“I started at uShaka in the height of peak season and really had no choice but to swim. There was so much happening with the Village Walk Christmas campaign, Dolphins by Starlight, daily entertainment in the park and the buzz of holiday visitors,” Mpume Mthembu, the newly appointed Marketing Director of uShaka Marine World, recalls.
Out-going and people-oriented, she is excited to have exited the corporate world to join one of Durban’s iconic tourist attractions – a job that she incidentally did not see herself doing! “This was not part of my plan but I do see this as part of my destiny. God wanted me here. That’s why it is far more than a job. I really want to make a difference,” she said smiling.
Mthembu’s qualifications include a B Com, a Post-Graduate Diploma in Business Management and an MBA. Her passion for marketing, leadership, brand ethics and governance has equipped her for roles as a board member for Morgan Advanced Materials (a division of Morgan Crucible plc), the YMCA PMB and the Audit Committee for KZN Wildlife.
She was born in Umlazi and grew up in Durban and Mahlabathini. Early on in her career, she discovered her passion for marketing and communications and, in her second year at university, changed from CA (SA) studies to accounting and economics majors.
After finishing her studies, she began building her career in Durban, ultimately amassing over 20 years of corporate experience with the likes of Old Mutual, Investec and the Ithala Development Finance Corporation.
She then joined Hulamin in Pietermaritzburg where she was part of the corporate rebranding team during the transition from Hulett Aluminium to Hulamin following the company’s unbundling from the Tongaat-Hulett Group.
Reluctant to cut ties with her home town and her loving family, she commuted for two years before finally settling in the KZN capital. She left Hulamin to open iFutho Communications, a strategic branding and communications consultancy which she managed for two and a half years – before making her way back down the hill to Durban and uShaka.
“Further study through an MBA became a catalyst for moving to a new industry. During my Masters, I specialised in strategic Marketing Management with a dissertation in Customer Relationship Management (CRM). Even though the principles remain the same from one industry to the next, marketing and communications is quite a dynamic field. At uShaka, I’m looking forward to a year of achieving set goals with my team,” she explains.
Mthembu certainly arrived at uShaka at a pivotal time. A solid foundation has been put in place over the past decade and the theme park is about to move into a whole new era – a digital age with a lot of exciting developments, starting with the introduction of online ticketing.
“uShaka is not only Africa’s largest theme park but, along with SA’s International Convention Centres and the World Cup stadiums, it became an important sign of development in terms of infrastructure within our region and city. It was introduced to the market in 2004 during an era when we were re-defining our place in the world post-apartheid. Twelve years later, I look forward to sustainable and mutually beneficial partnerships with all our stakeholders in making the uShaka brand one that best reflects who they are and one that continues to grow together with them,” she continues.
She intends leading her team as it keeps abreast of developments at the world’s best theme parks and maintaining a guest-focused operation, whilst at the same time, promoting a uniquely Durban experience.
uShaka’s values are family, fun and adventure, Mthembu explains. “Our guests are gregarious, fun-loving and family-oriented people to say the least and I look forward to engaging them innovatively in re-defining the uShaka brand!”
Key to this is building a strong marketing team that shares a commitment to both the brand and to each other. Naturally self-motivated, she says she enjoys using her knowledge and has much experience in motivating others to enjoy what they are doing every day. “We work in an awesome environment and it would be a shame not to embrace it.”
Another issue that is close to her heart is conservation. “I currently serve as an independent member of an organisation that is responsible for conserving wildlife and biodiversity in KZN. I have also previously served on the board of the Sibaya Conservation Trust as a representative of a financial institution that employed me. I believe that all parts of nature are dependent on one another for survival and that all deserve to thrive and live together in harmony. We have a responsibility to learn about and speak for our ocean inhabitants where they cannot speak for themselves. We really need to look after our natural resources and I look forward to working together with some of the highly skilled and experienced marine enthusiasts at uShaka’s Sea World,” she says.
During her spare time, Mthembu enjoys reading, travelling, adventure and spending time with her family and friends.
