Martin Mabutho: Meet the Chief Customer Officer behind MultiChoice Nigeria brand success
Africa’s leading Pay TV brand, DStv, was named among the top 100 Most Admired Brands in Africa, on Thursday June 18, 2020. It didn’t come as a surprise that the brand is constantly getting commendations for its remarkable contribution to the development of Africa business space and for being one of the delight of citizens in the continent.
This is not the first time DStv will be enlisted as one of Africa’s most revered brands, but this year’s ranking moved the Africa’s video entertainment brand nine spots up from 45th place in 2019 to 36th in 2020. DStv is also ranked number one on the list of most admired African media brands in Nigeria, according to the survey by The Brand Africa.
The Brand Africa’s top 100 Most Admired Brands in Africa, established 10 years ago, is a consumer-led survey which seeks to establish brand preferences across Africa. Among top five African indigenous brands, DStv also sits at number three behind Dangote Group and MTN. All these laurels are coming just a few months after it emerged as the preferred Pay TV option for Nigerians following a festive season survey by The Netng.
If the MultiChoice-owned brand has become so highly revered and receiving accolades for giving its customers an array of shows on Africa Magic, the Big Brother Naija (BBNaija), Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Award (AMVCA), live football matches and other sporting activities, MultiChoice Talent Factory, and its hundreds of channels, undoubtedly much credit should go to the team behind the effort.
One of such is the Chief Customer Officer, Martin Manutho, the man behind the curtain using his out-of-the-box vision and expertise to turn the pipedream of the organisation into a globally acclaimed brand.
The African business environment hosts all kinds of conglomerates making remarkable contributions to the continent’s economy. This has made the scene highly competitive for only the strongest and the fittest. It is clear that Mabutho – the sales, marketing and communication guru has brought a refreshing touch to the office that keeps positioning DStv as a strong contender among conglomerates competing for customers’ hearts and wallets across the continent.
It is telling on Mabutho’s personality that he appears not to be surprised by DStv’s success and upward move on the list. “It’s always joy and gratitude. And it inspires us to do even more,” he said.
He drives a team of committed professionals who key perfectly into the vision to make the brand one of the best globally. “As a leader, my job is to inspire my team to see the endless opportunities that the market offers, while doing our possible best to keep satisfying our customers and partners, by giving them so much more,” he said.
Speaking glowingly about his team, Mabutho said “We have an awesome dedicated group of people constantly listening to customer feedback and working together to build the DStv and MultiChoice brands in Nigeria and across Africa.
“From our ‘Sabi Men’ and the sales force, to customer support teams, engineers, technicians, marketing and communications teams, and the creatives — cast and crew behind our most beloved productions. We are all DStv brand custodians and this is indeed a win for everyone.”
Mabutho has a long history of ample achievements with the company spanning almost two decades. Moving through the ranks as Brand Manager with MNet Africa from 2003 to 2007; DStv Mobile’s Sales and Marketing Manager for Sub-Saharan Africa and later as Head, and Marketing and Sales. He would later become MultiChoice Nigeria’s General Manager of Sales and Marketing and presently sits atop as Chief Customer Officer since October 2018.
He has been responsible for driving the customer group strategy which covers customer value management, sales, marketing, customer experience and care. Mabutho is that rare breed who has stayed on for the cause of building a brand he believes in its growth and prospect. He must be feeling happy whenever his hardwok gets commendation all over the world.
“I have always been passionate about our brand, our products and the people that we serve. One thing that hasn’t changed since the beginning of my journey at MultiChoice is my passion for customer satisfaction,” he said.
How does he plan to consolidate the gains of the past years that have been winning laurels? “By maintaining a customer centric culture,” Mabutho said. “We will continue to do all we can to keep our customers and stakeholders happy by constantly improving the quality of our products and service offerings.”
