Mercedez Dlikilili is the daughter of famed SABC presenter Bobby Dlikilli and has forged her path as a PR and social media strategist.
Mercedez Dlikilili is a PR and social media strategist who is the daughter of SABC presenter Bobby Dlikilili.Her upbringing has taught her to be herself and push boundaries.She has worked with international stars like Jill Scott, Mary Mary and Ne-Yo.Mercedez Dlikilili is taking up space in the world of public relations and social media strategy.
The 28-year-old’s passion for the entertainment industry began with her big break with photography, which saw her working with globally renowned events like the Essence Festival and the International Jazz Festival, just to name a few.
As the daughter of veteran SABC presenter Bobby Dlikilili as well as having executive producer mother, growing up Mercedez had no inkling that her parents were well-known in the industry until she was old enough to understand her peers getting excited at seeing her surname.
“I recall wearing my name badge at school and constantly being asked if do I know ‘Bobby Dlikilili’ and when I’d say ‘Yes, he’s my dad’, people would get so excited and I’d be confused as to why,” Mercedez shares with TRUELOVE.
On what she’s learnt about the industry from her parents, Mercedez says, “Being brought up in a household of entertainment and creatives allowed me to be purely myself and learn to live out my truth through my craft and what I do.
“My parents have a work ethic that’s out of this world, therefore, seeing them work and always busy inspired me to follow my dreams beyond. I was taught to never have limits for my dreams and always push the boundaries, and that has helped me become the most courageous woman I can possibly be.”
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Mercedez had always had an interest in the onscreen and behind the scenes work that went into South African entertainment.
Fresh out of high school, she began working as a freelance photographer for her mother’s company and her passion for public relations and marketing then took off.
Mercedez tells us that she’s been blessed to work on global productions like famed singer Tamia’s South African tour, comedian Chris Tucker’s production with Comedy Central, for iPlan hitmaker Dlala Thukzin’s events and many more.
In addition to being the current social media strategist for Umhlanga’s seaside restaurant Brown Sugar Ocean, Mercedez says, “As an influencer manager and having worked with the biggest brands such as Sony, Mastercard, Makro etc., the biggest challenge for me has always been trying to navigate working with different personalities and people. In as much as doing the work itself can be challenging but also the people we work with can sometimes make it harder for us by being unnecessarily difficult.”
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Throughout her fruitful career journey where she has gotten the opportunity to rub shoulders with international artists like Mary Mary, Jill Scott and Ne-Yo, Mercedes keeps herself grounded by meditating and being around nature.
On a piece of advice that has always stuck with her, Mercedez tells us, “Like Nike says, ‘just do it’.
“I think having the ability to just go for anything I want, whether I achieve it or not, makes me proud because it’s all about taking the initiative to actually do it. I always advise people to just do it – if you’ve got nothing to lose, then just do it and be proud of taking the first step in pursuing anything as the first step is always the hardest.”
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