South African start-up plans ICO to raise funds for launch of mobile advertising app. The Herald and Weekend Post announce new editor and sales & advertising manager. MMI appoints new communications partners. Jellyfish set to make waves with Willowton Group’s latest digital marketing campaign. Strawberry Lips creates Sweet Beats. Atterbury Trust to co-sponsor new North-South T20 tournament for schools’ cricket. Farmer’s Weekly hosts 12th Agribusiness Africa Conference. Date for latest ABC release. JCDecaux to host marketing and trend gurus for a day. Second annual African Fintech Unconference coming up. Global Advertising Lawyers Alliance to hold GDPR and influencer seminar in Budapest.
South African start-up plans ICO to raise funds for launch of mobile advertising app
South African digital advertising start-up company, Advertiza, plans to raise funds for the launch of its mobile adverting app through an initial coin offering (ICO) in the third quarter of 2018. The funds raised from the ICO will be used to complete the development and marketing of a groundbreaking digital advertising app that will enable businesses to reach their target audiences by purchasing advertising space at affordable prices.
Jabu Masombuka, the founder of Advertiza Holdings, said the mobile digital advertising app, which bears the company name Advertiza, will be launched in the fourth quarter of this year and will run on both Android and IOS phones. “In the past, many businesses were excluded from using advertising to expose their products and services to large target audiences due to expensive investments needed to advertise on traditional media platforms such as radio, newspaper, TV, and outdoor billboards,” he said.
“With many people around the world rapidly moving away from using traditional to digital media platforms when consuming content, we saw a gap in the ads publishing space to create an app that enables small businesses and start-ups to buy advertising space at a fraction of a cost. Advertiza has various price plan packages for businesses that start from as little as $2 or R20 a day,” said Masombuka.
Masombuka, who is a computer science graduate and a Johannesburg-based multi-skilled business innovator, said Advertiza was unique because it has integrated the blockchain technology with digital advertising.
The app will use a crypto currency called TIZACOIN that allows users to transact on it. As more businesses and consumers use the app, the demand for TIZCOINS is expected to increase significantly, pushing up the value of the coins and placing TIZACOIN holders in a favourable position to make profits when they eventually trade their coins.
People moves
The Herald and Weekend Post announce new editor and sales & advertising manager
Nwabisa Makunga has been appointed as the new editor of Tiso Blackstar’s Eastern Cape titles, The Herald and its sister publication the Weekend Post. Desiree Oliphant-Hilmer has similarly been appointed as the new sales and advertising manager for both titles at the Port Elizabeth division of Tiso Blackstar Group. Both appointments came into effect on 1 August 2018.
“The appointments of Nwabisa and Desiree are testament of our continuous commitment to our readers and all stakeholders towards quality journalism and 360 degree advertising solutions that is built on trust and credibility,” said Nadeem Joshua, GM of Tiso Blackstar: Port. “We would like to take this opportunity to wish both ladies the very best on this new journey.”
Nwabisa Makunga (36) has been the deputy editor of The Herald and Weekend Post for the last two years, and is a renowned columnist and sought-after panellist and moderator facilitating important discussions around developing Nelson Mandela Bay, the Eastern Cape and the country as a whole. Born in Uitenhage, Makunga studied journalism at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University and holds a post-graduate qualification in media management from Wits University.
Desiree Oliphant-Hilmer brings a wealth of experience as the new sales and advertising manager for The Herald and Weekend Post through prior positions at SABC Radio and Kagiso Media.
“Being in the industry for 25 years it’s still gets me excited to service and deliver integrated creative solutions for all level of clients from start-up businesses to national government,” said Oliphant-Hilmer. “I am up for the challenge to elevate The Herald and Weekend Post, and all its relevant online and digital platforms to the next level.”
COSMOPOLITAN appoints Noxolo Mafu as deputy editor
Associated Media Publishing has announced Noxolo Mafu as the new deputy editor of COSMOPOLITAN, with effect from 1 August 2018.
