KS, Kwena Semenya, back to top
knasemenya@gmail.comLinkedIn (opens in a new tab)
Kwena Semenya laughing, arms crossed, against a white wall

Kwena Semenya

A strategist obsessed with making work that unites brands with the consumers yearning for them.

About

I believe marketing is about owning prime real estate in the mind, by obsessing over people’s emotional truths and marrying them with the magic of a brand.

Brands I've worked with

  • Visa
  • M&C Saatchi Group
  • Unilever
  • Heineken
  • FNB

Work

01 / 04

NOA · Product and go-to-market

Giving renewable energy a human voice.

NOA campaign: a gloved hand holding a patient’s hand in a hospital bed, with the line “Empowering the moments that matter”

  1. 01 Challenge

    A renewable energy startup had to position itself in a market with fierce competition.

  2. 02 Insight

    Most renewable energy startups spoke in functional terms and lacked humanity. Yet renewable energy powers hospitals, factories, communities and economies.

  3. 03 Strategy

    A human-led brand narrative for renewable energy, carried by an end-to-end go-to-market across sales conferences, sales tools, launch events and funding pitches.

  4. 04 Result

    Up to $180M

    funded to date

02 / 04

Heineken Nigeria · The 45 Collection, a 45cl bottle launch

Making a premium beer Gen Z's own.

The 45 Collection at Lagos Fashion Week: a man in a green Heineken-inspired tracksuit with a 45cl bottle, runway looks from the five designers, and friends with Heineken crates

  1. 01 Challenge

    Premium doesn’t sell itself in a downturn. As Nigeria’s economy shrank, wallets tightened and consumers traded down. Even iconic brands like Heineken were getting the side-eye.

  2. 02 Insight

    Nigerian Gen Z face one of the toughest job markets in history. They aren’t waiting for doors to open: they’re turning hustle into identity and creativity into economy, refreshing the way forward.

  3. 03 Strategy

    Launch a smaller, more affordable 45cl bottle as a cultural drop at Lagos Fashion Week, with five bold designers creating nine pieces inspired by the bottle. From the runway to social, Heineken became part of the look and the lifestyle.

  4. 04 Result

    +4.5%

    sales in 3 months

    4.6M impressions, 189,000+ engagements and 2.89M influencer content impressions.

03 / 04

Visa SA Township · Reshaping how South Africa’s biggest townships pay

When cash taps out, Visa keeps you tapped in.

Watch the ad · YouTube

  1. 01 Challenge

    Move township consumers from physical cash to tapping a card.

  2. 02 Insight

    People held on to cash because they feared card fraud and theft, merchants and consumers alike, even though cash is inconvenient to pay with.

  3. 03 Strategy

    A campaign showing how Visa helps you tap into your best summer yet, across Meta, TikTok, YouTube and DOOH.

  4. 04 Result

    21M

    YouTube views for the hero ad

    5x the planned video views overall: 46.5M against 9.3M planned. 92.2M impressions against 62.8M. CPM 29% below plan.

04 / 04

Handy Andy / Cif (Unilever) · Brand repositioning

Repositioning an iconic brand for a new generation.

Watch the ad

  1. 01 Challenge

    Reinvigorate an iconic South African brand for a younger, emerging Gen Z audience.

  2. 02 Insight

    This audience invests in meaningful lives, but everyday friction keeps pulling them out of the moments that matter.

  3. 03 Strategy

    A social-first campaign, led by TikTok, showing the miracle of Handy Andy / Cif: it does the hard work, so you can live a bigger life. TV, radio and in-store carried it further.

  4. 04 Result

    84%

    of audience growth came from TikTok

    1,512 followers added in Jan–Mar 2026. Engagement: 5.89% on Instagram, 5.6% on TikTok.

Things I've built with AI

ADAPT

Takes a global campaign brief and US master copy and drafts localised versions for South Africa, Nigeria and the UK. AI drafts and flags; a local creative director decides, so nothing publishes by itself.

Open ADAPT (opens in a new tab) ↗

Relative

Writes talking points, social copy and an FAQ against one approved brand narrative, cites the proof behind every claim, and flags lines that go off message.

Open Relative (opens in a new tab) ↗