Harmony Gold - PNG Resources & Energy Investment conference

Kara Lamb

Intern: Communications

BA (Film and Television Studies, Media and Writing), BA Hons (Media Theory and Practice)

Kara is a University of Cape Town graduate with double majors in Film and Television Studies and Media and Writing, and an Honours degree in Media Theory and Practice. She is a media enthusiast who enjoys using her creative writing and media production skills to communicate strategic brand communication goals. Her passions lie in social media and brand research, media monitoring and creating multi-media content, such as social media posts, short-form video content and news articles that shed light on social issues and promote transformation and inclusivity in South Africa. Kara believes responsible journalism, storytelling and strategic brand management have the potential to create a well-informed, inclusive public.

Muzomuhle Shandu

Graphics Designer – Intern

BA Graphic Design

Muzi holds a Graphic Design degree from Vega School, where he honed his skills and ignited his passion. He has a keen eye for all things design and creating something from nothing.

His expertise spans branding, layout design, minimalist typography, and visual communication. He thrives on developing unified brand identities and impactful campaigns that resonate emotionally and visually.

Outside his passion for design, he has a love for cooking and cooking shows. His deep sense of curiosity paired with his creative spark makes him a valuable addition to the R&A team.

Sue Vey

Senior Consultant: Communications

National Higher Diploma in Communications, Post Graduate Diploma in Public Relations

Sue Vey is a global reputation management specialist with nearly 40 years of experience in corporate communications, sustainability, stakeholder engagement, and investor relations across South Africa, Africa, London, and the Middle East. Before joining the R&A team, Sue was a Corporate Communications Consultant to international precious metals producer Sibanye-Stillwater, where she managed regional as well as group communication and various special change communication projects to accelerate transformation. Her career has also included leadership roles at FTI Consulting South Africa as Managing Director, Reputation Inc. Middle East as the General Manager of their Eastern hub in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Sue’s expansive career in financial and corporate communications consulting began with journalism in South Africa. After completing her postgraduate studies in communications, she held several communications management positions within multinational corporations, including Anglo American and Old Mutual before transitioning to consultancy, where she advised clients in mining, financial services, and healthcare industries.

Kisten Stern

Director

BSc Computer Science, BSc (Hons) Management of Technology, Leading Professional Services Firms, Digital Transformation Strategy, Professional Director Programme

As one of our three directors, Kisten heads up our business development, partnerships and client service. He is a digital communications leader with extensive experience in developing and executing digital content strategies, driving digital transformation, business management, partner relations, commercialisation, new business development, and leading cross-functional teams in global environments.

His previous roles include Product Manager, Head of Digital Media, Head of New Online Projects, Web Developer and Managing Director of 1 2 INFINITY, a company he established in 2014. At the heart of Kisten’s approach is simplicity, adaptability, and developing a deep understanding of organisational business strategies to inform value-driven decisions that produce sustainable business results. Passionate about giving back, he has also taken on various volunteering roles over the past few years, including with BMF, Enactus South Africa and BetterSA.

Saihania Coopa

Junior Consultant

Saihania graduated from the University of the Witwatersrand with an undergraduate degree in International Relations and Media studies and an honours degree in Media Studies. She is a creative individual passionate about elevating marginalised voices and creating change, whether big or small. Beyond her passions, she believes that interests are boundless, and one can never have too many hobbies.

Andiswa Ntantiso

Senior Consultant: Investor Relations & Reporting

Post graduate diploma in Accounting (honours), Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting

Andiswa is a purpose-driven professional with a passion for storytelling through numbers. She holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Accounting from Milpark Education and a Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting from the University of Johannesburg.

Building on a strong foundation in financial expertise, she has leveraged her communication and interpersonal skills to establish an impactful career in investor relations and external reporting. She has experience working for a JSE-listed entity, where she developed investor and sustainability reports and successfully coordinated capital market days. She completed her SAICA articles at SizweNtsalubaGobodo (now SNG Grant Thornton), gaining valuable auditing experience across sectors such as private equity and freight logistics.