Mafu is the former deputy editor of HuffPost SA, which had a readership of 1.63-million unique users, according to Effective Measure. Prior to that, she worked as head of video at the same publication. In this role, she was responsible for all editorial and commercial video content. She began her career in digital media at News24, where she served as a content producer and video presenter.
Mafu graduated from Rhodes University (specialising in television at the Journalism and Media Studies faculty). In 2015, she co-produced and directed a short documentary, Soweto Rising, which gained international acclaim and was nominated at the Jozi Film Festival.
With expertise in video editing, presenting, digital content creation and media strategy, Mafu is fluent in the ever-changing online landscape. Her career experience has afforded her a valuable skill set in digital storytelling and news production for political, entertainment and lifestyle content. “I am so excited to join such a vibrant, hardworking and innovative team. The Cosmopolitan brand has always been a firm favourite for me, and the opportunity to build on its legacy is an honour I take very seriously,” said Mafu.
Naspers’ video entertainment appoints CEO of new OTT video unit
Naspers’ video entertainment has announced the appointment of Niclas Ekdahl as CEO of the recently formed Connected Video unit. This new unit runs the Showmax and DStv Now internet TV services in Africa and is also responsible for developing new OTT (Over The Top) services for the MultiChoice group.
Ekdahl has over 19 years executive leadership experience in the audio visual services industry. This includes heading up the Pay-TV channel division for Viasat Broadcasting in London and leading OTT and VOD (Video on Demand) service in the Nordic region as CEO of Viaplay. Most recently, he was managing director for Nuvu – Stockholm and Johannesburg, a VOD service launched by Ericsson in 2015.
“OTT video services are growing rapidly across Africa. We’ve made a healthy start preparing for this future with our Showmax and DStv Now services, and it’s now time to consolidate those learnings in a single unit to build the best possible services for our customers. Niclas has the right experience to make this happen and we’re thrilled to have him on board.” said Imtiaz Patel, CEO of Naspers’ Video Entertainment business.
Ekdahl will start in this role on 10 September 2018.
Business moves
MMI appoints new communications partners
MMI Holdings Limited (MMI) have appointed three of South Africa’s leading communications agencies to manage its public relations.
Following a rigorous pitch process MMI has appointed FleishmanHillard South Africa to manage the group’s corporate communication. MSL: Johannesburg has been appointed to manage the brand communications for select businesses within Momentum, while Eclipse will handle the communications for Metropolitan, Momentum Short Term Insurance and Multiply, Momentum’s Wellness and Rewards programme.
JSE listed MMI is one of South Africa’s leading financial services entities. Through Momentum and Metropolitan, the group provides long and short-term insurance, asset management, savings, investment, healthcare administration and employee benefits to all market segments.
Nontokozo Madonsela, group chief marketing officer for MMI Holdings said the appointed agencies would help to communicate MMI’s purpose of enabling people from all walks of life to achieve their most important financial goals and aspirations. The appointments would also help to drive MMI’s strategic position of providing prominence to the client-facing brands.
Jellyfish set to make waves with Willowton Group’s latest digital marketing campaign
Jellyfish, with offices in Durban, Johannesburg and Cape Town, is directing the South African digital marketing space with innovative, data-driven concepts that resonate with the consumer. One such concept they are excited to be executing is for the leading fast-moving consumer goods’ (FMCG) manufacturer, Willowton Group.
This established FMCG company was looking for a way to connect more directly with consumers, to engage and showcase their extensive product range. They wanted to expand on their interactive #nowwecooking concept but hadn’t ventured very much into the digital marketing space previously. Willowton Group decided to find an entrenched company with the vision to really see this campaign through, and this search led them to Jellyfish.
“The pitch was quite open-ended, making it open to interpretation which is great,” explained Tim Lombard, MD of Jellyfish. “Many of their products are centred around cooking, so we felt they should own this space with the #nowwecooking platform. This is going to be a unique campaign, unlike any countrywide, and the concept is taking off.”
Strawberry Lips creates Sweet Beats
Strawberry Lips, a brand synonymous with the women empowerment narrative, has for years been at the forefront of supporting women in the music scene, particularly the club DJ.
