Mimi Kalinda

Mimi Kalinda
Kalinda in 2024
Born
Democratic Republic of the Congo / Rwanda
CitizenshipSouth African
OccupationsCommunications executive, entrepreneur, author, adjunct professor
Years active2000–present
Employer(s)Africa Communications Media Group, Bezos Earth Fund, IE University
Known forPan-African communications, storytelling, public relations
Notable workTalking to Africa: Considering Culture in Communications for a Complex Continent; Echoes of Influence: Harnessing the Power of Storytelling as a Leadership Strategy
Board member ofCatalyst for Growth (C4G), Africa Works Ventures, Africa Brand Counsel, African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF)
WebsiteStorytelling and Leadership


Mimi Kalinda, originally from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda and raised in South Africa, is a communications executive who serves as the Group CEO and co-founder of [Africa Communications Media Group](http://www.africacommunicationsgroup.com/our-team/), a Pan-African public relations and communications agency based in Johannesburg, South Africa.[1][2][3][4]

She also holds a position as Senior Communications Lead at the Bezos Earth Fund.

Through her company [Storytelling and Leadership](https://storytellingandleadership.com/), Kalinda develops courses and delivers workshops on storytelling for organizations including Absa Bank, the Obama Foundation, and the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS). She has presented masterclasses at the Vodacom Africa Rising Conference and MultiChoice Women in Technology Conference. She is an adjunct professor at IE University, teaching storytelling and public speaking.[5]

Career

Kalinda served as Director of Global Communications for [Innovations for Poverty Action](https://www.poverty-action.org/people/mimi-kalinda), headquartered in Washington, DC.[6] She previously held the role of Brand, Marketing and Communications Director at the Global Development Incubator and was Director of Communications for the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS), a pan-African network of postgraduate schools teaching mathematical sciences.[7][8]

At FleishmanHillard (FH), Kalinda was Africa Lead, managing relations with affiliates across Africa and developing partnerships in new markets.[9][10] She contributed to campaigns that won PRISM Awards, including the Barclays Africa "Prosper" campaign and the African Union Ebola awareness campaign. She also worked for Weber Shandwick, managing pan-African social impact accounts such as the Innovation Prize for Africa, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Michael & Susan Dell Foundation.

Between 2003 and 2006, Kalinda worked in New York City with director Spike Lee as a production assistant on the film Inside Man and produced her documentary Miseducating the World, which examined the effect of US media portrayals of Africa on the diaspora. In 2000, she became the first African woman to host a show on MTV in London.[11]

She hosted the Guinness Football Challenge, a soccer-based game show,[12] and Talking To Africa on Africa Business Report, a program focusing on Africa’s reputational challenges.[13][14]

Storytelling and teaching

Kalinda conducts workshops on storytelling and narrative leadership through Storytelling and Leadership, for programs such as the Obama Foundation Leaders: Africa, University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business Women in Business Conference, Africa Trade and Investment Global Summit 2018, Absa Group in South Africa and Ghana, and WomHub.[15] She has spoken at the Vodacom/Vodafone Africa Rising Communications Conference and the MultiChoice Women in Technology Conference, and delivered masterclasses for organizations including Old Mutual, Global Health Corps, Dalberg, Project Management Institute, and Momentum Health.

At IE University, Kalinda teaches courses in communication, storytelling, and narrative leadership.[16]

Honours and nominations

  • One World Media Award for Rien Que La Verite, a program on HIV/AIDS prevention and violence against women in the DRC
  • Emerging Producers Bursary, World Congress of Science and Factual Producers (WCSFP)
  • Desmond Tutu Leadership Program Fellow[17]
  • Women4Africa Awards 2016, International African Woman of the Year finalist[18][19]
  • Standard Bank Top Women Awards finalist, Entrepreneur of the Year 2019 and 2020
  • Forbes Afrique 40 Under 40 (2018)[20][21]
  • Best PR Leader in Africa, World Communications Forum Association (2022)[21]

