10X Investments to sponsor The Gathering: Media Edition. Vincent Hoogduijn appointed CEO of Media24 Digital. Cobbledick appointed GM of Gumtree SA. Digitas Liquorice appoints Chris James as managing director. Leading online wine retailer appoints new CEO. Fibo Africa welcomes The Mountain. Anna Massoglia is rejoining the Center for Responsive Politics. Fibo Africa welcomes The Mountain. GREY Adventures start-up incubator launches in SA. Boo-Yah! joins forces with Best of Global Digital Marketing from Europe. Marie Claire announces the first-ever Marie Claire Power Summit 2018. Free app reinvents grade 12 revision. PAMRO celebrates its sponsors for the 19th PAMRO All Africa Media Research Conference. African Academy of Sciences wants pitches. CreativeMornings in Cape Town
This week’s BIG move: 10X Investments to sponsor The Gathering: Media Edition
10X Investments has signed up as lead sponsor of The Gathering: Media Edition, which will be held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre on 15 August.
Daily Maverick’s annual event is dedicated to supporting a strong, independent media. It brings together leaders from politics, civil society, the business world and media for a day of engagement, networking, debate and thought leadership focused on the importance of staying vigilant in a world where truth is constantly under attack.
Emma Heap, 10X Investments head of growth, says the disruptive asset manager’s sponsorship of The Gathering is a natural extension of the company’s continuing partnership with Daily Maverick. “Sponsoring The Gathering: Media Edition extends and expands on our dedication to honesty and transparency as we concentrate our efforts around the central theme of defending the truth,” she says.
The event will highlight the potential social consequences of the challenges in the media landscape. Steven Nathan, 10X Investments chief executive officer, will join business and political leaders at this year’s event. Other speakers who have already confirmed their participation include Mbuyiseni Ndlozi, Phumzile van Damme, Chris Maroleng, Ferial Haffajee, Rana Ayyub, John Vlismas, Stephen Grootes, MarianneThamm, and many others.
People moves
Vincent Hoogduijn appointed CEO of Media24 Digital
Media24 ecommerce CEO Vincent Hoogduijn has been appointed CEO of Media24 Digital, the company has announced. Next to overseeing all Media24’s ecommerce activities, Hoogduijn will also take overall responsibility for the company’s digital operations, including 24.com and Careers24.
“Vincent’s extensive experience in the ecommerce business in Europe and at the helm of Media24’s ecommerce division for the past three years has equipped him well to head the company’s accelerated growth in existing and new digital businesses,” Media24 CEO Esmaré Weideman said. “Vincent is a key member of our management team and we’re all rooting for him as he takes on wider responsibilities in the group.”
Hoogduijn, who obtained a linguistics degree from Utrecht University and an executive MBA from RSM Erasmus University, joined Media24 in 2015. “I see a lot of new digital opportunities for Media24,” he said. “Digital media is becoming one of the most exciting technology spaces to be in and I’m grateful for this opportunity to be part of this journey.”
Cobbledick appointed GM of Gumtree SA
Gumtree South Africa has appointed Claire Cobbledick as general manager replacing Johan Nel who is moving abroad. Cobbledick joined Gumtree SA in 2014 as head of marketing and became head of core business in 2016.
“It’s a thrilling challenge to take on the GM role of such a thriving and important business that needs to constantly adjust to a very dynamic environment,” said Cobbledick.
She is a former MD of The Jupiter Drawing Room advertising agency in Cape Town and was marketing manager for Red Bull in SA.
Gumtree is the country’s biggest online classifieds site and currently has the highest volume of web traffic of any website in the country with 5.2m unique users per month.
Digitas Liquorice appoints Chris James as managing director
Digitas Liquorice has appointed Chris James as managing director for South Africa. For the past four years, James worked in London where he had leadership roles at digital agencies AKQA and Jack Morton Worldwide. Before that he was a group account director at Digitas Liquorice.
With over twelve years’ experience, James has worked across three continents delivering award winning work for clients such as Jaguar Land Rover, Coca-Cola, HSBC, Dyson, Marks & Spencer, Huawei and Unilever to name a few.
“I’m excited to continue return to Digitas Liquorice who continue to lead the pack of digital agencies in Souths Africa,” said James.
