The School of Communication at the North-West University (NWU) hosted an in-person and hybrid Communication Industry Summit on Wednesday, 2 October for students enrolled on all three campuses.
During the summit, industry and academia came together to explore the theme “From Clicks to Connection” to drive the future of communication. Students gained invaluable insight into the world of work and learned about the current careers and challenges in communication while interacting with industry experts and leading recruitment agencies.
Digital media, journalism, multimedia production, broadcasting, entrepreneurship and corporate and development communication were among the topics presented by several exceptional keynote speakers. They connected these topics to the evolution of communication. The speakers included Malebo Phage, the founder of Xpose Digicontent and Training Hub, Solly Magafela from Motsweding FM, and Marietta Lombard, the editor-in-chief at Caxton Greater Johannesburg.
Alfonso Nqunjana (News24), Ntsebella Maphalla (Investec), Aobakwe Motsokwane (SABC2), Lance Agulhas (Takealot), Mabore Sefara (AVBOB), global accredited business communicator Mari Lee (The Communication Collective), and Faryn Vollenhoven from Business Partners were among the other keynote speakers.
Malebo Phage underlined the value of digital skills and challenged the students to keep up with the current technological advances in order to stay relevant in the industry. Alfonso Nqunjana was up next and spoke on community journalism, emphasising the need for putting human interest at the forefront, as it helps a story become more relevant to the readers.
Mari Lee offered advice to the students who are looking to grow and shift into a different part of the marketing and communications industry.
“Certify. It is a quick process based on your skill set where you evaluate your skills on the global standard for either marketing, communications, public relations or journalism, and it is a quick, practical way to accelerate your career.”
Faryn Vollenhoven reinforced the significance for entrepreneurs to foster growth and employment opportunities, stating that the more entrepreneurship is encouraged through these kinds of powerful communication conferences, the better for our economy.
Omphemetse Ramoabi, a third-year BA Communications student, shared her experience of how the summit contributed to identifying possible employment paths after graduation.
“I found the summit informative. I loved how the speakers broke down the different roles that they play in their careers. I particularly enjoyed Ntsebela Maphalla, who spoke about brand strategy. It is something I might enjoy doing after graduation,” she said.
The director of the School of Communication, Prof Lida Holtzhausen, expressed her gratitude for a successful summit that left the students feeling inspired, empowered and full of hope.
“Thank you to our esteemed speakers and industry experts for your time, dedication and willingness to share your wealth of knowledge and experience. Your insights have provided us with invaluable perspectives on the ever-evolving communication landscape. Each session offered profound learning moments that we will carry forward. To our students, thank you for your active participation – you are the future of communication, and after today I am more confident than ever that the future is bright.”
Prof Lida Holtzhausen welcoming all the esteemed speakers and students at the summit.
The speakers on the Mahikeng Campus – from the left are Marietta Lombard, Solomon Rakgomo Magalefa and Malebo Phage.
Multimedia journalist Alfonso Nqunjana shares his expertise with the students on the Vanderbijlpark Campus.
Mabore Sefara gives an overview of how AVBOB communicates as a brand.