She was selected as a 2024 candidate for the International Women’s Forum South Africa (IWFSA) Management programme in partnership with the Financial and Accounting Sector Education and Training Authority (FASSET) and Duke Corporate Education—a prestigious initiative designed to nurture and empower aspiring women leaders.

Her unique blend of expertise and experience align with R&A’s mission, enabling her to deliver value to our clients.

Video

Simba Choga

Web Developer

Bcom Business Informatics, Advanced Diploma in Computer Studies, UX design certificate.

Simba is a seasoned web developer with expertise in SEO, UX design principles, and frontend development. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for creating seamless online experiences, he is dedicated to delivering results that exceed expectations. Simba’s proficiency in frontend development ensures that every project he works on, not only looks stunning but functions flawlessly across various devices and browsers.

Samantha Enslin-Payne

Senior Consultant: Communications

MA Creative Writing

Samantha has over 20 years of experience as a financial journalist. She has worked at several leading business publications in South Africa as a writer, columnist, and editor. In 2020 she graduated with a MA in Creative Writing from Wits University. Samantha is a creative and critical thinker with interests in business and society, art and literature, and history.

Sian Vico

Intern Consultant

Bachelor of Science

DescSiân is a Bachelor of Science graduate from Swansea University with a degree in Sports and Exercise Science. She has expanded her knowledge through courses in creative advertising, global and social issues, data, brand innovation and media performance. With a background in sport, Siân enjoys being faced with a challenge and is eager to learn as much as possible at R&A whilst also putting her skills into practice.

Cerys Vico

Intern consultant

BSc in Sports and Exercise Science

Cerys studied at Swansea University, completing her bachelor’s degree in Sports and Exercise Science. She is a creative thinker who possesses a great interest in data analysis, visual arts, and writing. Cerys is eager to work with and learn from the experienced team around her and apply her own skills to produce work of a high quality.

Penelope Mabelane

Accounts Administrator

Diploma in Internal Auditing

Penelope perused her studies at the Vaal University of Technology, where she earned a diploma in Internal Auditing. Equipped with dedicated experience in billing operations, she is a seasoned professional with a keen eye for numbers and a passion for problem-solving. Penny excels in managing complex billing systems, ensuring accuracy and efficiently resolving any discrepancies that arise.

Dominique Mayer

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Training

Description

Werner Smit

Creative Director & Head of Digital / Design

BA Information Design

Our creative director offers artistic direction to his team and provides oversight on all material produced. His approach to design is both practical, to suit clients’ needs, and forward-thinking. He intuitively picks up on global design trends to make sure R&A digital and print outputs lead the way. His portfolio includes the design of reports, corporate branding, printed and online advertising, brochures, tenders and exhibitions.

Venetia Daniolos

PowerPoint specialist

Venetia is our Microsoft Word and PowerPoint queen. Her presentations are, quite simply, beautiful. Every slide is artistically and painstakingly crafted like the perfect proportions of her ancestors’ Parthenon. And, if required, she can spice it up with animations and videography.She is also an aficionado of the visual arts and fashion design.

Taryn van Olden

Head: Communications and Reporting

National Diploma: Public Relations Management, BTech Journalism (cum laude), MBL

Taryn began her career in strategic communication and publishing. Her philosophy of creating and following divergent paths to gain as much lived professional experience as possible, has seen her work across a broad spectrum of industries and occupy executive leadership positions in the non-profit and healthcare spaces. The perspectives gained bring value to her role as Associate Principal, both internally and for R&A clients.

Tanisha Heiberg

Associate Principal

BA Drama and Theatre Studies, BA Honours Media Studies and Journalism

Tanisha has a deep understanding of the resources industry from her experience as a financial journalist at a global news wire focusing on mining and commodities across Southern Africa. She graduated with an honours degree in Journalism and Media Studies from Witwatersrand University and has produced content for radio, print and online publications. Driven by a passion for storytelling and a strong media background, she aims to help clients find creative solutions and build positive stakeholder relationships.