“It’s great to welcome Chris back to Digitas Liquorice,” said Miles Murphy, Digitas Liquorice Founder and CEO. “We have doubled in size since Chris was last with us and we’re looking forward benefitting from his significant experience, leadership skills and the delivery of strategic solutions for our clients and agency.”
Cybercellar online wine retailer appoints new CEO
Cybercellar has appointed AJ Nel as its new CEO. Nel will be responsible for leading Cybercellar to the next chapter of its journey, as it grows its national footprint. Since joining Cybercellar, Nel has already made several key changes to the business model, including updating and improving the online wine retailer’s user journey.
Nel, who is experienced in market development, brand management and wine education, first cut his teeth in the wine industry as a young law student at Stellenbosch University. Nel would spend his weekends working in the tasting rooms of Helderberg wineries, learning about wine, customer service and sales.
Said Nel of his new vision for Cybercellar: “There are few things more exciting than the rapid global development of ecommerce, and to combine my passion for South African wine with this dynamic online environment is a fantastic opportunity and challenge.
Anna Massoglia is rejoining the Center for Responsive Politics
Anna Massoglia is rejoining the Center for Responsive Politics as the political nonprofits and foreign influence researcher to help launch a new “dark money” project and work on the Foreign Lobby Watch tool.
Since May 2017, she worked as a research analyst at Bloomberg BNA, where she was an editor and writer of Bloomberg Tax’s international payroll publications. Prior to joining Bloomberg BNA in May 2017, Massoglia was the political nonprofits researcher at the Center for Responsive Politics.
Massoglia holds a J.D. from the University of the District of Columbia School of Law and graduated magna cum laude from North Carolina State University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in political science with a concentration in American politics and second bachelor’s degree in psychology with honors.
She completed an extended placement with the U.S. State Department Student Foreign Service programme, where she developed the social media strategy of the Bureau of Energy Resources Public Policy and Diplomacy Division.
Fibo Africa welcomes The Mountain
Reed Exhibitions, in partnership with the Gauteng Tourism Authority, will be welcoming Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson to the FIBO Global Fitness in Africa Festival from Friday 26 October to Sunday 28 October 2018 at the TicketPro Dome in Johannesburg. Not only does Hafþór (pronounced Half-Thor), wear the crown of the World’s Strongest Man which he won last month in the Philippines, he also stars as Gregor Clegane, a knight of House Clegane and the older brother of Sandor Clegane, and better known as The Mountain in the HBO hit series, “Game of Thrones”..
Currently filming the final season of Game of Thrones, Thor had this to say to his legion of South African fans: “I am really looking forward to coming to the FIBO Global Fitness Festival in Johannesburg, South Africa and hope to see you there!”
Business moves
GREY Adventures start-up incubator launches in SA
Grey was recently listed by Fast Company as one of the 50 Most Innovative Companies. As such, it realised it had to continue to think differently to thrive in a modern, rapidly evolving world where disruption is the order of the day.
This meant that the 100-year-old start-up would have to take its OPEN culture to a new level and begin collaborating with other like-minded start-up businesses in many different fields of new technology and innovation. And so, Grey Adventures was born.
Grey Adventures is a start-up incubator and leading collective of emerging tech experts in the creative industry. It was created from the belief that some of the most rewarding opportunities for brands happen at the intersection of business, popular culture and tech innovation.
The Grey Adventures start-up incubator is built on the essence of value exchange where all parties benefit. It will invite start-ups with complementary skills from fields like data, insights, CX, media, creative tech, prototyping and production, ad tech, AR/VR/360 content, experiential and e-commerce to join our innovation space.
Clients are encouraged to participate via live briefs, workshops, and inspiration sessions as well as just spending time working with the different teams. It offers start-up partners space in our office, and share access to our clients and support services in return for access to their advice, learnings and expertise.
Grey Adventures is now operational in its Johannesburg, Singapore and American offices and continues to roll-out across the Grey global network.
Grey will continue to add to these start-ups and is currently on the look-out for a photographer and film director team to share our existing content studio. Interested candidates can mail gavin.stafford@grey.co.za to apply.
Boo-Yah! joins forces with Best of Global Digital Marketing from Europe
Boo-Yah!, an African inspired Advisory and Educational Marketing Services Company, has announced the exclusive partnership with The Best of Global Digital Marketing, one of the most successful producers of workshops and in-house training on digital marketing in Europe.
