VML South Africa Welcomes Melusi Tshabalala

VML South Africa has welcomed a new innovative force to its creative leadership team. Storyteller, creative leader, and self-confessed word nerd Melusi Tshabalala has joined the team as executive creative director.

Melusi joined the advertising industry as a copywriter for Sonnenburg Murphy Leo Burnett (SMLB) in 1998. In the nearly three decades since, he has built an impressive career, producing award-winning work, serving on numerous judging panels, and successfully co-founding a number of creative agencies. He also gained experience at established agencies – including a stint at Y&R (now part of VML South Africa), where he held the position of creative director.

Outside of agency life, many know Melusi as the personality behind Melusi’s Everyday Zulu – the e-learning portal, Facebook community, online store, and book – and as the author of books such as 'Magenge', 'We Need to Talk', 'Gogo Magic' and 'Her Magic Food Truck', “Mhlekazi’s Egg-citing adventure (available with kiddies’ meals at select Wimpys).

Most recently, Melusi has been freelancing as a speaker, contributor to publications, and ECD.

Melusi’s ethos is: “Always deliver ideas and solutions that touch Africans, inspiring harmony, prosperity and a celebration of this electric continent and her people.”

With this in mind, he has built a reputation for celebrating African stories and blending creativity with culture and purpose. Now, he’s excited to bring that talent to VML. “Telling African stories is in my DNA. It’s not something I switch on for briefs; it’s just part of how I see the world,” he said. “It’ll definitely come through in the work.”

He’s also keen to use his own experience to encourage and inspire the next generation of creatives.

“With the merging of a few agencies, there’s a chance to help shape the culture – and that really matters to me,” said Melusi. “I’m also looking forward to mentoring younger creatives and helping them feel at home in this space. That’s something I struggled with when I was starting out.”

Fran Luckin, VML’s chief creative officer, said Melusi’s arrival could not be better timed.
“Melusi brings real creative depth and a way of seeing the world that’s both thoughtful and fresh,” she said. “He’s not just here to make ads – he’s here to help us tell stories that mean something and really connect with audiences.”

Melusi believes in advertising’s problem-solving power and its ability to simultaneously make a difference in society and drive results. Asked what he thinks the industry needs more of, he doesn’t skip a beat. “Solutions for society’s challenges,” he said. “More solutions. Not just ads.”