{"id":32214,"date":"2026-02-24T12:37:09","date_gmt":"2026-02-24T12:37:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/?p=32214"},"modified":"2026-02-25T08:56:37","modified_gmt":"2026-02-25T08:56:37","slug":"vut-webinar-tackles-consumer-trust-and-sa-economy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/nso\/vut-webinar-tackles-consumer-trust-and-sa-economy\/","title":{"rendered":"VUT webinar tackles consumer trust and SA economy"},"content":{"rendered":"

“VUT\u2019s Marketing in Motion webinar how purpose-driven marketing, ethical leadership, principled use of technology and consumer trust drive growth.”<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

24 February 2026 | Story by: Qhawekazi Memani<\/strong><\/strong> | Picture by: Supplied<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

4 minutes read time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"VUT<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou have to love your people to lead them.\u201d \u2013 Prof Bonang Mohale<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a thought-provoking engagement centred on rebuilding trust in turbulent times, the Vaal University of Technology (VUT) Department of Marketing, Retail, Business and Sport Management hosted an insightful webinar titled Marketing in Motion: Consumer Trust and Economic Growth on 19 February 2026 via Microsoft Teams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The virtual session convened leading academics, industry executives, marketing practitioners, VUT faculty, students and partners from the logistics, accounting and retail sectors. Together, they examined South Africa\u2019s pressing economic realities and interrogated how marketing can play a transformative role in restoring consumer confidence and stimulating inclusive growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Set against a backdrop of economic strain, participants reflected on automotive plant closures linked to companies such as Nissan, alongside persistent logistics constraints associated with Transnet. These realities framed a central question: how can marketing rebuild trust amid economic turbulence?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Opening the session, VUT Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Teaching and Learning, Dr Mukondeleli Kanakana Katumba, reaffirmed marketing\u2019s strategic significance, describing it as \u201cthe engine of economic growth\u201d. She emphasised that marketing must not merely respond to change but actively shape transformation, calling for deeper collaboration between academia and industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Delivering his keynote while attending his sister\u2019s funeral, Prof Bonang Mohale, Chancellor of the University of the Free State and former President of Business Unity South Africa (BUSA), grounded the dialogue in stark socio-economic realities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reflecting on South Africa\u2019s democratic journey, he observed that 32 years into democracy, poverty still \u201chas a black, feminine and rural face primarily\u201d. He cited the country\u2019s 31.4 percent unemployment rate and Gini coefficient of 0.63, among the highest globally, as evidence of entrenched structural inequality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Drawing on servant leadership principles, Prof Mohale highlighted three foundational pillars: vision, courage and integrity. He called for ethical renewal and accountability in addressing state capture losses estimated at R1.5 trillion. He further encouraged leaders to dedicate the \u201cthird third\u201d of their lives to mentoring and transferring wisdom to the next generation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLeaders are dealers in hope,\u201d he reminded attendees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adding an academic lens, Mr Thebe Magapa, Lecturer in the Marketing and Retail Business Department, captured the urgency of the moment with a candid question: \u201cHow do I market in this chaos?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite instability in the automotive sector and mounting economic pressures, he maintained that marketing professionals must continue striving for excellence. \u201cI still want to work in a marketing department and market automobiles,\u201d he affirmed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Extending the ethical dimension, Prof Christel Marais, Associate Professor in Human Resources Management at VUT, drew on trauma informed and decolonial scholarship. She challenged researchers to move beyond extractive community engagement models towards approaches that restore dignity and build trust, aligning closely with servant leadership ideals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From an industry perspective, Ms Ann Muthuma, Head of Marketing at Investec Corporate and Investment Banking, shifted attention to implementation. She advocated for purpose driven strategies anchored in authenticity and integrity, noting that younger consumers increasingly expect brands to demonstrate consistency between message and action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, Prof Chengedzai Mafini, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Management Sciences at VUT, made a call for structural repositioning within organisations. He urged elevating marketing to C suite influence through cross functional collaboration and strategic visibility. Referencing global figures such as Elon Musk, he noted how deliberate brand positioning can re-shape both organisational and national narratives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reinforcing the ethical foundation of leadership, Mr Brian Yuyi, Chief Executive Officer of the Marketing Association of South Africa (MASA), emphasised accountability and moral responsibility. \u201cDo right even when no one is watching,\u201d he urged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He further highlighted the transformative potential of artificial intelligence and South Africa\u2019s 97 percent mobile penetration rate in enabling real time and authentic engagement. Technology, he argued, must serve as an enabler of trust rather than a substitute for ethical leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moderated by Prof Nobukhosi Dlodlo, Associate Professor in Marketing and Sport Management, the webinar concluded with a powerful convergence of perspectives. Across disciplines and sectors, speakers reaffirmed that marketers must become genuine dealers in hope, professionals who lead with integrity, serve with purpose and uplift the communities they represent. Ultimately, the session blended ethical leadership, technological innovation, Ubuntu centred thinking and structural transformation as possible pathways through which, trust and stimulating sustainable economic growth can be harnessed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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