Award-winning entrepreneur and seasoned communications professional joins AEEYC to lead the organization’s continental voice
The African Energy & Economic Youth Council (AEEYC) is pleased to announce the appointment of TY Hlangwane as Head of Communications, Public Relations and Stakeholder Engagement. This appointment marks a significant milestone for the organization as it strengthens its capacity to engage with stakeholders, partners and publics across the African continent and beyond.
TY Hlangwane brings with him a decade of professional experience in public relations and communications, spanning multiple industries across Africa. His appointment positions AEEYC to deepen its influence in the African energy and economic development discourse at a time when youth-led voices in these sectors are more important than ever.
A Decade of Continental Communications Experience
Over the past ten years, TY has built a distinguished career in communications and public relations, working across sectors that include energy, technology, entertainment and entrepreneurship. His work has taken him across the African continent, where he has developed an understanding of the diverse media landscapes, stakeholder environments and communications challenges that define doing business and building brands in Africa.
Most recently, TY served for four years as a communications and PR professional at African Energy Week under SVW Communications, one of the continent’s most prominent energy-focused communications practices. African Energy Week is widely regarded as the premier platform for African energy dialogue, bringing together government ministers, industry executives, investors and development stakeholders from across the globe. His tenure there gave him direct exposure to the language, dynamics and relationships that define the African energy sector, experience that he now brings directly to AEEYC.
A Record in Entertainment and Culture
Beyond the boardroom and the conference floor, TY has also made his mark in South Africa’s music industry, demonstrating his ability to craft narratives and build audiences across diverse creative contexts.
He worked on the communications and promotional campaign for Kaylow’s platinum-certified single “24 Hours”, which formed part of the widely acclaimed In Love EP. The single’s success is a testament to the quality of storytelling and strategic communications that TY brings to every project he takes on.
He has also worked alongside various hip-hop artists cementing his reputation as a communications professional who understands how to position talent and content for maximum reach and impact.
Entrepreneurial Journey
TY is also a recognized entrepreneur. His collaboration on cloud-based loyalty management platform, Loyal1, won The Workspace and MiWay Business Insurance Entrepreneur Competition. Loyal1 was designed to allow small and medium-sized businesses to create and manage loyalty programmes through a single app-based platform, giving businesses the tools to reward customers and communicate with them directly. His victory in the competition was noted by judges for the strength of the concept, the quality of his business thinking and his consistent growth throughout the competition process.
This entrepreneurial grounding gives Hlangwane a perspective that goes beyond communications theory. He understands what it means to build something from the ground up, to make a case for an idea to sceptical audiences and to turn a concept into a commercially viable reality. These are qualities that will serve AEEYC well as the organisation continues to grow.
TY is the founder and managing director of Magnolia Haus Communications, a boutique agency that specialises in white label services for other PR and Communications agencies.
On His New Role
Speaking about his appointment, Hlangwane said:
“The African energy and economic development story is one of the most important stories being told on the continent right now, and youth have a critical role to play in shaping it. I am proud to be joining AEEYC at this moment and look forward to working with the team to make sure that story reaches the audiences it deserves, in a way that is clear, credible and compelling.”
