Marketing is the language that connects people across boundaries by creating a reality that matches their hopes. It is a language of compassion that creates curiosity in the minds of consumer about the brands that promise to solve their problem, fulfil their wish or desire, or serve them personally in a way expected by them. Dr. Jónia Presado, Ph.D (hc)—an Award-Winning Marketing & Communications Leader, Top 50 Women in Management Africa, and Top 100 Influential Black Personalities in Portuguese-Speaking Countries—has mastered that language of meaningful brand communication in her professional career of nearly two-and-a-half decades.
Especially in a world where marketing often obsessively focuses on mere numbers, as the Head of Marketing, Communications, and PR at MultiChoice Mozambique, Dr. Presado chooses to lead with meaning. She exemplifies genuine and purpose-driven leadership in the dynamic media industry within Africa. Leveraging her 24 years of experience, her authority is complemented with academic rigour, including a Doctorate in Leadership and Business Management (honoris causa) from the Veridian Christian University (USA) and a Master’s in Marketing from the internationally renowned University of Salford (UK).
Connecting People’s Realities to Their Aspirations
Dr. Presado has established a legacy that is an amalgamation of creativity, significant social impact, and unrelenting excellence. Her esteemed role is recognized around the world; she has been recognized for being one of Africa’s Top 50 Women in Business Management and has received accolades for being one of the Top 100 Most Influential Black People in Portuguese-speaking nations.
To her, these awards were more than a personal achievement — it was a reminder of responsibility. It reaffirmed that leadership is not about titles but about the ability to create impact and open doors for others.
“This recognition inspired me to lead with even greater authenticity and empathy.” It reinforced her belief that communication is most powerful when it connects people’s realities to their aspirations. Today, her vision is to shape narratives that not only elevate brands but also celebrate the richness and resilience of African stories.
Powering A Purpose-driven Strategy
Driven by her love of storytelling and a natural strategic vision, she currently leads MultiChoice Mozambique, at the intersection of brand authenticity, audience diversity, and social impact. During her career, considering she is enjoying great success, she has dedicated her time to developing and implementing strategies to develop community, advocate for corporate social responsibility, and facilitate social change.
Receiving the award for Outstanding Community & Social Responsibility is representative of this commitment; she doesn’t view it as just being an important component of community development, but rather, an important component of sustainable business development. As a leader, Dr. Presado draws ideas from innovation, inclusion, and collaboration. She takes incredible joy in developing and mentoring future professionals; she advocates for diverse representation in all of her work, and she creates working environments that empower her teams to do their best work. Her commitment to impactful and results-driven campaigns has not only had a significant impact in bringing awareness to many brands but has, without a doubt, shifted the landscape of influence across the entire region.
From Stories to Strategy: The Evolution of Passion
As Dr. Presado traces her path from a childhood fascination with storytelling to her current role as a leader, she reflects a personality that anchors global brands in local authenticity and deep emotional meaning. Her journey into marketing was a destiny rooted in her love for narrative. Her early fascination was sparked by the sheer power of communication—from the “stories my grandparents told me” and the movies she watched, to the “advertising radio spots” of her childhood in Mozambique. She recognized that marketing was the natural nexus where creativity and purpose converged.
Her passion has since undergone a profound transformation. It evolved from merely “crafting messages to crafting meaning.” She realized that the deepest impact comes from a human-centered approach.
“I’ve learned that marketing is less about persuasion and more about understanding people — their hopes, emotions, and identities.”
This fundamental shift, valuing empathy over mere sales tactics, continues to guide every facet of her work, both within the corporate environment and in her philanthropic endeavors.
Anchoring the Brand: Strategies of Belonging
In her current position of marketing and comms leadership, Dr. Presado’s defining strategy has been the unwavering commitment to local relevance and authentic representation. She understands that MultiChoice’s mission is fundamentally about telling stories that “reflect the communities we serve.”
The Power of Local Content
One of her signature achievements has been the active participation in the creation and promotion of Maningue Magic and Maningue Magic Kool, channels entirely dedicated to local content—” produced by Mozambicans, for Mozambicans.” This strategic focus fosters a powerful sense of ownership and cultural pride among the audience.
Beyond local content, her team has delivered award-winning campaigns that resonate emotionally. Campaigns like “Aonde” (DStv) and “Txeka Lá” (GOtv), alongside the internationally recognized DStv Kids Campaign, were built on a foundation of insight-driven creativity and purpose. The result is an audience that connects not just with the entertainment offered but with the vital sense of belonging that these authentic campaigns successfully evoke.
The Act of Respect: Weaving Authentic Narratives
For Dr. Presado, storytelling transcends a mere marketing tactic; it is fundamentally an “act of respect” that honors people’s lived experiences. Her process begins with a disciplined focus on listening. She believes that when you “listen deeply, stories write themselves.”
Operating in Mozambique’s intensely diverse cultural and linguistic landscape demands this rigorous authenticity. For her teams, this means reflecting diversity honestly through local languages, relatable experiences, and visuals that perfectly “mirror everyday life.” She imposes a crucial priority within her department:
“I encourage my teams to find truth first, creativity second. That’s how we build campaigns that are not only memorable but meaningful.”
This commitment to sincerity ensures that MultiChoice’s brand narratives are deeply rooted in the communities they serve.
