Zizipho Hani

Dynamic and results-oriented marketing professional with proven experience in leading digital and content marketing strategies across Sub-Saharan Africa for global brands in hospitality, luxury travel, FMCG, and energy sectors. Currently driving content marketing for Marriott International's Sub-Saharan portfolio, leading strategy across social media, loyalty programs, email, influencer partnerships, and destination marketing. Expertise spans loyalty and member marketing, multi-channel content production, digital PR, and data-driven campaign management.

Thrive in fast-paced, cross-functional environments—collaborating with international teams from South Africa to EMEA markets to deliver impactful brand storytelling and customer engagement strategies. Beyond marketing, bring transferable skills in strategic planning, project management, stakeholder engagement, and performance analytics. Skilled in leveraging insights and advanced analytics to optimize campaigns, improve ROI, and inform business decisions, combining creative thinking with analytical rigor to drive measurable results.

Passionate about continuous improvement and innovation, excel at developing high-performing campaigns that enhance brand value, increase engagement, and deliver sustainable growth.

Content Marketing Manager Sub-Saharan Africa - Marriott International - Sub-Saharan Africa

(2022-04)

• Serving as the primary day-to-day marketing contact for Protea Hotels across Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), providing strategic guidance and operational support to hotel teams.
• Support the Market Sales Organization in planning and executing trade events and industry activations.
• Managing the development, review, and distribution of marketing collateral, ensuring brand consistency and compliance across all hotel communications.
• Led the execution of seasonal marketing campaigns, including Summer, Winter, Christmas, Valentine's Day, and Easter promotions.
• Develop and document marketing workflows, campaign processes, and best-practice guidelines for hotel teams across Sub-Saharan Africa e.g Brand Collateral guide, Social media guide for EMEA.
• Conduct quality assurance reviews of campaign assets, ensuring adherence to Marriott International's global brand standards prior to deployment.
• Manage centralized digital asset libraries and coordinated the distribution of approved creative materials across multiple markets.
• Act as a key liaison between regional stakeholders and global teams, ensuring seamless communication and timely campaign delivery across multiple time zones.
• Coordinate hotel photography projects and maintained brand-approved image libraries to support content planning and campaign execution.
• Support Food & Beverage marketing initiatives for hotels across South Africa and the broader SSA region.
• Execute integrated marketing activities, including creative reviews and approvals, media coordination, asset localization, and campaign rollout support.
• Guide hotel teams in localizing Marriott Bonvoy marketing toolkits and implementing digital marketing best practices.
• Plan, manage and produced destination marketing video content in partnership with global content teams for deployment across organic social media, paid media, display advertising, and merchandising platforms.
• Collaborate with international teams, including stakeholders in the UK and Germany, to localize content and campaigns for the South African market.
• Support annual marketing planning by consolidating hotel priorities, performance metrics, and business insights.
• Coordinate planning inputs and marketing initiatives with General Managers and regional marketing leadership.
• Manage the development and maintenance of hotel presentations for leadership reviews and cross-functional stakeholder meetings.
• Led the social media strategy, content planning, community management, and campaign execution for a portfolio of Marriott International brands.
• Manage and allocate annual social media marketing budgets across Sub-Saharan Africa to maximize campaign effectiveness and ROI.
• Provide regional support to EMEA paid media and localization teams on strategic marketing projects.
• Drive Marriott Bonvoy membership growth by equipping hotels with tools, resources, and best practices to optimize on-property enrollment performance.
• Develop and execute targeted loyalty marketing campaigns across email and social media channels to increase Marriott Bonvoy enrollments and engagement.
• Leverage exclusive member offers and loyalty-focused promotions to drive customer engagement and bookings.
• Ensure hotel participation in brand marketing campaigns and regional initiatives to maximize marketing return on investment.
• Maintain Marriott Bonvoy brand standards by managing the distribution and implementation of approved collateral across hotel properties.
• Partner with the Design Studio to deliver and successfully roll out new Marriott Bonvoy campaigns, collateral, and on-property activations.
• Develop and execute segmented email marketing campaigns, delivering targeted and personalized customer communications to improve engagement and campaign performance.
• Collaborate with partner marketing teams to drive brand awareness, strengthen market positioning, and support tactical demand-generation initiatives.
• Manage Marriott Bonvoy Moments partnerships, including collaborations with Orlando Pirates Football Club and Cricket South Africa, to increase brand engagement and loyalty participation.
• Oversee Marriott International's media trade exchange partnership with a media partner, including campaign planning, media value reconciliation, and performance tracking.
• Played a key role in the development and execution of the Protea Hotels Influencer Campaign, including campaign briefing, agency management, stakeholder coordination, influencer selection, and content approval.
• Reviewed and approved influencer-generated content to ensure alignment with brand standards, campaign objectives, and strategic marketing goals.

