In an era dominated by polished campaigns, paid partnerships and highly curated content, one traditional Zulu ceremony has demonstrated that authentic cultural moments can generate influence that money simply cannot buy.
According to Thando Gambushe, Head of Marketing at Humanz ZA, the future of marketing lies in allowing culture to lead and inviting brands to become participants rather than sponsors.
The lesson emerged during a memulo—a traditional Zulu coming-of-age ceremony that marks a young woman’s transition into adulthood. When Gambushe’s friend, Sni, asked him to help integrate brands into her celebration, it became an unexpected blueprint for modern influence.
“A memulo is spiritual, ancestral and deeply personal. It’s not the kind of event you’d typically associate with a brand campaign. Which is exactly why it worked.”
says Gambushe
Participation Over Placement
Instead of traditional sponsorships, the team invited brands that were already part of Sni’s everyday life, including Maybelline, Vaseline and Brutal Fruit.
These were not paid activations or scripted campaigns. The brands became natural participants in real moments shared among family and friends.
The results were extraordinary, with content from the ceremony generating more than 15.9 million organic views across social media platforms.
A Maybelline “full-face” makeup moment recorded 2.1 million views, accompanied by more than 11,000 saves and 1,100 shares. Audiences described the content as “a national ad” and “too authentic to be free.”
@_hawemuurhh maybe it’s us, maybe it’s @Maybelline New York Africa 🙂↕️ #fyp #isontolasni
♬ Xhosa Tribal Ceremony – Kley Kley
@snimhlongo @Thando Gambushe Idk how my friends were so graceful doing this bc all I could do was scream 😭😭 here’s my memulo face (and yes she did last all day!!) @Maybelline New York Africa #IsontoLaSni #fyp
♬ original sound – Snikiwe
Vaseline’s integration came during preparations by the river, where branded umbrellas provided shade while makeup was being applied. The content generated 2.6 million views, with the branding feeling functional and organic rather than intrusive.
Meanwhile, Brutal Fruit content centred on friends gathering to share food and drinks after the ceremony attracted 1.2 million views, with conversations focusing on friendship, flavour and the authenticity of the experience instead of advertising.
@_hawemuurhh it goes down better with brutal fruit 💖 #fyp #isontolasni #brutallybeautiful #brutalfruitza
♬ original sound – Thando Gambushe
When Culture Makes Space for Brands
For Gambushe, the success of the memulo content signals an important shift in marketing.
Rather than brands attempting to shape culture, culture created space for brands to participate on its own terms.
“When people stop talking about product placement and start talking about participation, brands move from being vendors to becoming guests,”.
he explains
The ceremony’s success was amplified by Sni’s community of friends and impelesi (young women who accompany and support the initiate), who each became co-creators, sharing the experience from multiple perspectives and expanding its reach organically.
A Blueprint for the Future
Gambushe believes this approach represents the next phase of creator-brand relationships.
For brands, the message is clear: authentic resonance cannot be engineered through lengthy creative briefs or excessive control. Real connection happens when brands are willing to show up in creators’ genuine life moments rather than merely purchasing visibility.
For creators, the opportunity lies in redefining partnerships beyond transactional campaigns and inviting brands into cultural milestones, traditions and community experiences.
“When we align brands with our heritage and communities, we are not selling out. We’re building a bridge.”
says Gambushe
As the creator economy continues to evolve, the memulo serves as a powerful reminder that influence no longer belongs solely to the loudest campaign or the biggest advertising budget. Increasingly, the brands that matter most are the ones willing to let culture lead the conversation.
