In this edition of the Comms Spotlight, Thuso Khoeli, Managing Director, Republican Communications shares his communications journey with us. Some highlights of his interview include what inspired him to pursue communications as a career path, what keeps him creative and focused after all these years and, his perspective on internal communications. Thuso also shares a piece of advice that changed how he thinks about career growth.
How did you discover communications as a career path?
I discovered communications through a deep interest in people, influence, and the power of storytelling. Early in my career, I realised that organisations do not succeed on strategy alone; they succeed when people understand, believe in, and are able to act on that strategy.
Over time, I noticed that the message leadership intended to send was not always the message employees received. It reminded me of the childhood game of “broken telephone”, where a message starts clearly but becomes distorted as it moves from person to person, and that idea has shaped how I think about communication today.
What does your day-to-day involve as Managing Director at Republican Communications?
My day-to-day is a balance of strategy, leadership, client advisory, and operational oversight. I work closely with our teams and clients to shape communication strategies that are clear, purposeful, and aligned to business goals. A big part of my role is also understanding people: what a business is trying to achieve, what its employees and stakeholders need to hear, and where gaps may exist between leadership intention and lived experience.
What helps you stay creative and focused when the workload gets intense?
Clarity helps me stay focused, and curiosity helps me stay creative. When the workload intensifies, I try to separate what is urgent from what is truly important. I also rely on strong systems, trusted teams, and disciplined prioritisation. I’ve also learnt that creativity needs space. Some of the best ideas come from stepping back, listening carefully, asking better questions, and looking at a problem from a different angle.
What is one mistake organisations commonly make with internal communications, and how can communications professionals avoid it?
A common mistake is treating internal communication as an afterthought or simply as information distribution. Organisations often believe that because a message has been sent, communication has happened, but those are two very different things.
As aforementioned, I often think of this as the “broken telephone” problem, where a message starts clearly at the top but becomes distorted as it moves through different layers of an organisation. Communications professionals can help prevent this by being involved early, listening actively, and ensuring communication is aligned with leadership, culture, and the lived experience of employees.
What part of your job do you enjoy the most, and why?
I enjoy seeing strategy turn into meaningful impact. There is something deeply rewarding about helping an organisation find the right message, align its people, or navigate a complex moment with confidence. I also enjoy developing people. Watching teams grow in their thinking, confidence, and craft is one of the most fulfilling parts of leadership.
What is one piece of advice you received that changed your perspective on career growth and life in general?
One piece of advice that stayed with me is: don’t only focus on being successful, focus on being useful. That shifted my perspective from chasing titles or milestones to thinking about contribution, value, and impact. The more senior you become, the less it should be about what you can achieve alone and the more it should be about what you can enable others to achieve. For me, success is not just about how far you go, but how much value you create along the way and who is better because you were there.