Cluster Marketing Manager - Johannesburg Marriott Melrose Arch - Johannesburg

(2021-10 - 2022-03)

• Developed and strengthened relationships with stakeholders across EMEA, including continent brand leaders, hotel teams, and external agencies, to ensure the successful execution of brand and destination marketing campaigns.
• Partnered with brand and field marketing leaders to implement digital marketing strategies that supported business objectives and enhanced brand visibility.
• Managed community engagement across social media platforms, ensuring consistent brand representation, positive guest interactions, and effective reputation management.
• Led integrated advertising campaigns across traditional, digital, and social media channels, ensuring alignment with brand standards, messaging, and campaign objectives.
• Advised hotel properties on engaging and leveraging advertising agencies to support creative development, media planning, and Food & Beverage promotional initiatives across the region.
• Maintained regular collaboration with Cluster Directors of Marketing & Communications and Cluster eCommerce and Digital Leads to ensure alignment, effective execution, and two-way communication of online programs and initiatives.
• Supported hotels in coordinating professional photography shoots by liaising with approved photographers, obtaining quotations, and ensuring compliance with brand photography guidelines and standard operating procedures.
• Assisted the Director of Marketing in identifying and maximizing public relations opportunities, including media stays, executive profiling, sustainability initiatives, and corporate social responsibility campaigns.
• Worked closely with hotel properties to develop and execute promotional campaigns across traditional and digital channels, targeting in-house guests to drive revenue and enhance the guest experience.
• Managed Food & Beverage promotional campaigns by overseeing the development and execution of strategic offers for restaurants and bars. Collaborated with culinary and service teams to create compelling, seasonally relevant promotions that increased guest engagement and revenue.
• Managed online guest feedback for four hotel properties through Guest Voice and TripAdvisor, ensuring timely, professional responses that addressed concerns, recognized positive experiences, and strengthened brand loyalty.
• Collaborated with property teams to investigate and resolve guest concerns, implement service improvements, and enhance overall guest satisfaction and reputation scores.
• Monitored campaign performance and stakeholder feedback, providing insights and recommendations to optimize marketing effectiveness and support hotel commercial objectives.

Hotel Executive I - Johannesburg Marriott Melrose Arch - Johannesburg

(2019-10 - 2021-09)

• Developed and strengthened relationships with stakeholders across EMEA, including continent brand leaders, hotel teams, and agency partners, to ensure the successful execution of brand and destination marketing campaigns.
• Collaborated closely with brand and field marketing leaders to effectively implement digital marketing strategies that supported business and brand objectives.
• Managed community engagement across social media platforms, ensuring consistent brand representation, meaningful audience interactions, and positive online sentiment.
• Led integrated advertising campaigns across traditional media, digital platforms, and social channels, ensuring alignment with brand voice, messaging, and strategic objectives.
• Consulted with hotel properties on leveraging advertising agencies to develop creative campaigns, media plans, and food and beverage promotional initiatives across the region.
• Maintained ongoing collaboration with Cluster Directors of Marketing & Communications, as well as Cluster eCommerce and Digital Leads, to ensure alignment, effective pull-through, and two-way communication on digital programs and marketing initiatives.
• Supported hotels in coordinating professional photography shoots by liaising with approved photographers, obtaining quotations, and ensuring compliance with brand photography guidelines, shot lists, and standard operating procedures.
• Assisted the Director of Marketing in identifying and maximizing public relations opportunities, including media stays, executive profiling, sustainability initiatives, and CSR-related communications.
• Partnered with hotel teams to develop and execute promotional campaigns across traditional and digital channels, targeting in-house guests to increase engagement and drive incremental revenue.
• Managed Food & Beverage promotional offers for restaurants and bars by overseeing the development and execution of strategic campaigns designed to increase customer engagement, enhance the guest dining experience, and drive revenue growth. Collaborated with culinary and service teams to create compelling, seasonally relevant offers.
• Managed guest feedback across four properties through Guest Voice and TripAdvisor by monitoring, responding to, and resolving guest reviews in a timely and professional manner. Worked closely with property teams to address concerns, recognize positive guest experiences, strengthen brand loyalty, and improve overall guest satisfaction.

Marketing Service Account Manager I - Marriott International Head Office - Cape Town

(2018-02 - 2019-10)