Stéphan Joubert

Digital team lead

National Diploma in Graphic Design

Stephan is a digital designer and front-end developer with many years experience in websites, digital marketing, multimedia, animation and branding. Winner of Loerie and Avanti awards.

Sherilee Lakmidas

Principal

A financial journalist for 20 years, Sherilee worked in print, broadcasting and for an international news agency before moving into investor relations. She worked at JSE-listed companies in investor relations and strategic communications roles before returning to R&A in her current capacity. A passionate writer with an eye for news, Sherilee is particularly passionate about people and helping companies communicate with the communities that rely on their operations.

Jeanne-Ann Stott

Senior Consultant: Communications

B.Journ (Journalism and Media Studies), Rhodes University

Jeanne-Ann grew a successful business as a corporate writer and independent communications consultant over 20 years. Her skill range includes content development, corporate writing, copywriting, communications project management, internal communications, change communications, and marketing communications. Her diverse client experience includes Top 100 companies within FMCG, financial services, and more. Her career journey began on the production side of communications in print advertising, corporate video production, TV Commercial production, and International Stock Footage Research. Always learning, she’s insatiably curious, leads with strategic thinking, thrives on collecting and sharing good information, authentically connecting with people, and enjoys coaching and teaching. She grew up in South Africa’s gold, platinum, and coal mining towns.

Sibongile Mtafu

Associate Senior Consultant: Communications

National Diploma in Media Studies, Bachelor of Business Administration: Marketing Management, BCom Marketing Management (Honours)

Sibongile has over 10 years’ experience in content production at a number of media houses, across business, current affairs and politics. Her writing and content production capabilities are highly regarded, and her strong working relationships with the media bring real value to the team and our clients.

Priscilla Pillay

Accounts Administrator

Phina Mvelase

Accounts Administrator

Peter Russell

Director

BSc (Hons) Chemical Engineering, MBL

One of our three directors, Peter oversees the financial, administrative and legal running of the company. Peter is also the first point of call for colleagues with a myriad of internal queries, from human resource to procedural matters.

Penelope Mashego

Associate Senior Consultant: Communications

BA (Journalism and Media Studies), Post-Graduate Diploma: Media Management

Penelope’s extensive background in journalism has seen her cover industrials, retail, business and the political economy. Her time at some of South Africa’s premier print and online publications has made her an exceptional writer. Penelope holds a BA degree, majoring in Journalism and Media Studies, from Rhodes University – as well as a Post Graduate Diploma in Media Management from the Sol Plaatje Institute for Media Leadership. Her skills and experience make her a good fit for R&A’s work and our clients’ requirements.

Patience Mtshali

Receptionist

Msuthukazi Bangushe

Consultant: Communications

BA (International Relations and Media Studies), BAHons (Media Studies)

Msuthu is an experienced communications professional with strong internal and external expertise across traditional and digital channels. Her skills include copywriting, editing, campaign development, social media management and media relations.

She has delivered high impact external campaigns and managed media engagements, while also leading internal communications, cultural change initiatives, and operational messaging support.

Mpho Mahonko

Consultant

BA (International Relations and Media Studies), BAHons (Media Studies)

Mpho studied at the University of the Witwatersrand, completing her Bachelor’s degree majoring in Media Studies and International Relations and Honours in Media Studies. She is a passionate thinker and problem solver. She has a great interest for the media and communications industry and has a great desire to grow in this industry. Mpho enjoys being social feeding into her passion and embrace for community.

Modimolle Modise

Senior Designer

Diplomas in Visual Communication and Marketing Communications

Modi is a passionate designer – a man doing what he always wanted to do. He produces vibrant and original work, which is well-considered and beautifully executed. His calm approach to all projects with which he is tasked is a perfect antidote to the hurly burly of daily life in our fast-paced design studio.

Memory Johnstone

Principal

BA (Hons) Corporate Communication, London School of Economics: Business, International Relations and Political Economy

Communications specialist with 15 years’ experience across all aspects of corporate communications, with a particular focus on reputation management, media relations and crisis communication. A strategic thinker with the ability to devise and execute effective solutions to complex problems.

