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

.

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

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.