"We are delighted to welcome these accomplished industry professionals to our group marketing and corporate affairs team," says Sydney Mbhele, who joined Absa Group as chief marketing and corporate affairs officer in January. 

"These strategic appointments underscore Absa's commitment to driving growth, enhancing brand presence and fostering meaningful stakeholder engagement. They bring diverse expertise, visionary approach and wealth of experience to the team," concludes Mbhele.

Candice Thurston was appointed Absa Group managing executive: brand and marketing, effective Tuesday, 1 August. According to the group, Thurston is a highly accomplished marketing executive and entrepreneur with more than 20 years of experience in the field of brand and marketing.

Thurston started her career at Unilever, where she led brand growth and P&L for hair brands in Africa, Middle East and Turkey regions. She also made contributions during her tenure at MTN, in the role of senior manager of consumer and trade marketing and as the senior brand activation manager for MTN's FIFA World Cup 2010 campaign.

She later founded and built Candi & Co, a hair and beauty salon franchise that employs over 100 full-time employees to date. She has held key positions at companies, including the Sorbet Group.

Daniel Munslow was appointed Absa Group managing executive: group communications, effective Tuesday, 15 August. He is an accomplished corporate communication and reputation management professional with 18 years of experience in diverse industries across 22 global markets.

Munslow has achieved key milestones, such as serving on the executive board of the international association of business communicators.

According to the group, he is a respected speaker and thought leader, known for enhancing corporate reputation and achieving organisational success through effective communication strategies. Munslow started his own corporate communications consulting firm in 2015.

Sadika Fakir joins as Absa Group executive: digital marketing and media buying, effective Sunday, 1 September. Fakir has 18 years of experience in advertising, digital marketing, media and integrated marketing communications.

According to the group, she excels in channel strategy and has managed campaigns across a range of industries. She spent a significant amount of time at Nedbank and FNB in senior paid media and digital marketing roles prior to joining Tiger Brands.

Fakir holds the prestigious chartered marketer designation and is currently chairperson of the Advertising Regulatory Board of South Africa (ARB SA).

Steven Zwane was appointed Absa Group executive: corporate citizenship, effective Wednesday, 1 November. Steven is a seasoned strategy and operations professional with significant experience in the financial services sector. A recipient of the prestigious Nelson Mandela Scholarship and a social entrepreneur, his life mission is to help others reach their full potential.

According to the group, he is currently the chief operating officer for Transactional Banking at Absa. Previously, Zwane was CEO of the National Financial Aid Scheme and he is the founder and chairperson of the award-winning NGO Youth Leadership and Entrepreneurship Development.

For more information, visit www.absa.co.za. You can also follow Absa on Facebook or on Twitter.