Commanding space, crafting impact: Thato Motloung on power moves and purpose in OOH

Thato Motloung, account manager at Kena Outdoor

When Thato Motloung, account manager at Kena Outdoor, first took on the Nedbank account, the site was smaller, overlooked, and full of untapped potential. What started as a simple corridor conversation quickly turned into a career-defining opportunity. A few introductions, some pointed questions, and rising doubts about Kena’s capabilities, yet Motloung met them all with quiet confidence and unwavering resolve.

“Let me fix it for you,” she told the client. “Give me a chance, and you won’t regret it.”

That one sentence didn’t just spark a sale, it led to a transformation.

Today, that same location has been reimagined as one of Kena Outdoor’s flagship sites, a proud Nedbank holding currently. This large-format landmark elevated in scale, impact, and visibility, it’s not just a win for Kena, it’s a milestone in Motloung’s journey as a rising force in the out-of-home (OOH) media space.

A site that speaks

Positioned along the iconic Winnie Mandela Drive, the site commands attention from traffic flowing daily through some of Johannesburg’s most influential areas connecting Sandton, Rosebank, Bryanston, and Fourways. It also provides direct access to Hyde Park and the Johannesburg CBD via Jan Smuts Avenue, making it a strategic hub for high-value brand exposure.

By day, the billboard dominates one of the city's busiest commercial corridors; by night, it glows – an illuminated landmark designed to capture eyeballs and build emotional association with the brands it hosts.

The fixer at work

For Motloung, this win was about more than delivering a successful campaign. It was personal. The process behind the site relaunch was intense, emotional, and at times, messy.

“There were fights. Misunderstandings. A lot of back and forth with the site development team and sales. But I reminded myself to focus on the light at the end of the tunnel,” she says.

Despite the pressures and setbacks, Motloung held on to one guiding belief: the passion will always show in the final product and that’s what clients respond to. A self-proclaimed fixer, Motloung thrives in high-stakes environments. She’s not just managing accounts, she’s solving problems, navigating dynamics, and delivering outcomes that shift the narrative.

“At Kena, we’re not just putting brands on billboards, we’re helping brands think bigger about where they show up, how they show up, and why it matters.”
Her approach mirrors the company’s evolution. Kena Outdoor has reimagined its offering, and Motloung is a perfect embodiment of that new direction, bold, strategic, and collaborative.

A woman’s touch in a changing industry

This Women’s Month, Kena Outdoor shines a spotlight on women who are not just part of the industry, but redefining it. Motloung’s leadership, hustle, and creative instinct are exactly what this moment calls for.

In a space often driven by numbers and placements, she brings storytelling, intuition, and people-first problem-solving to the forefront.

Location: Winnie Mandela Drive Bryanston | Size: 4.8m x 50m

In her words: “I love seeing the work come to life, it’s fulfilling to drive past that site and know that I helped turn it into a landmark.”

Beyond the billboard

The Nedbank site relaunch signals the next era of out-of-home media: strategic placements, brand storytelling with emotional resonance, and women leaders shaping the conversation from the front. Kena’s reimagined vision isn’t just about infrastructure upgrades or high-impact locations, it’s about how clients reimagine working with their media partners. Less transactional. More transformative. In this space, Thato Motloung stands out as the fixer who listens deeply, solves quickly, and leads with purpose. She’s part of a new generation of women in media who are fearless yet still grounded in value-driven work.

Proof of purpose

Thato Motloung’s story is not just a personal triumph, it’s a brand blueprint. It shows what happens when a client takes a chance, when a woman claims her power, and when a company backs both.

Today, she drives past the site with pride, knowing it’s more than just a billboard, it’s a testament to resilience, creativity, and belief. Because when women are visible, powerful things happen.