Gugu Mthembu
Image: Supplied
South African marketing leader Gugu Mthembu has been appointed Jury President for the Creative Business Transformation category at the 2026 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, the world’s foremost benchmark for excellence in brand, business and creative communications.
Her appointment places her among an elite cohort of just 27 global jury presidents charged with defining the standards for breakthrough work in the year ahead.
The Creative Business Transformation Lions recognise ideas that fundamentally rewire how organisations think, operate and grow.
As Jury President, Mthembu will lead an international jury in evaluating work that reimagines business models, transforms customer and stakeholder experiences, and applies data and technology to deliver measurable impact for brands, people and society.
Mthembu’s elevation follows her service on the same jury in 2025, where she was one of a small number of African voices on the Cannes Lions awarding panels.
During that tenure, she became a strong advocate for work that collapses the traditional divide between creativity and commerce, ideas that solve real-world problems, challenge bias and bring underrepresented perspectives to the centre of business strategy.
One of very few African women ever to hold a Jury President role at Cannes Lions, Mthembu brings a distinctly African, purpose-led and tech-savvy lens to the judging room.
Her jury profile highlights a rare blend of creative vision, commercial discipline and a deep commitment to meaningful impact. In 2025, she was also recognised on Black At’s global DARE List, which celebrates Black executives and creatives reshaping the future of the industry.
Beyond Cannes, Mthembu has built a reputation for using creativity as a lever for both business performance and social progress.
As Chief Marketing Officer at Telkom, she has played a central role in rebuilding brand trust, growing mobile market share and securing multiple industry accolades.
At the same time, she has championed initiatives that advance women in technology, youth opportunity and inclusive storytelling, demonstrating how a modern African brand can compete globally while remaining grounded in local realities.
Her Cannes Lions presidency opens up powerful conversations around African excellence on global stages, women redefining leadership in marketing and technology, what “creative business transformation” truly means in an AI-first economy, and how brands can harness creativity not only for growth, but for lasting societal change.
FAST COMPANY (SA)