A career shaped by reputation, communication and public life.
Solly's professional journey spans tourism, corporate communication, country branding, executive advisory, media, public dialogue and higher education.
From destination marketing to reputation strategy.
His career foundations were built in tourism: first as Marketing Manager for South African Tourism in Canada, then as Country Manager in the United States. Back in South Africa, he worked in SA Tourism's Guest Programme before moving into marketing and communications at the National Botanical Institute and later CapeNature, where he led its rebrand from the Western Cape Nature Conservation Board.
He later became Head of Corporate Communications & PR at Woolworths. As a consultant, he has supported tourism and reputation work across the Eastern Cape, Gauteng and Limpopo.
A working history.
Selected moments that explain the breadth of the practice today.
South African Tourism
Marketing Manager in Canada, Country Manager in the USA, and work in SA Tourism's Guest Programme.
National Botanical Institute & CapeNature
Marketing and communications leadership, including the CapeNature rebranding process.
Woolworths
Former Head of Corporate Communications & PR.
DonValley Reputation Managers
Founded a specialist reputation, strategic communications and stakeholder-engagement practice.
Africa Brand Summit
Founded the platform to interrogate Africa's image, reputation and destination-brand potential.
G20, DIRCO, Food Safety Summit & BizNews
Facilitation, soft-diplomacy engagement, crisis-communication keynote work and ongoing weekly current-affairs commentary.
Practice, teaching and public contribution.
Alongside consulting and media work, Solly has maintained a long connection to professional education, industry bodies and civic organisations — extending his reputation work beyond client assignments into teaching, mentorship and public dialogue.
Solly continues to lecture part-time on EU Business School's Digital Campus and is pursuing a PhD in Media Studies at UCT. His profile also records service as a past President of PRISA, former Vice-President of the World Communication Forum Association, trustee of the Chrysalis Academy and involvement in a range of professional and civic bodies.