CommStrat Communication & Ideation

26/05/2026

This month, I’ve spent more time than usual with leadership teams trying to understand why transformation efforts don’t land.

The work has taken me into different industries - manufacturing, insurance and global logistics - but the pattern is surprisingly similar. The strategy is usually not the real problem. The problem starts afterwards, when leaders and managers have to turn that strategy into something people can understand, explain and act on.

That’s where most transformation efforts I’m brought in to work on have already failed to launch.

Leaders don't always model the change consistently. Managers are expected to translate the change but are not always equipped to do that effectively.

Employees hear the direction, but don't always understand what it means for their own work. Communication happens, but it doesn't always build shared understanding and trust. And without follow-through, people quietly drift back to what they know.

People don't transform because they saw the slides, OR because it was mandated from the top.

They transform when the new way becomes visible, supported and part of daily work. And that's where communication becomes a leadership tool and where many transformation efforts quietly succeed or fail.

If your strategy is clear on paper but not landing - let’s talk.

17/05/2026

A first for me today.

Travel is a big part of my work, and one of the things I value most is that it takes me to new places and some of the most beautiful parts of our country.

But today was different.

For the first time, a client sent their own plane to collect me.

It was a special moment, but also a humbling one.

Because the real story is not the flight. It is the trust behind it. I'm off to work with a client and their management team as they formulate their business strategy.

These are the rooms where clarity matters. Where leaders pause, think carefully, make sense of the road ahead, and align around the decisions that will shape the business.

I never take that kind of trust lightly.

A memorable start to an important day of work.

13/05/2026

Super stoked to share this one.
When words save lives: Communication as a business control tool has been selected the 2026 IABC Gold Quill Best of the Best Award Winner in Internal Communication.
The work brought together strategic collaboration and co-creation between Christine Breet Communication and Elsabe Coetzee of CommStrat Communication and Ideation.
For CommStrat, this recognition is a powerful reminder of what becomes possible when communication specialists work together, challenge the thinking and stay focused on the real business problem.
Communication is not decoration. It is a business discipline.

09/04/2026

It has been both an honour and a privilege to lead IABC Africa’s Blue Ribbon Panel in the Gold Quill Awards Programme.
The true highlight, however, has been the opportunity to work alongside — and learn from — some of the most exceptional communication talent in the world.

09/04/2026

Today was a good day to be happy. It was a privilege to be part of TWK Agri Timber Division's IABC Africa's Silver Quill of Excellence Award for work that promotes Accountability, Growing trust, Resilience, and Innovation. Blessed to be working with business leaders who inspire! Dietmar Schroeder

05/04/2026

Working in the communication world in South Africa, our work often moves between business priorities and the broader social realities around us.

And sometimes, you come across work that stays with you. Hannah Trichardt

Feeding families where survival is uncertain. Creating safe spaces for children to grow and learn. Walking alongside women as they rebuild their lives with dignity and strength.

What resonates deeply with me is the work with children — especially in those early, formative years — and the quiet, critical support given when survival comes down to the next meal.

That is the work of the Hanna Charity and Empowerment Foundation.

A few hours ago, they were named Community Empowerment Organisation of the Year 2025/2026 in Miami.

And perhaps that matters — because it reflects something real:
this work is seen, it is felt, and it is changing lives in ways that truly matter.

To Hannah, and to Charlene, Sune, Karina, Lizal, Debbie, Zettie, Karin, Janetta — thank you for the lives you are touching, every single day.

If you’d like to see more about their work or support them:

Offering Hope, Restoring Dignity

25/12/2025

Wishing you a blessed festive season and a gentle close to the year.

May this time bring rest, perspective, and moments that matter — with people who matter.

Thank you for being part of our journey this year.

Elsabe, Abbi & Kola

12/11/2025

10/11/2025

KwaZulu-Natal’s MEC for Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs, Rev. Musa Zondi, today set out a clear message of confidence at the launch of the Insimbi Ridge Catalytic Project at Cato Ridge.

Speaking just weeks after the 2025 KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Investment Conference, where the province secured over R100 billion in pledges, he highlighted Insimbi Ridge as a flagship example of what becomes possible when government and business move in partnership to modernise the Durban–Gauteng freight corridor.

He described Insimbi Ridge as “much more than an infrastructure project” – a statement of intent that KZN is serious about:
• modernising its freight system and decongesting ports;
• driving re-industrialisation on former industrial land;
• attracting billions in private capital and creating muchh needed up to 10,000 jobs over the life of the project;
• ensuring local communities under the KwaXimba Traditional Council benefit through labour and small-business opportunities.
By aligning with Strategic Integrated Project 2 (SIP 2) and complementing the R90 billion Port of Durban expansion, Insimbi Ridge is helping to secure KZN’s role as a gateway for South Africa and the continent.

Congratulations to Assore SA PropCo, the Rail Development Corporation, and FPT Group for bringing this catalytic precinct to life through true public–private collaboration. Proud to have supported today’s launch on behalf of Christine Breet Communication, through CommStrat Communication & Ideation.

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10/11/2025

Anton Potgieter | The Logistics Group / FPT Group.

“Confidence still builds things. When investors believe in policy, places like this become the proof points the economy has been waiting for.” - Anton Potgieter, CEO of The Logistics Group, parent of FPT Group, speaking at the Insimbi Ridge Catalytic Project Launch in Cato Ridge.

His words remind us why this 500-hectare development matters:
• private capital meeting public purpose
• rail and road converging to modernise South Africa’s freight network
• belief turned into infrastructure - proof that partnership drives progress.

From the Insimbi Ridge Launch 2025, KwaZulu-Natal’s gateway between Africa and the world.