Shams (Shameela) Essack is the Managing Director of Eska Consult.
Shams has 20+ years of diverse and top-level experience in corporate communication, management and coaching in the private, public and NPO sectors. During her tenure as CIMA’s Corporate Communication Manager for sub-Saharan Africa she won two staff awards with her team. Shams has been successfully running her corporate communication, strategy and coaching business, Eska Consult, since 2012. Through the services she provides she has played a key role in adding value to the communication, key stakeholder management, performance of staff and growth in businesses.
Shams has TV presenting and production experience. She presented a TV show on SABC1 “Heart and Soul” and “Shadows of Divinity” (1999 to 2001) and produced and directed two inserts for the programme. As an honours student at Wits she won an MNet EDiT (Emerging Dynamics in Television) Award with a fellow student for a 15 min documentary.
Shams prides herself in her long-standing, quality relationships with clients and suppliers. Clients include private, public and non-profit organisations and individuals.
Customised solutions are designed for each client based on specific requirements, industry sector and budgets in order to add maximum value.
As and when needed trusted associates and sub-contractors are included in projects to deliver on clients’ specifications.
She was Head of Strategy and Business Development at digital online marketplace Tapsnapp.co “on demand photography wherever you are” (2017-2020).
Shams has significant life experience and is attuned to issues of diversity: race, gender, class and people with disabilities.
She used to be an intrepid adventurer who parachuted and went scuba diving and qualified as an Advanced Diver with NAUI. Now she prefers more sedate activities such as reading non-fiction books, non-fiction writing and traveling. Shams has visited 22 countries, including Namibia, Botswana, Ghana, Nigeria, Malawi, Singapore, Thailand, India, China, Spain, France, the UK, the US and Brazil. She has two young adult sons and has been married for 24 years.
Bachelor of Social Work, BA(Hons) Drama and Film (Wits), MA Journalism and Media Studies (Wits).
Accounting, Entrepreneurship, Marketing (online courses, Gordon Institute of Business Science).
ILS Certified Coach (May 2016). Qualification is accredited by the ICF and COMENSA.
Various private and public sector clients, including Endemol Productions (“Isidingo” TV show on SABC1), New Wave Productions, SA Compensators, Festival Films, Gauteng Provincial Government, Tapsnapp, Short Story Day Africa, Pula Consulting, Nabantu Coaching and Consulting, Standard Bank, UNICEF, USAID and more.
“Communication it is more than just relaying information, it’s a powerful tool that can improve employee morale mitigate issues in the workplace and increase productivity. Joining Yasmeen Alli is Business Coach, Shameela Essack to talk to us about communications and why it’s important in our businesses.” Small Biz MBA