“In an age of constant change, the secret recipe to fuel creativity and inspire innovation, is to explore the potential hidden inside the digital universe through the case studies of mavericks and underdogs who triumph with successful campaigns,” said Carmen Murray, founder of Boo-Yah!
The Best of Global Digital Marketing do an in-depth study of award-winning digital marketing case studies with excellent business results across the globe. They delve deep into the background of each case study and give a full insight into why these campaigns were successful. The case studies are assembled by experienced reporters, marketers, and researchers who collect the information and case studies.
Boo-Yah! will be the local representative who will deliver the colourful workshops and in-house training frequently in South Africa and Sub Saharan Africa. It will offer Full Day and Half Day Content Marketing workshops packed with case studies. We will also offer Pitch Doctor Sessions specifically for the needs of a specific client, brief or project.
PAMRO celebrates its sponsors for the 19th PAMRO All Africa Media Research Conference
Now in its 19th year PAMRO is still the only marketing and media research organisation that was initiated and is run by volunteers in the interest of promoting ‘best in breed’ research in Africa. As an NPO the organisation particularly values its sponsors who play an enormous part in making PAMRO’s annual conference the success that it is.
This year PAMRO has confirmed sponsors: Ipsos will set the tone for the conference with networking, cocktails and an initial get-together on Sunday evening. Ornico has sponsored the lanyards and all-important country lead reports. Nielsen’s Monday night dinner is becoming a regular favourite at the annual conference and this year DStv will host the Gala Dinner.
“We are grateful to our sponsors who contribute significantly to helping the PAMRO achieve the high standards we have become used to. It is through the commitment of our sponsors and members that we are able to attract a high calibre of African and international speakers to bolster and continuously improve research in our industry,” said Joe Otin, PAMRO president.
Event details: 19th Annual PAMRO All Africa Media Research Conference
Date: 26-28 August 2018
Venue: Radisson Blu Hotel, 38-40 Isaac John Street, Ikeja GRA Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria
Making moves
Marie Claire announces the first-ever Marie Claire Power Summit 2018
Marie Claire has announced the Marie Claire Power Summit 2018, progressed by Audi. The Marie Claire Power Summit – #MCPowerSummit2018 – will take place on 18 July at The Lyric at Gold Reef City in Johannesburg from 08h00 – 15h30. This one-day power conference, featuring keynote speakers and interactive panel discussions on the issues that matter right now, will also provide networking opportunities for taking action.
Attendees of the Marie Claire Power Summit, in collaboration with the Nelson Mandela Foundation, which this year launches the Nelson Mandela Centenary programme to mark 100 years since Mandela’s birth, will learn what it takes to be a leader from today’s most prominent trailblazers and change-makers, including Nomzamo Mbatha (actress and Audi South Africa Brand Ambassador), Redi Tlhabi (author and media personality), Terry Pheto (actress), Panashe Chigumadzi (novelist), Lindiwe Mazibuko (politician), Uche Pézard (CEO of Luxe Corp and Founder of Luxury Connect Africa), Aisha Pandor (co-founder of SweepSouth) and so many more.
The Young Independents to honour Top 100 Exceptional Youth in the SADC region
Independent Media, through its youth centric platform, The Young Independents, is searching for 100 inspiring young African leaders across the SADC region between the ages of 18 and 35 years, who are trailblazers, influencers, disruptors, healers and innovators. The SADC region includes Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Community members can submit nominations on.
“This year under the theme – “IT takes 100”, we took a decision to extend our search for exceptional young people beyond SA, because of the need to integrate efforts by young people in order to drive significant change, not only for South Africa but across the region,” said Mike Ntsasa, founder of The Young Independents (TYI).
Echoing Ntsasa’s sentiments, Saajida Francis, Editor of The Young Independents, “We need to place young people at the forefront of change and development within Africa.”
Independent Media is calling on community members to nominate any young person between the ages of 18 and 35 whom they think is making a difference in their community.
The five nomination categories are: Disruptors, Healers, Influencers, Innovators and Trailblazers. Applications close on the 30th of July 2018.
MediaCom and Forever Changed partnership putting cancer survivors first in SA’s workplace
MediaCom’s philosophy is to always put ‘People first’. This mindset guides the company’s criteria in everything they do, including partnerships. Forever Changed was, therefore, the ideal fit. As a cancer awareness and education initiative aimed at empowering cancer survivors and their caregivers – especially in the workplace – this campaign linked perfectly with MediaCom’s approach to making a real and lasting impact in people’s lives. With South Africa being ranked in 50th place on the list of countries with the highest cancer prevalence rates (Source: Health24), it is imperative that South Africans are armed with education-based campaigns like Forever Changed.
