Zibusiso Mkhwanazi is an award-winning entrepreneur, author, and Executive Chairman of M+N, CEO of Avatar X, and widely recognised as the co-founder of Avatar, one of Africa’s leading black-owned integrated marketing and advertising agencies. His journey from humble beginnings to industry trailblazer is a testament to vision, resilience, and a commitment to unlocking African creativity for the world.
Mkhwanazi began his entrepreneurial journey by investing R2,000 from his mother into the stock market, growing it into R14,000—the seed capital for his first business, Csonke, a web development company. After merging with a competitor to form Krazyboyz, he helped build one of South Africa’s top five digital agencies. Later, partnering with Veli Ngubane, he launched Avatar, a through-the-line agency that has redefined marketing through innovation and inclusive leadership.
Under his leadership, Avatar has achieved numerous industry firsts:
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Selected by Absa as the first black-owned lead agency for a top 10 brand in Africa
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Appointed by the South African Presidency to lead national communications during the COVID-19 pandemic
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Expanded to service nine African markets through Absa and Isuzu
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Became the first African global agency for a global brand through its partnership with TECNO Mobile
In 2024, Avatar won the Small Biz, Big Impact Ministerial Award at the Presidential MSME & Cooperatives Awards. That same year, Mkhwanazi was nominated by MarkLives for Agency Business Leader 2025 and celebrated as an Africa Rising Star. Today, Avatar ranks among Africa’s top five independent agencies, employing over 200 people with a turnover exceeding half a billion rand annually.
Mkhwanazi is also the author of Business by Grace, a hybrid memoir and entrepreneurial manual that achieved #1 and #2 bestseller status at selected Exclusive Books stores. His accolades include being named a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader, a finalist for the Ernst & Young World Entrepreneur Awards, and receiving an entrepreneurial excellence award presented by Minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams.
Beyond business, Zibusiso is a dedicated philanthropist and mentor. He founded the Mkhwanazi Foundation to empower emerging entrepreneurs and established David’s League, a Christian-based mentorship programme cultivating values-driven leadership. He also served as a trustee of NEET, a non-profit that has funded over 4,200 scholarships for underprivileged ICT students.
Zibusiso’s impact lies not only in the brands he’s built, but in the lives he continues to uplift, championing inclusion, creativity, and African excellence on a global stage.
About the Podcast:
Kasi Business Podcast is powered by TEA. A weekly business podcast, it seeks to unlock opportunities and practical tools to start and grow businesses. The show profiles corporate leaders, legendary black business leaders, industry practitioners, and entrepreneurs. Hosted by Bulelani Balabala—awarded entrepreneur, business speaker, and author—the podcast targets micro-enterprises, startups, and small businesses, while also sharing insights with professionals and policymakers.
Kasi Business Podcast is powered by TEA. A weekly business podcast, it seeks to unlock opportunities and practical tools to start and grow businesses. The show profiles corporate leaders, legendary black business leaders, industry practitioners, and entrepreneurs. Hosted by Bulelani Balabala—awarded entrepreneur, business speaker, and author—the podcast targets micro-enterprises, startups, and small businesses, while also sharing insights with professionals and policymakers.