• Served as the day-to-day point of contact for hotel teams across Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) for Protea Hotels, Marriott, and Autograph Collection brands.
• Led marketing initiatives for 28 Marriott Hotels across South Africa and Africa, managed allocations for five internal departments (e.g., HR, Finance, Development, etc.), and oversaw the full process from hotel briefs to execution (including sending artwork to clients).
• Supported the launch of AC Hotel by Marriott in Cape Town, delivered pre-opening collateral, and spearheaded the rebranding of 15 on Orange, Autograph Collection, with daily reporting to directors.
• Collaborated with the Design Studio and Online Distribution teams to ensure timely completion of projects and facilitated the rollout of Marriott Bonvoy™ and new campaigns through on-property activations.
• Coordinated above-the-line advertising, transformed briefs into brochures, invitations, and digital assets while maintaining strict deadlines and providing progress updates to hotels.
• Advised hotels on leveraging head office marketing channels and managed the image portfolio, ensuring visuals remained current and aligned with brand standards.
• Acted as a key liaison with headquarters in Dubai, distributed campaign assets, and implemented Marriott Bonvoy™ loyalty program initiatives across participating hotels through activations.
• Oversaw the development and distribution of marketing collateral to ensure brand consistency and quality, including managing seasonal campaigns and menus.
• Coordinated hotel photography and maintained brand-approved photo libraries for content planning.
• Supported hotels in coordinating professional photography shoots by liaising with approved photographers, obtaining quotations, and ensuring compliance with brand photography guidelines, shot lists, and standard operating procedures.
• Assisted the Director of Marketing in identifying and maximizing public relations opportunities, including media stays, executive profiling, sustainability initiatives, and CSR-related communications.
• Partnered with hotel teams to develop and execute promotional campaigns across traditional and digital channels, targeting in-house guests to increase engagement and drive incremental revenue.
• Managed Food & Beverage promotional offers for restaurants and bars by overseeing the development and execution of strategic campaigns designed to increase customer engagement, enhance the guest dining experience, and drive revenue growth. Collaborated with culinary and service teams to create compelling, seasonally relevant offers.
• Managed guest feedback across four properties through Guest Voice and TripAdvisor by monitoring, responding to, and resolving guest reviews in a timely and professional manner. Worked closely with property teams to address concerns, recognize positive guest experiences, strengthen brand loyalty, and improve overall guest satisfaction.
• Supported Food & Beverage content initiatives for hotels within and outside South Africa.
• Drove the execution of marketing activities, including creative reviews and approvals for hotels, media coordination, asset localization, and campaign rollout support.
• Guided hotel teams in localizing Marriott Bonvoy toolkits and implementing best-practice digital marketing strategies.
• Planned, managed, and produced destination marketing video content in collaboration with the global content team for deployment across organic and paid social, display media, and merchandising platforms.
• Collaborated with global teams in the UK and Germany to localize content for South Africa.
• Supported annual planning by consolidating hotel priorities, performance data, and insights.
• Coordinated planning inputs with General Managers and marketing leaders.
• Assisted in updating hotel presentations for leadership and cross-functional teams with the latest assets.

Brand Marketing Assistant I - Distell (PTY) LTD - Stellenbosch

(2017-02 - 2017-12)

• Worked closely with advertising agencies and cross-functional sales teams across projects to ensure alignment and execution of marketing initiatives.
• Utilized regional/global tools, playbooks, and best-practice assets to drive consistency and efficiency.
• Aligned all communication and events with the annual brand strategy (e.g., monthly cider digital newsletter).
• Managed new product launch activations to maximize market impact.
• Oversaw Point of Sale (POS) artwork briefing for the Sales Team.
• Ensured all media selections (ATL: Out-of-Home, TV, Digital, Radio) were efficient, compliant with strategy, and within brand budget.
• Participated in and assisted with the coordination of promotional activities.
• Provided day-to-day marketing and advertising administration support across the Cider category.
• Maintained strong relationships with media and brand agencies, acting as a liaison between clients and agencies.
• Fostered sustainable relationships with internal business stakeholders.
• Delivered high-quality briefs to agencies across the Cider category to ensure all initiatives supported marketing and business strategy.
• Assisted in the development, implementation, and evaluation of ROI for promotional items across the Cider category for the business catalogue.
• Executed below-the-line ground activations to drive consumer engagement.
• Managed brand events, ensuring adequate stock and merchandise availability.
• Led brand communication planning across all brands.
• Oversaw trade channel management to optimize distribution and visibility.

Consumer Magazine Departmental Support I - New Media Publishing - Cape Town

(2016-02 - 2017-01)

• Managed the office and diary of the General Manager with the utmost confidentiality.
• Provided comprehensive support for internal and external meetings, including preparing and distributing meeting documents, and writing selected meeting minutes.
• Curated content and assisted the editorial team for magazines, including Woolworths In-Store Screens, VISI Print, VISI Website, Eat Out Print, Eat Out Website, Golf Digest, and Yuppie Chef.
• Supported the W TASTE team by coordinating competition draws with auditors, sourcing gift prizes with clients, and sending prizes to the winners.
• Handled general office administration, including office events and activation.

Personal Assistant to MD - KayaGas (Pty) Ltd - Blackheath

(2013-01 - 2016-01)

KayaGas (Pty) Ltd a South African company that supplied Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) in bulk and cylinder form, with operations primarily in the Western Cape.

• Managed the MD's electronic diary, scheduling appointments and meetings.
• Handled business card orders and other office-related requirements.
• Maintained confidentiality in all communications and administrative tasks.
• Assisted in taking LPG gas orders over the phone and ensure accurate processing.
• Liaised with relevant departments to ensure timely deliveries.
• Arranged EXCO meetings, including scheduling, agenda preparation, and minute-taking.
• Coordinated lunch orders for meetings when required.
• Served as the first point of contact for the MD, handling calls and correspondence.
• Coordinated with internal teams and external stakeholders as needed.

Marketing Designation - Marketing - Marketing Association of South Africa

Online Certification - Data Analysis Google Analytics - Udemy (2024 - 2024)

ND - Marketing Management (2018 - 2018)

ND - Hospitality Food & Beverage Management (2018 - 2018)