Boards

Kalinda serves on the boards and advisory councils of:

  • Catalyst for Growth (C4G), an initiative by JP Morgan and Dalberg
  • Africa Works Ventures
  • Africa Brand Counsel
  • Africa 2.0 Rebranding Africa initiative
  • Executive Board Member, [African Capacity Building Foundation](https://www.acbf-pact.org/) (ACBF)

Publications

  • Talking to Africa: Considering Culture in Communications for a Complex Continent[22][23][24][25]
  • Echoes of Influence: Harnessing the Power of Storytelling as a Leadership Strategy

References

  1. ^ "Africa Communications Media Group appoints Nonye Omotola". www.bizcommunity.com. Retrieved 2018-10-03.
  2. ^ "Africa Communications Group | Our Team". www.africacommunicationsgroup.com. Retrieved 2017-04-25.
  3. ^ "Meet ACG: Rising stars in the media and communications space - Riversands Incubation Hub". Riversands Incubation Hub. 2016-06-20. Retrieved 2017-06-21.
  4. ^ "Leading Ladies Africa - Celebrating the excellence of African Women". leadingladiesafrica.org. Retrieved 2017-06-15.
  5. ^ "Mimi Kalinda - Faculty | IE". University. Retrieved 2026-02-02.
  6. ^ "Mimi Kalinda". Innovations for Poverty Action. 2022-02-01. Retrieved 2022-02-14.
  7. ^ "AIMS takes Africa on a quantum leap into science - CNBC Africa". CNBC Africa. 2017-04-12. Retrieved 2017-06-21.
  8. ^ "Director of Communications – Global AIMS Network | AIMS". www.nexteinstein.org. Retrieved 2017-04-25.
  9. ^ "FleishmanHillard South Africa names Mimi Kalinda as its Africa Lead". Media Update. Retrieved 2017-04-25.
  10. ^ "Fleishman Taps Mimi Kalinda To Lead Pan-African Accounts". www.holmesreport.com. Retrieved 2017-06-21.
  11. ^ "5th Annual YM MTV Issue Party In New York - Arrivals". Getty Images. Retrieved 2017-06-21.
  12. ^ "Bingwa wa Pan-African Guinness Football Challenge Kujulikana Kesho - Habari | Michezo | Mahusiano | Blog Tanzania". www.thehabari.com. Retrieved 2017-04-25.
  13. ^ "How do we hold leaders accountable for agreements they sign? - African Business Magazine". African Business Magazine. 2018-06-12. Retrieved 2018-07-02.
  14. ^ "Shifting the African narrative, One Show At A Time". Africa Business Radio. Retrieved 2017-10-12.
  15. ^ https://storytellingandleadership.com/
  16. ^ "Mimi Kalinda - Faculty | IE". University. Retrieved 2026-02-02.
  17. ^ Quay, Stacey. "Mimi Kalinda". alinstitute.org. Retrieved 2017-05-16.
  18. ^ Women4Africa Awards 2016. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
  19. ^ "Africommunications Managing Director Nominated for International African Woman of the Year Award - African Media Agency". African Media Agency. 2016-01-29. Retrieved 2017-06-21.
  20. ^ "9 African Leading Ladies in PR and Why You Should Know Them – Leading Ladies Africa". Retrieved 2026-02-02.
  21. ^ a b "Mimi Kalinda". WE Africa. Retrieved 2026-02-02.
  22. ^ "Talking to Africa: New Book Explores Differences in PR Approaches in Major African Markets - African Media Agency". African Media Agency. 2017-01-12. Retrieved 2017-06-21.
  23. ^ "Mimi Kalinda – She Inspires Her". sheinspiresher.com. Retrieved 2017-06-21.
  24. ^ "Talking Africa by Mimi Kalinda Archives - Africa.com". Africa.com. Retrieved 2017-06-21.
  25. ^ "Talking to Africa: new book explores differences in PR approaches in major African markets". Hope Magazine. Retrieved 2017-06-21.
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