Leadership as Service: The Social Impact Imperative
Dr. Presado rejects the notion that social impact is a peripheral concern; for her, it is a core strategic pillar. She leads with the conviction that “brands that thrive are those that care,” effectively merging corporate strategy with genuine compassion.
This ethos is deeply personal, inspired by her mother’s community support and the enduring lesson that “empathy is what makes us humans.” Beyond her corporate work, she is intensely involved in health, education, and gender equity initiatives, actively supporting organizations like the SPROWT Foundation and AACOSIDA (supporting children affected by HIV/AIDS), and lending her influence to the Girl Move Project.
The Proudest Metric
Receiving the Outstanding Community & Social Responsibility Award from the Africa Silent Heroes (Nigeria) was a highlight of her career, validating her approach.
“It reminded me that leadership is also service.”
This recognition confirms that her commitment to the community is not secondary, but critical to her definition of excellence.
Curiosity and Insight: The Drivers of Innovation
In the fast-evolving media and entertainment industry, Dr. Presado ensures her strategies remain relevant by cultivating a culture of perpetual curiosity. She drives her team to stay ahead of trends by observing, experimenting, and learning continuously.
Her strategy relies on a sophisticated fusion of data and human insight. While they “analyze data rigorously,” they always balance it with understanding “not just what people watch, but why they watch.” This crucial human insight allows her teams to anticipate audience behavior, keeping their strategies relevant even as digital platforms redefine engagement across Africa.
Championing the Spectrum: The Inclusivity Core
Dr. Presado affirms that inclusivity is at the core of her professional identity, understanding that “Representation shapes perception.” When audiences see themselves reflected in stories, they feel inherently valued. Within MultiChoice Mozambique, she champions this ideal by actively ensuring that women, youth, and underrepresented voices are integrated into both the creative and strategic processes.
“Diversity in ideas always results in richer outcomes.”
Externally, her campaigns are designed to showcase the full spectrum of Mozambican life—urban and rural, traditional and modern—believing that every story deserves an equal spotlight. This commitment ensures their communications are authentic, resonant, and universally accessible.
The Critical Skills: Intelligence and Empathy
In viewing Africa as a market that is “young, digital, and full of potential,” Dr. Presado articulates the critical skills required for future marketing leaders. They must master a blend of expertise: strategic thinking, cultural intelligence, data-driven decisions, and technological fluency.
More than just technical skills, she stresses the necessity of empathy to understand genuine human needs, agility to adapt quickly, and courage to innovate responsibly. She asserts that the balance between morality and analysis will define the future of marketing leadership.
“I also believe ethics and emotional intelligence will be as important as analytics in defining tomorrow’s marketing leadership.”
Collaboration: The Heartbeat of Creativity
Leading in Mozambique’s multicultural environment is a complex challenge that Dr. Presado meets with sensitivity and respect. She recognizes that the nation’s linguistic and cultural diversity means there is “no one-size-fits-all approach.” She sees every challenge as an “opportunity to learn,” ensuring that all communications are inclusive, relatable, and culturally respectful through empowering local voices.
Collaboration, she notes, is the “heartbeat of creativity.” No successful campaign is the work of one person. Internally, her focus is on creating a unified team where marketing, PR, Sales, CVM and Customer Experience move toward a single vision. Externally, this extends to agencies, community organizations, and media partners. Campaigns like “Tás a ver” and “Brincando e aprendendo” are powerful illustrations of what can be achieved when innovation flows from collective effort and shared passion.
The Compass of Integrity: Authentic Leadership
Dr. Presado defines authentic leadership as the seamless “harmony between who you are and what you do,” leading always with integrity, compassion, and purpose. Her fundamental belief is simple yet profound: “people follow sincerity more than authority.” Throughout her 24-year career—spanning banking, advertising, and media—authenticity has served as her unwavering compass.
The honor of receiving a Doctorate honoris causa in Leadership and Business Management served as validation not just of her achievements, but of her core philosophy: “leadership is about service, not status.” This commitment ensures her influence is built on genuine connection rather than hierarchical power.
Lead with Heart: The Advice to Emerging Women
To young women aspiring to lead in the competitive fields of marketing and media, Dr. Presado delivers an empowering charge: “Believe that you belong in every room you walk into.”
She emphasizes the necessity of hard work, continuous curiosity, and, crucially, never losing one’s authenticity. In moments of doubt, she reminds them that their unique voice, perspective, and story matter. Her ultimate piece of advice encourages a mentorship cycle and heart-driven leadership:
“Most importantly, lead with heart — because empathy will always be your greatest strength.”
Vision for Africa: Innovation, Not Imitation
Looking ahead, Dr. Presado envisions an Africa where marketing breaks free from global imitation to become defined by innovation. Her goal is to see the continent tell its “own stories, rooted in our values and realities.” Recognizing that African consumers are sophisticated and proud, she believes the future belongs to brands that successfully build from within the continent’s immense cultural wealth.
Her personal contribution remains the same: “building bridges”—between creativity and purpose, and between business growth and social good.
“I want to keep inspiring others to see marketing not just as a career, but as a force for transformation.”
For Dr. Jónia Presado, success is ultimately measured by meaning, not just milestones. Every award, from Top 30 Most Influential Women in Marketing to Best Communication Professional by COMARP Awards 2024, represents commitment and the belief that purpose-driven leadership can uplift entire communities. She concludes that the most powerful story any of us can tell “is the one we live.”
