Episode Summary

In this episode of South African Tech Marketers, Masechaba “Chabi” Setsubi, Social Media Lead at VML, takes us behind the scenes of managing Coca-Cola’s social media across Southern, East, and Central Africa. From publishing to production to agency life, Chabi has built a career around storytelling, collaboration, and community building. She shares what it takes to create real-time content for one of the world’s biggest brands, how to balance agility with strategy, and why the best marketers are master collaborators who never stop learning

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Topics Discussed

• How Chabi went from book publishing to leading Coca-Cola’s social media across Africa

• Lessons from moving between production houses, agencies, and global brands

• Finding the balance between too little and too much content

• How TikTok’s unpredictable trends challenge and inspire brands

• The art of real-time marketing and creating “at the speed of culture”

• Why Nando’s and Savanna are masterclasses in brand voice consistency

• How community management builds “love marks” and brand advocacy

• The biggest lesson of her career: become a master collaborator early

Key Takeaways

• Every platform has a purpose. Know your audience and tailor your tone, not just your creative.

• Too much content can be as paralyzing as too little. Strategy and curation matter as much as creation.

• TikTok is built on unpredictability. Success comes from agility and emotional connection, not rigid planning.

• Strong brands are built on strong community management. Social media is a brand’s first line of relationship building.

• Community managers are your first responders. They shape brand sentiment in real time.

• Collaboration accelerates learning. Working across disciplines shortens the learning curve and sharpens your craft.

• Be brave and consistent. You earn brand tone the way Nando’s did—through years of showing up authentically.