For over 18 years, Mahabane has advised the senior leadership of multinationals on signature corporate strategy and crisis management, advising companies on how to respond to the demands of critical stakeholders. He has advised leaders of South African and international firms on aligning their corporate activities and demonstrating social and public value creation.

His current focus is advising leaders working on demonstrating social value and collaborative, people-centred institutions and systems. In 2020, he volunteered for three months as executive head of communications for the Solidarity Fund of South Africa, a private sector initiative to support the South African government's COVID-19 response. He advised a leading South African coal producer to communicate one of the country's first Energy Transition plans and advised several other clients on their energy transitions.

Formerly a financial journalist, Mahabane wrote for the Mail and Guardian, the Sunday Times, the Business Times, the Financial Mail and Business Day. He wrote a political economy for the last three publications and has contributed to books on political economy.