Nontho Tshabalala from Standerton reaches success in advertising industry

Ms Nontho Tshabalala from Standerton is the proud possessor of a prestigious Loerie-award, an accolade bestowed in the advertising industry for those excelling in their fields.

She received the young creative award at a gala-event in Cape Town in October last year.

Ms Tshabalala was dressed in pink and coloured her hair pink for the occasion.

This former learner at Hoërskool Standerton spread her wings in 2012 and enrolled at the University of Johannesburg, completing a BA in Communication Design after four years.

A quick decision to not study fashion design was made just after she was admitted to a fashion school.

After she graduated, an internship at an advertising agency in Johannesburg followed.

“I got a permanent position at the agency,” Nontho said.

She commuted from her flat in Randburg to their offices in Sandton, using a taxi.

“I had a good time at the agency.

“I went into the industry with a question.

“Where are the creative designers of colour?”

Nontho confessed that she met many talented people, who now are her mentors, for life.

She also founded her own company in 2016, focusing on greeting cards in Zulu.

Together with her business partner whom she dated at the time, they branched out and explored the corporate world with their designs.

Sweden however, beckoned and she left South Africa and settled in a cold Gothenburg for the next step in her journey of establishing herself.

It was quite a culture shock.

“The people are a little bit reserved, whereas we are talkative, expressing ourselves.

“The infrastructure is on point and you get your taxi exactly on time.

“It makes it convenient, but I miss the chaos of South Africa.”

She left for Sweden last Thursday again to work as an art producer for a company in Gothenburg.

Nantho boarded a KLM-flight and would have had the coat, and anything else she might need, in the suitcase.

She stayed over Christmas in Standerton with her family and her mother, Thandiwe, came along for the interview.

“She missed my cooking,” Ms Tshabalala laughingly said.

“I am very proud of her.”

Nantho is no vegetarian and quite devoted to chicken wings from the different outlets specialising in this delicacy.

“I nearly cycled to the offices today,” the woman, who took part in various sporting codes at school, said.

She also co-curated an exhibition and is a firm believer in having a transcontinental conversation about the past and the present.

“Our generation can lead the conversation around healing and bring change,” was one of her observations.

“That is why I do what I do.”