People of Vox: Thandeka Ayanda Nkumbi
When you see Thandeka in the Vox Joburg office, a few things are likely to jump out at you – for example, how she always looks stylish, attractive and well-groomed; her beautiful smile; and how very busy and active she is!
Her colleagues will confirm that our well-known and much-loved Marketing Assistant never seems to stop moving (10,000 steps a day is nothing!). But use a slightly different filter on the camera of your mind’s eye, and a different picture emerges.
Our ultra-feminine office powerhouse says that at home, she’s an ardent football fan who never misses an Orlando Pirates game. And astonishingly, there was a period, just a couple of years ago, when she was in hospital for almost a month with a freak injury, and had to learn how to walk again.
Today, she’s grateful for the opportunity to swap out her famous fashion at work for her soccer shirts at home, as well as the fact that the scar on her leg today means she can still walk those 10,000 steps with ease – but more on this later.
With her finger always on the beating pulse of Vox, Thandeka is at the centre of multiple activities at any given moment. She always knows who’s who in the corporate zoo, and quite frequently where they are as well – just saying….
We get to know more about one of Vox’s bubbliest and most energetic daughters – including news on how her role at work is starting to change. Her story is one of persistence, creativity and resilience, interspersed with many tongue-in-cheek comments and laughs along the way.
A Day in the Working Life…
Born and raised in Soweto (originally from Diepkloof), Thandeka joined Vox as an intern in September 2022 and was taken on permanently by December that same year. Well, at Vox we know how to spot our gems!
As a Marketing Assistant in the vibrant, colourful Vox Marketing department, she supports the team – and, in fact, the rest of the company – with a wide range of practical and logistical tasks on a daily basis. Thandeka’s work includes ordering and managing marketing collateral, onboarding suppliers, raising purchase orders, coordinating print production for flyers and brochures, and ensuring that materials arrive on time for sales activations and giveaways.
“When I arrive at the office, I first check my emails while having a cup of coffee,” she clarifies, “because a girl needs all the energy before zikhala (getting busy)! I load new POs and check on submitted ones, and establish if I have orders that I need to pack and send for shipment. Stock inventory is very important, and so we make sure we keep track of what we have, and if we’re out of stock, we get quotes and order more.”
Thandeka’s day‑to‑day work requires close collaboration with designers and external vendors and quite a lot of logistical coordination – in short, the kind of hands‑on activity that keeps Vox events and field marketing running smoothly. It also includes a lot of walking…
“I am a people’s person,” she says with a smile, “so I need to chill and talk to my colleagues – from Block A to C, I’m there during the course of my duties! And of course, there’s no way I am not spending time with Paul… my Work Husband.”
(Editor’s note: We hope Paul is reading this.)
Her days are never the same but being hands-on is always a part of it.
“Sometimes I need to organise a collection with the courier company and then I just know in advance that they’re going to send that driver who always argues with me! And then ooh, guess what, other times I have a date… at the storeroom featuring boxes, scissors, and marketing collateral!
“How much time I spend in the storeroom depends on the amount of stock I have, and what’s going on in the company. Some days I spend most of my time there; at others it’s just a short ‘date’ but regardless, I enjoy it. Back to my machine… oh, a supplier is looking for the PO; time for me to chase for approval… time to move. And suddenly it’s home time – ishayile, we try again tomorrow!”
She speaks lightheartedly but the fact is that at any given moment, Thandeka has a lot of irons in a lot of fires, and she always knows what’s cooking (marshmallows, anyone?), and where!
How Thandeka’s Vox Journey Began
Thandeka studied journalism at Rosebank College for four years, graduating in 2019 with the hope of pursuing sports communication and commentary. Fate, however – or to be specific, a global pandemic – had other plans when the COVID‑19 disruption of 2020 put those early goals on hold.
She says: “2020 was one of the toughest years for me, both personally and professionally, because we also had a death in our family during this time – the pain went very deep for all of us, and still does, to this day. Professionally, the pandemic stalled the early momentum from my journalism qualification and made job hunting very difficult – like many other people, COVID meant that my dreams were put on pause.”
