Be Worthy of Emulation: Creating Meaningful Business Growth with Vodacom's Andisa Ntsubane

Opinion Party: the marketing podcast
brought to you by BAV Group & IRG 

Season 2: Episode 8

Be Worthy of Emulation: Creating Meaningful Business Growth with Vodacom's Andisa Ntsubane

SUMMARY

Challenging the myth that "it's not personal, it's business," Andisa Ntsubane, Executive Director of Vodacom Africa Brand Marketing and Communications, shares with Laura Jones (Global CEO, BAV Group) how purpose-driven marketing delivers measurable business results. His "worthy of emulation" leadership philosophy has transformed Vodacom's approach to solving market challenges, resulting in innovations like M-Pesa, which processes $1.2 billion in daily transactions. As the first African president of Cannes Lions' B2B jury, Andisa demonstrates how diversity in leadership changes which work gets recognized globally. The conversation reveals a powerful framework for creating shared value: addressing critical customer needs while driving business growth, with Africa positioned not as a challenge but as the world's greatest laboratory for business innovation.

LINKS

• Laura Jones: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lapjones/   
• BAV Group: https://www.bavgroup.com
• Andisa Ntsubane: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andisa-ntsubane-cm-sa-fcxp-cx-i-6b258177/
• Africa 2063: https://www.nepad.org/agenda2063
• Vodacom: https://www.vodacom.co.za
• M-Pesa: https://www.vodafone.com/about-vodafone/what-we-do/m-pesa 
• Cannes Lions: https://www.canneslions.com/awards/jury/andisa-ntsubane-392222
• Moodset Tedx Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaEz5AXpgUk
• Institute for Real Growth: https://instituteforrealgrowth.org
• Ikigai of Marketing: https://instituteforrealgrowth.com/pdf/TheFounderPerspectiveTheIkigaiofMarketing.pdf

TAKEAWAYS

• Purpose as profit driver: Funding vaccines for customers during COVID wasn't charity—it ensured business sustainability
• Reframe developing markets: Africa's challenges represent your greatest opportunity for innovation and profit
• Simple innovations create massive value: M-Pesa's $1.2B daily transactions came from solving basic payment friction
• B2B brands have untapped power: DP World's 3° temperature adjustment removed emissions of 3.8M cars
• Leadership mindset matters: Creating intentional "mood sets" measurably drives team performance
• Personal transformation drives business transformation: Deep purpose work unlocks leadership breakthroughs
• Representation changes outcomes: Having Africans on Cannes juries meant African work finally won
• "Worthy of emulation" provides a powerful decision filter for both business and personal choices
• Building cross-industry leadership communities creates tangible competitive advantage
• Solve problems profitably: The most successful businesses make significant money addressing real needs

CHAPTERS

00:10 Busting the Myth: "It's Not Personal, It's Business" 

01:45 Introducing Andisa Ntsubane: The Afro-Optimist 

03:20 The Transformative Impact of the IRG Community 

06:11 The Panama Retreat: Finding Personal Purpose 

10:06 The "Worthy of Emulation" Philosophy 

14:01 Representation Matters: Driving African Presence at Cannes 

16:48 B2B Brands Solving the World's Biggest Problems 

19:42 The Success Story of M-Pesa: Mobile Money Innovation 

22:33 Africa as the Greatest Business Opportunity 

24:54 Humanized Growth in Action: Vaccines During COVID 

28:34 Different Perspectives, Same Opportunity

Opinion Party: the marketing podcast

For season two, we asked twelve marketing leaders from a world class set of organizations to join host Laura Jones, Global CEO of BAV Group, to talk marketing myths, trends, data, and opinions. Filmed live on site at the Institute for Real Growth Summit in Cannes, summer 2025. Find us at https://www.theopinionparty.com or wherever you get your podcasts.

 

Season 2 of Opinion Party: the marketing podcast is brought to you by: 

BAV Group, the world’s leading authority on data-driven branding.™️
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