Marion Brower

Advisor

BA, HDE (PG) Sec

Marion manages media and investor relations at R&A and is extensively involved in the company’s editorial work. Her long history working in the mining industry at a senior level means that Marion has enormous institutional knowledge of both the industry and companies within it. One of our “go to” people.

Master Tshabalala

Motion Graphics Designer

2D, 3D and Stop motion animation

Master’s passion for designing goes hand in hand with his deep love for creating beautiful motion visuals for our clients. He studied at City Varsity and has 7 years’ experience in motion graphics. He is a team player who is good at problem solving and bringing solutions to the table. Having the ability to imagine how something will look before creating it is what drives Master and pushes him to work hard towards his future goal of becoming a creative director.

Leny Sawe

Consultant: Communications

BA Psychology and Media Studies, BA Honours Media Studies.

Leny is a graduate of the University of the Witwatersrand with majors in Psychology and Media Studies, as well as an honours degree in Media Studies. Leny has a firm grasp of media communications tools, including social media, and is leveraging her academic studies in real life like workplaces.

Katherine Van As

Technical Consultant

BTech Graphic Design (cum laude)

Katherine is a web developer with a background in UI design. She combines her understanding of both to design and build websites that are beautiful, intuitive and cutting-edge.

Katherine Bester

Head: Communications and Reporting

BA English and Psychology

Katherine has more than two decades of experience in account management, formulating communication and marketing strategies for different industries, and making use of both traditional and digital media. A creative thinker, she is mindful of communication ideas that work to drive business goals.

Jessica Stalley

Senior Consultant: Communications

BCom (Accountancy, Business Administration), Postgraduate Diploma in Management

Jessica began her career in South Africa, before relocating to the UK where she predominantly held investor relations positions representing high profile companies within financial services, also covering mining and other sectors through her consultancy work. More recently, she has focused on the advance of ESG and impact investment and the ways in which this influences investor and stakeholder engagement and reporting across public, private and philanthropic organisations. Jessica holds certifications issued by the Investor Relations Society (UK) and Duke University (Impact Measurement & Management for the SDGs), and successfully completed the Impact Investing Africa Executive Programme through the Graduate School of Business (UCT) in 2021.

Jeremy Dineen

Junior Graphic Designer

BA Graphic Design and Communication

A North-West University graduate, Jeremy is a creative thinker, with a passion for all things ‘graphic design’, and enjoys finding unique solutions to corporate design challenges. Jeremy feels that ‘seeing is believing’ when it comes to integrating communication and design and enjoys digital drawing and creating from scratch, which matches his out-the-box approach.

Janice Dempsey

Account Director: Communications

Public Relations Management (Hons)

Janice, a founding associate at R&A, is a seasoned freelance communications professional with well-rounded agency, in-house and consultancy experience. Versed in all facets of communication, including internal, external, media relations, financial comms and investor relations, she is able to combine technical knowledge and business acumen with valuable team leadership skills. Janice enjoys the variety a career in strategic communications presents, particularly ESG and sustainability topics and reporting as these gain momentum in a post-pandemic world. Beyond technical skills and experience, Janice is kind, creative and curious; her door is always open. She believes that together, we can achieve more, and hopes that the dreamer in her inspires others.

Janet Whitaker

Principal

BA (Hons) Economics and Mathematics

Integrated and financial reporting expert Janet has a hands-on approach to each report she works on – no detail is missed. Her mathematics, financial and economics background, coupled with her years of experience in the extractives industry, place her at the forefront of reporting.

Jane Tuohy

Personal Assistant

Jane Kamau

Principal

BA French and English, BA (Hons) Journalism and Communication, GRI Professional Certification

Jane is passionate about sustainability including on a personal level. She previously worked for the Mail & Guardian (M&G) as Supplements Editor. Jane also oversaw two Pan African publications during her tenure at the M&G, following time in the training and hospitality industries.

She joined the communications team at R&A in 2008 where her responsibilities include integrated and sustainable development reporting in addition to other corporate communication. As our sustainable development reporting specialist, she ensures sustainable development / integrated reports are aligned with the international Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) , the IIRC and other industry best-practice guidelines.