However, she didn’t lose hope and was eventually able to start steadily rebuilding her path through part‑time teaching work from early 2021, with two different educational institutions: one for primary school children, and another for young adults trying to complete their matric certifications. Eventually, she was presented with an internship offer from Vox, which led to her permanent marketing assistant role at Vox in late 2022.
“I love being part of the Vox marketing team and appreciate the team’s fun and friendly nature – this group doesn’t have a filter! I like the way that we can tease one another while still being supportive. I especially value the sense of unity and family that Vox offers: despite cultural and personality variations, my colleagues always stick together and look out for each other, and this makes me proud to work for Vox.”
A Freak Accident
Despite settling in beautifully to her new job, the COVID pandemic was not the only challenge Thandeka would face in her early career – and there was a time in her life when she was definitely not walking on sunshine. In March 2023, she suffered an unexpected setback in the form of a sudden and severe injury to her leg when, on her way to see a family member after work one day, she slipped unexpectedly in heavy rain.
She was rushed to hospital and quickly transferred into the operating theatre as an emergency upon arrival, because her leg was found to be badly injured and a large skin‑graft procedure was required. She then spent almost a month – 29 days – in hospital, and endured weeks of follow‑up treatment and rehabilitation, needing time and patience to regain her confidence and mobility.
“It was something that was very hard to deal with, because one day I was really fine, and the next day I was lying in a hospital bed with VAC machines (Editor’s note: Vacuum Assisted Closure, which uses suction to help a wound heal) because the wound needed to close before the doctors could start with the process of the skin graft.
“I still experience pain and sensitivity at times, especially in cold weather or after long walks, but I’m grateful that I could recover without losing my mobility and independence,” she adds, “and get back on track with my job.”
And as of the first of September this year, Thandeka’s career path is morphing and changing once again!
Evolving into the Next Phase
Thandeka is thrilled to have been recently promoted to the role of Junior Content and Digital Creator, a role that shifts her focus toward social media, content creation and community engagement, for both Vox and sister company Hypa Fibre. Her journalism training obviously makes the content pathway feel like a natural fit.
She’s excited that her new role will be more of a return to what she studied originally, with her writing, storytelling and journalistic instincts applied to social channels, blogs and creative campaigns. And she’s enthusiastic about the creative and investigative aspects of content work: writing posts, producing blogs, and keeping the social presence active and responsive.
“In my new role, I plan to be highly present on social media, intentionally curious, and open‑minded. I want to learn, test new formats and help to improve Vox’s social offering,” she says enthusiastically. “Over the longer term, I expect my goals and daily tasks to evolve with experience.”
Thandeka expects to spend much more time monitoring social media platforms, studying competitor activity, tracking trends and producing regular content. While she’s super-excited about the promotion, she’s currently balancing both roles until a replacement Marketing Assistant is found.
Embracing Her Tomboy Side
Outside work, soccer plays a big part of Thandeka’s life and she rarely misses an Orlando Pirates game: “I’m obsessed, obsessed, obsessed with Orlando Pirates!” she laughs. But her love of the sport extends beyond fandom: she wants to give back by founding a football club aimed at children.
“For me, sport is a community tool to keep young people engaged, build discipline and provide alternatives to drugs and destructive pastimes in townships,” she says. “I dream of one day running a soccer team to support youth development.”
Thandeka also loves music and enjoys car culture, especially BMW 325 drag racing. She describes herself as a tomboy in some respects, being comfortable in spaces traditionally dominated by men, and with many male friends. Travel is on her bucket list, with Namibia being her top destination.
Thandeka’s story to date – she’s young and it’s still very much unfolding! – is a portrait of a young professional who has navigated interrupted plans, family pain, and physical injury and recovery, while never giving up on working towards an opportunity that’s aligned with both her training and her passions.
She’s ready to tell stories – and so much more. Thandeka Ayanda Nkumbi is all set to help with shaping meaningful, community‑centred journeys that are grounded in reality – and sometimes soccer! – and guided by optimism and empathy.
She knows how to walk on sunshine! And she plans, both personally and professionally, to help others do the same.
About Author
