Xolisa Dyeshana on How South African Creativity “Has Really Come to the Forefront”
Production company Robot, based in the heart of Cape Town, is a proud supporter of South African creativity. Throughout this interview series on LBB, we’ll hear from creatives who’ve worked in SA, talking about their experiences and sharing their unique take on the country’s creativity.
Joe Public’s chief creative officer Xolisa Dyeshana is a born and bred South African who has enjoyed watching Black creativity come to the forefront of the advertising industry. As creative talent continues to shine in communication across industries such as fast food, automotive and banking, Xolisa believes the future of South African advertising is very bright. With the country having a distinct sense of humour and a light-hearted way of dealing with past atrocities, Xolisa finds himself being inspired to bring these unique attributes to life in the work that he and his Joe Public family create for its clients.
Xolisa speaks to LBB’s Nisna Mahtani about his journey from graphic design to copywriting, how family support encouraged him and how his disadvantage became his advantage.
LBB> What was it like growing up with South African creativity around you? Do you remember the first piece of creative work that left a lasting impression?
Xolisa> The interesting thing is my father was actually a tobacco salesman, so a lot of the first impressions I had of marketing were from being with him during his consumer promotions.
In a broader sense, there was a lot of international advertising that would come to South Africa, dubbed into local languages. Lexington [cigarettes] with the famous pay-off line, ‘That's the one’, made a huge impression, for instance. I also remember that jingles were huge back then, we really used to enjoy singing along to them. What has happened over the years, however, is that advertising has gone from being a largely imported product to something that is locally created by South Africans for South Africans. And that's been really, amazing to witness and be a part of.
LBB> What were your interests when you were young? Did you always know you’d be a creative?
Xolisa> I was very fortunate because when I was about 12 years old, South African schools opened up to Black kids. I'd always known that I was drawn to creativity, but I don't think I could ever crystallise it because I didn't know what creativity or art was at that time. Going to these schools gave me the opportunity to attend things like art classes - and I got to understand what creativity was, how I wanted to fit in and what some of the career opportunities were in the industry, which really opened my eyes. One of the biggest tragedies of South Africa even today is the fact that most of the schools that we have in our country are in formerly underdeveloped areas, therefore you have many kids who don't get to discover their artistic side.
Where I was lucky is that I got the exposure, and I had a supportive family. That's the other thing, right? It's one thing for you to know about the creative field, but if you’re ‘the great Black hope’ from your family, chances are they would want you to go down the tried and tested commercial careers. So, the support from my parents became very important. They were willing to take the risk and that changed everything for me.
LBB> Can you tell us about your journey into the industry?
Xolisa> The interesting thing about my journey is that I couldn't afford to go to traditional advertising schools. Luckily, I had a brother who was at a Technicon (technical college) – and this one was historically Black – and so he saw and recommended the graphic design course. The graphic design and the art classes were the most diverse part of the school, so that was amazing. I also remember that at the time, the US had started really aiding South Africa through financial donations and American Corporations that would donate equipment, and our institution had Apple Macs donated from the US because Steve Jobs had just returned to Apple and launched new iMacs at the time. So, through the most unlikely of circumstances, I ended up getting this opportunity to study on the latest technology with passionate and amazing lecturers.
When I left the school, I couldn't land a job in advertising, and I ended up working at a call centre - what I hoped would be temporary ended up lasting over a year. One day, I got a call from the biggest agency at the time, FCB, who were looking for a copywriter. I went for the interview and the great thing about my course was that I learnt to be both a copywriter and a graphic designer. So in many ways, my disadvantage became my advantage and landed me a job at the biggest agency in the country at the time.
LBB> You were born and grew up in the Eastern Cape and are now based in Johannesburg. What are the differences in creativity that you’ve seen across the country?
Xolisa> I was born in Port Elizabeth and moved to a township called Mdantsane, in East London when I was one. I grew up there and stayed till I finished high school. After that, I moved to Cape Town and started working, and then in 2006, I moved to Joburg. The Eastern Cape is one of the most underdeveloped provinces in the country, it was only reincorporated into South Africa after apartheid. Cape Town is bigger and is one of the most developed parts of SA and has a beautiful, creative culture.
Ultimately, however, Johannesburg is our version of New York – you have New York, New York and we have Joburg, Joburg. If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere. It’s the ultimate vibrant city of South Africa, the melting pot where everybody from everywhere comes and it feels like anything is possible.
LBB> In your view, which South African brands are currently getting it right when it comes to their creative and why?
Xolisa> I think the QSR brands in South Africa are doing very creative work at the moment. They tend to push the envelope and really set the bar for creativity in the advertising space.
LBB> And are there any other brands you believe are getting it right?
Xolisa> Some of the most iconic campaigns to come out of South Africa have been around the car space. If you think of BMW’s Mouse and a lot of VW ads, they’re iconic and have come out of the region. Also, our financial institutions. Despite that industry worldwide being fairly conservative. Once again, I think a big reason for that is that a lot of our banks are local.
LBB> You’re passionate about showcasing African creativity to the world. Why should people be looking to SA for inspiration?
Xolisa> There's an incredible revolution that has happened in the last couple of years on our continent. This has largely been made possible with the invention of the internet, and how it's brought us all together and given us all permission to show up in an unprecedented way. And here you have to look beyond just adverting and look at creativity as a whole. Africa is thriving and we are taking up our rightful place in the arena of global creativity.
Closer to home, proudly South African creativity is no longer at the back of the classroom and has really come to the forefront. When you think of India, when you think of Brazil, so much of that work is unmistakably from that region. You can't take it for anywhere else. The same thing is starting to happen with SA and it is the most exciting that our work has ever been. I believe that the young people that are coming into the industry will only grow it. South Africa is trending on TikTok, it's trending on the music scene and everybody wants to come here and experience this revolution and I think the same thing is really starting to happen to advertising. As a result, the work is connecting deeper than ever before, reflecting a more authentic experience of the country to the world.
LBB> How does your background influence and inspire the work you do today? Where do you find your inspiration?
Xolisa> My biggest inspirations when it comes to my work would have to be first and foremost, my Joe Public family. Our management team has been together for about 16 years now, which is longer than most in our country. I honestly am blessed enough to work with the smartest people who don't act like the smartest people
So my biggest inspiration is our people, and then our country in its broadest sense. I think South Africa is an incredible example of the resilience of the human spirit.
LBB> Can you tell us about some of the exciting projects you’re working on currently?
Xolisa> We are fortunate in that we have just completed South African Tourism’s first post-pandemic campaign. That was an amazing opportunity for us as a company because our purpose is to be the fertile soil that serves the growth of our people, our clients and our country. To have the opportunity under that third pillar to do our bit for SA, was very special.
We're also working on the launch of a new campaign for Chicken Licken and another for our banking client, Nedbank.
LBB> What can we expect to see from South African creativity in the next 10 years?
Xolisa> I think within the next 10 years, South Africa’s voice will continue to grow in the industry, and we will continue to make a meaningful contribution through telling our own stories in our own way.
LBB> Finally, what’s the best piece of advice you could give someone who’s starting out in the industry?
Xolisa> I would say, the industry needs you. Gone are the days when this industry was reserved for anyone in particular. This industry is for everyone. No matter who you are, no matter what your background, you have a unique story to tell, and our industry will only be richer for having that story - and we'll be poorer if we don't.
