de Vos continues as vice-chairperson. Both appointments run until the close of the 2027 Annual General Meeting.
The iPendoring 2026 finalists will be announced this week.
