South Africa’s creative economy is gaining real momentum. In 2022, the sector contributed nearly 3% to the country’s GDP and supported over a million jobs. Globally, cultural and creative industries generate annual revenues of approximately $2.3 tn and employ around 50 million people. It’s no longer just about art or advertising; it’s a serious economic force.
Tools like AI and VR are helping creatives push ideas further, faster, and in ways that were unthinkable a few years ago. Today, brands are no longer looking for people who can just “make things look nice”. They’re looking for thinkers, storytellers, and shapeshifters.
That’s exactly what The aaa School of Advertising produces. One of those shapeshifters is marketing manager, Patrick Mentzel.
The making of a shapeshifter
Patrick arrived at aaa School of Advertising with ambition, talent, and a sketchbook full of ideas. Coming straight out of high school, he knew he wanted to do something bold but, like most first-year students, the reality of university-level creative thinking hit hard.
“The challenge of creativity on demand was a big adjustment,” says Patrick. It’s one of the most important adjustments any aspiring creative can make. Creativity in the real world isn’t about waiting for inspiration to strike. It’s about showing up, solving problems, and delivering ideas that work.
“Through the support of my lecturers, the guidance they provided, and the resources available, I was able to find my footing,” says Patrick. “The environment made it easier to navigate that transition, and looking back now, the amount of growth from first year to third year is actually insane.”
Right now, that kind of thinking is in high demand. According to the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report, creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving are ranked among the most valuable workplace skills. The industry is moving and the people who thrive are the ones who’ve been trained to think on their feet.
Built for the industry, not just the degree
What drew Patrick to The aaa School of Advertising’s BA in Creative Brand Communication degree was the opportunity to build a future that didn’t come with limits.
“What drew me to this degree was the broad range of topics it covered,” he says. “Today, I work as a photographer, creative director, and creative consultant, and I see myself as a bit of a jack-of-all-trades. That’s what I appreciate most about this degree, it gave me a broad skill set and the ability to move fluidly between different creative disciplines.”
It’s this multidisciplinary approach that sets The aaa School of Advertising apart. The degrees are designed to mirror the real world—challenging, collaborative, and constantly evolving. Whether you major in Graphic Design, Copywriting, or Marketing, the focus is on making students career-ready from day one.
What the industry needs right now
Patrick sees a shift happening in the creative world. Brands are leaning less on traditional ads and more on authenticity. “People don’t just want to be marketed to anymore, it’s about building communities around brands and creating immersive worlds where people feel like they belong,” he says.
That insight mirrors what South Africa’s leading marketers are seeing too. According to the 2024 Effie South Africa Ipsos Trends Report, campaigns that create emotional connections outperform those that don’t. It’s a space that demands empathy, adaptability, and cross-functional creativity. These are skills The aaa School of Advertising bakes into every brief, project, and deadline.
With over three decades of producing top-tier creatives, The aaa School of Advertising continues to live up to its well-earned reputation. If you see the world a little differently and love solving problems, this is where you begin shaping that into a career.
Ready to become a shapeshifter? Visit the aaa School of Advertising website to apply.
