Kaya 959 has announced the appointment of Tumi Rabanye as its new Head of Marketing, signalling a chapter of strategic brand growth, digital expansion, and commercial innovation for the iconic South African radio station.
Rabanye brings more than 20 years of experience in brand strategy and marketing communications to the role. Most recently serving as Managing Partner and Head of Strategy at Leagas Delaney South Africa, she has led the development of creative, data-led, and long-term brand strategies across broadcast, telecommunications, and financial services.
For Rabanye, the move represents both a professional milestone and a personal return to her roots.
“I cut my teeth in broadcast as a strategist and brand manager, and I have always had a deep passion for music and radio,” she says. “Kaya has felt like home to me for many years. I have grown with the brand, long before I was even the target market. Now I look forward to growing it further with clarity, pride, and purpose.”
She joins the station at a pivotal moment as Kaya 959 sharpens its product offering and strengthens its digital and omni-channel presence. With its app, streaming platforms and social media channels already delivering strong momentum, including more than a million streams recorded from the Pretoria region alone.
Rabanye sees significant opportunity in building deeper audience and client engagement.
“We are in a product improvement process. We need to get the juice and the sauce right,” she says. “But beyond that, Kaya 959 is an incredibly buoyant brand with loyal audiences who care deeply about what happens here. Our role is to honour that loyalty, sharpen our messaging and build a fully integrated brand that lives naturally in the worlds of both our audiences and our clients.”
Central to her strategy is reinforcing Kaya’s identity as an inclusive and aspirational home for modern South Africans.
“Kaya means home. It is where life stories begin,” Rabanye explains. “We want to reclaim that sense of brand pride and create a space where people feel welcome just as they are. South Africans live in multiple worlds. We switch languages, we switch roles and we move fluidly across different spaces. Kaya should reflect that dynamism. Our messaging must be clear, consistent, and memorable, both for our audiences and for our advertisers.”
In a cautious economic environment, she believes clarity and consistency will be essential to strengthening relationships with advertisers and unlocking sustainable growth.
“Marketing budgets are often the first to be cut when there is uncertainty. Our responsibility is to deliver consistency in performance and create owned properties that provide measurable value. By tightening our brand architecture and equipping our sales teams with a clear and compelling proposition, we will drive meaningful commercial growth.”
Dave Tiltman, Managing Executive at Kaya 959, welcomed the appointment.
“Tumi brings a rare combination of strategic depth, creative insight, and a genuine love for broadcast. She understands the emotional power of radio, but she also understands the data, the digital ecosystem, and the commercial realities of the market. Her leadership will help us honour Kaya’s heritage while positioning the brand strongly for the future.”
Rabanye says balancing legacy with the need to attract younger audiences will be a key focus.
“Our audiences are staying younger for longer. Heritage and innovation are partners, not opposites. If you do not know your past, you do not know your future. Kaya has always been a taste maker and a servant leader brand. Now we build on that foundation with confidence and ambition.”
Under Rabanye’s leadership, Kaya 959 is poised to deepen its connection with audiences and advertisers alike, grounded in brand pride, sharper positioning, and an expanded digital footprint.
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