Nicole White

Consultant: Communications

MA Digital Culture & Media Studies

Nicole graduated from the University of Pretoria with a Master’s in Digital Culture and Media Studies. Nicole takes interest in exploring the psychology of diverse communities within our ever-growing digital landscape. With a passion for visual arts and all things creative, Nicole brings an inspired twist to critical thinking and problem solving. Nicole is dedicated to leveraging her skills to create impactful content and engage with diverse audiences.

Geba Sithole

Financial Administrator

BCom Accounting

A graduate of the University of the Free State, with more than 10 years’ experience in the financial accounting sector, specialising in taxation. Geba has a talent for solving anything numerical and making sense of figures.

Gerrit Prinsloo

Senior Designer

Higher Diploma in Advanced Computer Art, Multimedia and Internet Design

Gerrit has strong conceptual abilities and a creative approach to complex designs. With 16 years of report design experience, he is pioneering new interactivity technology to be used in R&A’s reports.

Elisa Sumbana

Senior Designer

BA Graphic Design

Clients have come to appreciate Elisa’s stylish and elegant design as much as her colleagues appreciate her daily style inspiration. Her years of experience at R&A have fine-tuned her attention to detail as one of our senior designers.

Dominic Marule

Web Developer

BSc Geoinformatics

Dominic is a University of Pretoria graduate and self-taught developer who brings fresh ideas to the web development team at R&A. Motivated and results-driven, Dominic enjoys working with the team to find solutions. His passion for creating visually appealing and user-friendly digital experiences is underpinned by his desire to learn new things – a skill he believes is vital to every developer in the ever-changing world of technology.

Danielle Sutherland

Consultant: Communications

BA (International Relations and Media Studies), BAHons (International Relations and Media Studies)

Danielle graduated from the University of the Witwatersrand with an undergraduate and joint Honours in Media Studies and International Relations. She takes interest in the different ways of communication and digital media, specifically social media.

Benjamin Xaba

Consultant

Bcom (PPE) (Politics, Philosophy, Economics), BAHons (Economic Science)

Benjamin is a graduate of the University of the Witwatersrand with majors in Economics, Politics and Philosophy, as well as an honours degree in Economic Science. He is a creative thinker who is passionate about international finance, globalization, identity politics and how the world is intertwined not just by financial markets but also through shared histories and ongoing political and financial events. Ben is currently completing a Masters in Economics.

Charmane Russell

Director

BA Psychology, MBL (cum laude), Harvard Business School Creating Shared Value, Post Graduate Diploma in Integrated Reporting (University of Pretoria), Business Sustainability Management, University of Cambridge : Institute for Sustainability Leadership

Founder and managing director of R&A, Charmane is fearless in keeping the business on track. She’s passionate about South Africa’s mining industry and even more so about doing the right thing – in her own life and in the advice she gives to her clients. Despite over 30 years of experience in the industry, Charmane is a life-long student of anything related to the art of communications. Prior to founding R&A, Charmane was a Senior Manager Communications, AngloGold Ashanti; and before that Head: Corporate Communications: Anglo American South Africa.

Belinda Bompani

Senior Typesetter

Certificates in Mac, QuarkXpress and Adobe Freehand

A seasoned typesetter, Belinda’s years of experience affords her a calmness despite the pressured deadlines. She’s moved with publishing trends over the last four decades and has quickly adapted to new technology and processes in the industry. She goes beyond the call of duty, pre-empting clients’ needs and taking initiative to deliver a superior product – with Italian flair.

Annie Carreira

Senior Administrator

Alan Fine

Senior Principal

BCom Economics

Alan has extensive experience in navigating the human truths and practical challenges faced by the mining industry. As a former journalist and editor, he provides invaluable support to companies navigating complex media relations issues. Alan is pioneering R&A’s human rights practice. He has advised global and local companies on the adoption of the UN Guiding Principles. He also supports our clients’ engagement with NGOs.

Case Studies

Harmony Gold – PNG Resources & Energy Investment conference

What we did

Outcome