Global Communications Expert
Keynote | Workshop | Masterclass | Coaching
Mimi Kalinda is a global communications expert with a rich experience of 25 years in developing, implementing, and measuring impactful strategies across Africa, Europe, and the United States.
In 2012, Mimi co-founded Africa Communications Media Group (ACG), Africa’s leading pan-African public relations and communications agency headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa. ACG has been instrumental in supporting clients across Sub-Saharan Africa, including esteemed organizations like the Mastercard Foundation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Mercer, Mercedes, Western Union, Barloworld, Accenture, the World Bank/IFC, the Rockefeller Foundation, AFIG Funds, Nesta, Lloyds, the African Development Bank (AfDB), the ONE Campaign, and Dalberg Advisors. Additionally, Mimi led the global communications team for Innovations for Poverty Action and the Global Development Incubator (GDI) in Washington, DC.
Mimi’s passion for global development issues and stakeholder engagement at the policy level has earned her recognition as an award-winning communications consultant. Recently, in her role as Director of Communications, she led the communications team for the Africa Climate Summit in Nairobi, Kenya (2023), where she played a crucial role in amplifying the summit’s message and promoting climate action across the continent. She also worked on country branding efforts for Ethiopia and the Invest in Morocco campaigns.
During her tenure as FleishmanHillard’s Africa Lead, she contributed to the team’s success in winning PRISM Awards for the Barclays Africa “Prosper” campaign and the African Union’s campaign against Ebola, which raised an impressive USD$51 million. Her tenure at Weber Shandwick involved managing significant social impact accounts, including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Innovation Prize for Africa. As the Global Director of Communications for the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS), she played an integral role in the historic launch of the Next Einstein Forum (NEF).
Notably, Mimi’s career trajectory extends beyond the communications realm. In New York City, from 2003 to 2006, she worked as a Production Assistant for 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks, contributing to the film Inside Man, directed by Spike Lee. Mimi made history as the first African woman to host a show on MTV Europe. She also received the prestigious One World Media Award for Rien Que La Verite, a television program advocating HIV/AIDS prevention and an end to violence against women in the DRC.
Mimi’s commitment to supporting leaders in achieving exceptional results is evident through her frequent coaching and leadership workshops, as facilitation work for various esteemed organizations, including the Obama Foundation Leaders: Africa program, Absa Bank, the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS), and the University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business.
In addition to her professional achievements, Mimi actively contributes to various boards and advisory bodies. She serves on the board of the AKO Caine Prize and Catalyst for Growth (C4G), a solution launched by JP Morgan and Dalberg to support entrepreneurs across Africa. Mimi is also a member of the Africa Brand Counsel, where she advises policymakers and private sector leaders on leveraging Africa’s brand equity for economic development. Furthermore, she serves on the advisory board of Africa Works Ventures, a Hong Kong-based consultancy facilitating investment from China for promising African companies.
Recognitions:
• 2022: Africa Best PR Leader, World Communications Forum Association (WCFA).
• Official LinkedIn Influencer.
• 2022: ASCOM (Association of Communicators in Africa) Grand Prix Excellence winner.
• Tropics Magazine’s Most Influential Africans of 2022.
• Forbes Afrique’s 40 under 40 in 2018.
• Winner of PRISM Award 2015 for Pan-African Campaign of the Year for Barclays Prosper campaign.
• Rebranding Africa Champion for Africa 2.0.
• Archbishop Desmond Tutu Leadership Programme Fellow.
• Reset Global People’s Top 100 Women CEOs in Africa of 2019.
• Finalist: Women4Africa Awards; International African Woman of the Year 2016.
• Finalist: Standard Bank Top Women Awards – Entrepreneur of the Year 2019, 2020.
• International African Woman of the Year at the Women4Africa Awards 2016.
Born in the DRC of Rwandan heritage and raised in South Africa, Mimi graduated cum laude from New York University with a degree in Media Studies. She released her first e-book, Talking to Africa: Considering Culture in Communications for a Complex Continent, in January 2017.