Lebo Madiba is a strategic communications and PR powerhouse (as her company name aptly puts it). We also know that she’s the perfect fit for the gig because she’s so engaged with her world. In real life and “on the socials” she’s funny, on it, immersed in the news cycle, paying attention to what happens in society and giving a big damn about her industry and South Africa. Here’s a little more about her life beyond the office …
What’s the best book you’ve read in the past year, and why?
The War of Art by Steven Pressfield. On the surface, it looks like a self-help book and I almost dismissed it for that reason. It surprised me. It’s a sharp, no-nonsense exploration of resistance – that invisible force that keeps us from doing the work we’re meant to do. Whether that’s writing, building, leading, creating, he names the thing that blocks us. What struck me is how honest it is. It doesn’t glamorise the creative process or offer comfort. It calls you out. It came at exactly the right moment. I left it with a clearer sense of discipline, for the work, and for how I want to move through the world.
How do you keep fit?
Walking and yoga. I’ve found a way to include walking into the school run, and suddenly it feels like I finally have dedicated time for it. Yoga came into focus after a retreat in Morocco last year. It shifted from something I did to something I return to. They both have become less about fitness and more about feeling steady and well.
Weeknight, low-key restaurant go-to?
Modena in Parkhurst. They make a mean porchetta.
What is the one artwork you’ll always love, and why?
I’ve recently acquired a piece called Sisters by the artist Solomon Mugutso. It holds huge sentimental value, and I have a feeling I’ll love it forever. There’s something about it that just spoke to me, an unspoken familiarity. He even customised a small detail just for me, which makes it feel deeply personal.
Do you have a hobby? What is it?
Gardening. It crept up on me. One day I was just buying plants to fill space, and the next I knew all their names, their moods, how much water they liked, and when they were happiest. It’s taught me patience and rhythm.
The one unusual item you can’t live without?
Does sparkling water count? I’m definitely part of the 1% that can’t live without it. Nothing like fizzy water to add a little sparkle to busy days. And of course my glasses – I cannot see without them.
Who was your high school celeb crush?
It’s a tough call between rapper Common and actor Larenz Tate. One had the poetry, the other had the eyes.
Three songs you’d take to a desert island?
Adele – Hometown Glory: It reminds me of home, the people and memories that shape us. It holds a kind of proud melancholy that I find comforting.
Coldplay – Viva La Vida: There’s something epic and emotional about it, like walking through your own story in slow motion. It makes me feel alive.
Kelvin Momo – Lately: Deeply South African, deeply layered. It’s a song I feel in my chest. Even alone on an island, it would remind me that rhythm lives in the body and that beauty can exist in repetition, in build, in pause.
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