Dustin Chick has been appointed communications director at Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa with effect from 1 March, marking a notable leadership transition within one of the continent’s longest established automotive manufacturers. The appointment reflects a broader shift within major industrial firms operating in Africa towards positioning communications as a strategic governance function rather than a peripheral support role.
Chick joins Ford from Razor Public Relations, a South African agency he founded in 2020 as a specialist public relations offering within the M and C Saatchi Group South Africa. His move represents his first in house role after a career largely spent in consultancy. Prior to establishing Razor, he served for nine years as head of strategy at Ogilvy South Africa and earlier as strategy director at MSL Johannesburg. Across these roles, he has advised corporate leaders, public institutions and community organisations on reputation management and strategic communications in environments shaped by social change, regulatory complexity and economic inequality.
Under Chick’s leadership, Razor Public Relations developed a strong industry profile and received multiple regional and international awards, including recognition by PRovoke Media as one of the ten best agencies in Africa in 2025. His departure from the agency was announced shortly before Ford confirmed his appointment. Further information on PRovoke Media and its industry assessments is available at https://www.provokemedia.com.
At Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa, Chick succeeds Minish Bhagaloo, who spent eleven years in the communications function before moving to the Automobile Association of South Africa as head of public relations and advocacy. Ford South Africa, which can be found at https://www.ford.co.za, has operated in the country for more than a century and remains a significant contributor to manufacturing output, employment and export capacity, with vehicles produced locally reaching over one hundred global markets.
In a statement accompanying the announcement, Chick described the role as an opportunity to contribute to organisational leadership at a time when public trust, transparency and accountability are increasingly central to corporate sustainability. He highlighted Ford’s historical role in South Africa’s industrial development and its continued relevance to communities, workers and consumers across the region. His remarks situate communications within a wider African context where businesses are expected to engage meaningfully with social realities rather than rely on narrowly defined corporate narratives.
In his new position, Chick will oversee Ford’s communications strategy in South Africa, with a mandate that includes digital transformation and long form storytelling aimed at reflecting the lived experiences connected to automotive production and mobility on the continent. He will report to Sinead Phipps, communications director for Ford’s international markets based in Australia, and locally to Neale Hill, president of Ford Motor Company Africa. Background information on Ford’s regional leadership and operations is available at https://www.ford.co.za/about-ford.
Commenting on the appointment, Hill noted the continuing importance of automotive manufacturing to South Africa’s economic and social fabric, particularly in relation to industrial capacity, skills development and employment. He emphasised that effective communication is increasingly integral to how companies engage with stakeholders across diverse African markets, each shaped by distinct historical and socio economic conditions.
Chick’s appointment comes at a time when multinational corporations operating in Africa are reassessing how they communicate value, responsibility and purpose. Within this context, Ford’s decision signals an effort to align corporate messaging with a more nuanced and human centred understanding of Africa’s place in global industry, one that recognises both local realities and transnational connections.