Four years ago, Addi Lang, a TV and film casting agent and thirty years’ experience in the performing arts, was diagnosed with late stage cancer. After undergoing a mastectomy and chemotherapy as conventional cancer treatment, she and her life partner, David, embarked on a quest to research Complementary Alternative Medicine. In a recent interview with Longevity Live, she said that this experience inspired their mission “to create a roadmap which highlights choice and all the treatment options available to newly diagnosed cancer patients.”
When MediaCom South Africa discovered Addi’s story and the powerful impact she has and is making in people’s lives around the world, the company became part of her journey as a sponsor and partner. The vision and foundation for this partnership is to support best practice on cancer awareness and prevention and to create a step change in the way cancer is acknowledged, especially in the workplace.
Stay up to date with today’s digital trends with Metacue Consultancy
Metacue Consultancy officially launched on Tuesday, 26 June 2018, with Jared Kisten, digital guru with over 10 years’ experience working in the digital spheres of corporate, FMCG and retail playgrounds, at the helm.
“At Metacue Consultancy, we pride ourselves in the development of digital innovation, providing those in need with captivating and insightful digital strategies for all businesses looking to grow their footprint,” said Kisten. “But we’re not simply about strategy… relationships are an intricate part of our business model, whether client, or the client’s target audience.”
Free app reinvents grade 12 revision
From 1 August 2018, grade 12 learners will be able to do examination revision on their mobile phones by simply downloading an application from the Google PlayStore.
According to John Matthew Kelly, co-founder of the iPass application, many learners who face financial limitations could not get printouts to revise the previous NSC exam papers in preparation for the upcoming assessments. An idea was born to digitalise the papers and therefore make it accessible for all. He states that it is free and data efficient but also interactive.
Learners attempt the papers that is captured in a quiz format and easily revise what could be expected as possible assessment questions. Theoretic papers for subjects such as Computer Application Technology, Life Sciences, Geography, Economics and many more are available. Questions are randomised. They will appear in a different sequence every time the learner open the application and reattempt the revision exercise.
iPass was demonstrated at the national offices of the Department of Basic Education for the relevant Subject Advisors. With the greenlight, iPass is hoping to realise the dreams of many learners to achieve a matric certificate that will be of opportunistic value. Enquiries: info@ipass.org.za.
Diary
African Academy of Sciences wants pitches for science journalism
The African Academy of Sciences and its partners continue to accept pitches from African journalists every month for the Africa Science Desk, a project to build the capacity of science journalism in Africa.
Over a two-year period, the African Academy of Sciences, the African Federation of Science Journalists and the South African Science Journalists Association through the support of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, will provide funding to journalists in Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal and South Africa to produce science stories aimed at local or global news markets.
Application for July round is open and the next deadline is 5 July 2018.
Please note that pitches are submitted through the AAS Ishango Online system here https://aasishango.ccgranttracker.com/Login.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2f
The call is open to journalists to produce newspaper stories, TV documentaries, short web videos, explainers, short or long-form investigative reports and data stories aimed at local or global news markets. The selected or the qualifying journalists will be funded and paired with senior science journalists internationally as well as continentally who will provide the mentorship needed to improve the quality of science reporting.
CreativeMornings in Cape Town
Friends of Design has been the venue partner of the Cape Town chapter of CreativeMornings in our vibey CBD academy since 2012. It’s a way to connect with the creative community and share a passion for the creative industry, in partnership with the talented CreativeMornings Cape Town team.
Event partners include Amazee Labs & Sir Fruit. Guests are guaranteed a warm welcome, plenty of stimulating conversation, and a short, punchy talk by one of the Mother City’s most inspiring individuals.
Past speakers have included Monique Schiess and Robert Weinek of AfrikaBurn, satirist and performer Pieter-Dirk Uys, comedian and radio personality Angel Campey, and CEO of the Artscape Theatre, Marlene Le Roux. This year promises an equally stellar line-up of fascinating breakfast talks, so make sure to sign up for the CreativeMornings newsletter to stay on top of upcoming events.
If you’re keen to join us for a fresh cuppa and even fresher inspiration, visit https://creativemornings.com/cities/ct.
