John Lloyd (64), a well-known media, marketing, sales and business growth expert who passed away on 1 April 2023 in Cape Town, after battling cancer, has been hailed as an extraordinary and inspirational professional.
John was a marketing and sales genius, media expert, inspirational speaker and a kind, sincere and utterly loyal friend.
His knowledge of the media trade and its personalities, constructing a deal and negotiating incredible value for his client made John a legend in his field. Add to this his upbeat and inspiring personality, his total commitment and loyalty to his friends and family and this was one extraordinary individual – an accolade he would always, modestly, decline.
We salute a true, unselfish and caring friend, mentor, a real mensch, devoted father and a loving husband.
Sandy Naudé, former General Manager of Independent Media, Cape, said during John’s stellar media career, in the glory days of newspapers, he helped his employer and team to win multiple international awards.
“He produced outstanding marketing events for the then Cape Argus Cycle Tour and Cape Times Big Walk, plus many others,” Naudé said.
“After his career advanced, he retained close ties with Independent Media as a board member of the former Cape Property Guide, a media consultant for the City of Cape Town, plus the management of numerous training and coaching projects across the country. His talented and optimistic approach to any initiative he embraced left a legacy of learning and confidence to many former and current staffers. He will be greatly missed.”
Pieter Cronjé, a close friend and business associate, said Lloyd was an inspirational, innovative and streetwise marketing legend. He knew the media, advertising and agency industry backwards. He was respected and sought-after for his business growth strategies and as an inspirational speaker.
“We presented several Business Breakthrough sessions together, and he was an invaluable adviser to me as Communication Director at the City of Cape Town. He played a key role as marketing strategist in the 2010 Fifa World Cup, the successful New Seven Wonders of Nature award for Table Mountain and the launch of the MyCiTi bus service in Cape Town,” Cronje said.
Sabine Lehmann, former Managing Director of Table Mountain Cableway and now MD of Curiositas, said: “John Lloyd played a key role in the campaign to make Table Mountain One of the New Seven Wonders of Nature – an invaluable legacy for Cape Town and South Africa. He helped to dramatically up the public votes in the crucial home straight of global voting and got Table Mountain past the post.”
Kevin Lancaster, lifelong friend and later John’s client as CEO of Betterbond, said John was a sales and marketing genius. In the 1980s, John was promoting musicians by phoning radio stations (from a tickey box pay phone) and giving them a punt.
“John helped me and my wife Lesley to promote our real estate book, ‘Steps to Success in Real Estate’, that sold over 10 000 copies. He helped us with monthly seminars for property professionals when Lesley and I entered the mortgage origination industry. As Chief Executive Officer of Betterbond, John was my ‘go-to guy’ for all matters marketing and sales, and John helped us to become the largest mortgage originator in SA. We continued this collaboration in a company Summit. John was a giver. He was kind and a remarkable friend.”
Bruce Cameron, formerly founding editor of Personal Finance, assistant editor of Business Report, business editor of the Cape Argus and political correspondent of the Daily News, said: ‘’John was a flamboyant showman and a serious thinker. Our friendship started with the launch of Personal Finance. Most advertising people at Independent were opposed to the new publication because they claimed it would be a transfer in advertising. John’s view was Personal Finance would generate more advertising – how right he was. We exchanged many ideas over the years, with most coming from him. I will always miss my friend.”
Peter Luhanga, managing editor of the Iliso LaBantu News and Mother City News, said John was a joy to work with. “He supported the newspaper industry and trained grassroots community and mainstream newspapers in ethical industry practice. He wrote training manuals, one with Gavin Stewart, called ‘The Essential Guide to Advertising Success’. His monthly newsletter, ‘Business Growth Made Simple’, differed from most because he explained not only what to do but how to do it.
“It is difficult to exaggerate the significance of the marketing literary legacy John Lloyd leaves behind. Godspeed, John Lloyd. We’ll take the watch from here. ‘Til Valhalla.”
He leaves behind his wife Karen and three children, Emma, Justin and Matthew.