#WomensMonth: Edna Mohale-Maphita, head marketing Kenvue SSA – From chemical engineering to marketing
Her mom was a domestic worker and could not afford the university fees so she had to review her career aspirations.
She studied to get a job and then registered for a Public Relations diploma. From there she progressed to sales, marketing and business qualifications.
Fast forward two decades, and today she is a chartered marketer and a member of the Institute of Directors South Africa (IoDSA) with progressive experience in marketing at local and global multi-industries holding senior and executive roles.
In her current role, she leads a team of passionate marketers to deliver everyday care to consumers in South Africa through brands like Neutrogena, Johnson’s Baby, Listerine, Nicorette and Benylin.
“I am enthusiastic about meeting changing consumer needs and look for opportunities to address those needs through brand purpose-led communication, brand building and innovation.”
As a woman, what are some of the biggest challenges you have faced in your career?
The biggest challenge was joining an all-men executive team (Exco) with a long history of working together, which had no diverse representation of women and no person of colour.
This made it difficult to come up with new strategies for the business, due to some exco members’ resistance to change or looking at things differently.
What helped me overcome this challenge was to remain authentic, assertive and clear about my vision and purpose. I spent time learning, using data and insights to support my proposals and decisions, and mentorship.
This made me more confident and helped me show up better.
As a woman, how do you approach leadership? What do you believe are the key qualities of an effective leader and how is being a woman an advantage and a disadvantage?
For me, authentic and conscious leadership is critical. I do not try to copy or be someone else. I truly believe in taking accountability and leading for performance, and with compassion.
An effective leader is inspiring, transparent, has a vision and purpose, leads with integrity and knows how to read a room and support their team.
As a woman, I am naturally nurturing and I use that to support those around me.
When I joined Kenvue a year ago, I was happy to join the SSA Board, which has a good representation of women of diverse backgrounds and allows for diversity and different perspectives.
What initiatives or projects are you most proud of, and why do you believe they were successful?
I am most proud of purposeful initiatives that have transformed or sought to transform the lives of everyday South Africans.
- Joining Kenvue as the head of marketing in 2023 and having the opportunity to launch Aveeno in South Africa, committed to providing relief for various skin conditions. We launched a range of products to support consumers in their skin journey and launched our In My Skin campaign. The campaign is a transformative initiative with a mission to redefine skincare, for body, by making it more accessible and representative of South African skin. Aveeno aims to empower every South African to feel comfortable, informed, and proud in their skin.
- In my previous role at Tiger Consumer Brands, I had the opportunity to manage the reputation and repositioning of the Koo brand to drive purpose. This reaffirmed the role the brand continued to play in all SA households. It also raised awareness about healthy eating. It created jobs throughout the value chain, which included appointing black female farmers and profiling them. Also, it provided young people with bursaries to pursue their dreams in a field with very few opportunities or access to funds.
What advice would you give to other women aspiring to succeed in your industry?
- Be yourself, do not try to pursue other people’s dreams
- Have a vision and purpose
- Be comfortable with using data to get insights to drive business decisions
- Be assertive, own your space and do not be apologetic
- Have fun
About Danette Breitenbach
Danette Breitenbach is a marketing & media editor at Bizcommunity.com. Previously she freelanced in the marketing and media sector, including for Bizcommunity. She was editor and publisher of AdVantage, the publication that served the marketing, media and advertising industry in southern Africa. She has worked extensively in print media, mainly B2B. She has a Masters in Financial Journalism from Wits.