In an effort to continually fly the girl power flag high, Strawberry Lips now presents Sweet Beats, a music property that creates a platform of sharing and tips – all in the name of mentorship and upliftment. Sweet Beats is a monthly online showcase of female DJs, aptly known as the Sweet Beats Sistas. The online showcase will feature DJ’s, well known and upcoming alike, bringing valuable insights and information to aspiring female DJ’s and inspiration to womankind in general. The movement, aimed at motivating and empowering, will see these influentials share their tips and life experiences in a 12-part interactive web series. The Sweet beats Sistas from all over the country, will also host quarterly collaboration events which will be streamed live on social media.
“The Sweet Beats sessions are not just a platform to unearth, inspire and mentor fellow DJ’s within the music community:- every woman has dealt with their own challenges and more importantly victories, so these ladies can inspire us to pursue our dreams. Strawberry Lips is all about the ladies, so everyone can expect interactive and engaging content and discover new South African music talents,” commented Strawberry Lips Marketing Manager Vanessa Nel.
Atterbury Trust to co-sponsor new North-South T20 tournament for schools’ cricket
A brand-new T20 cricket tournament for schools from across South Africa was launched this week, with the backing of leading South African property investor and developer, Atterbury’s Atterbury Trust.
The North-South T20 schools cricket tournament, with AB de Villiers as ambassador, will take place during the September school holidays in and around Pretoria, and will see 16 schools facing off against each other in two divisions. The overall winning team will claim a prize-pot of R50 000 for their school to invest in its cricket offering and development programmes.
According to Zahn Hulme of the Atterbury Trust, the tournament fills an important gap in school sports. “There simply weren’t enough opportunities for players from the top cricket schools to compete against each other during the pre-season. We are passionate about creating opportunities and this unique tournament will enable players from different districts and backgrounds to share a constructive feast of cricket while building networks that could have future value for everyone.”
The tournament takes place from 21 to 24 September and will become an annual event.
Making moves
Farmer’s Weekly hosts 12th Agribusiness Africa Conference
Despite some cyclical challenges that could impact commodity prices, the investment case for agriculture in Africa remains strong. This was one of the main messages to emerge from the 12th Agribusiness Africa Conference hosted by Caxton Magazine’s Farmer’s Weekly at Emperors Palace in Johannesburg recently.
In her opening address Farmer’s Weekly editor, Denene Erasmus, said they were pleased by the high number of international delegates at the conference as many of the solutions needed to grow agriculture in South Africa and the rest of Africa was only possible through international partnerships.
The countries represented among the more than 250 delegates that attended this year’s conference included Lesotho, Botswana, Nigeria, Mozambique, Zambia, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Sudan, Angola, Namibia, Tunisia, Italy, Finland, India, Germany, the US, Argentina, Israel, the Netherlands, Australia and France.
Anton Botes, general manager at Caxton magazines added: “Each of our brand owned and hosted events are carefully thought out to ensure that there is a suitable fit for each of our products, which in turn provides great value to our readers and advertisers. The Agribusiness Africa conference was one such event that also gave Farmer’s Weekly great exposure to both a local and international stage.”
Erasmus concludes, “As South Africa’s oldest and most trusted agricultural magazine, Farmer’s Weekly hosts this annual conference to bring together international farmers and the best farming minds in the world where delegates can debate and discuss national and international agricultural and farming issues.”
Diary
Date for latest ABC release
The Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) will release the Q2 2018 data on Tuesday, 14 August 2018. Please note that we will not be releasing the data via webinar because of poor attendance. The data will be released on the website as was done for Q1 2018. A summary to the Q2 report will be published on the ABC website and also on BizCommunity.
JCDecaux to host marketing and trend gurus for a day
JCDecaux is to host a star-studded line-up of industry gurus to explore the connections that bring research, strategy, consumers and marketers together for brand conversations in a connected world.
Guest speakers will unravel ways of introducing marketers to connected consumers, through digital and integrated campaigns that will leave you on a first-name basis with your target audiences.
Sharing their knowledge are Dion Chang, Owner, FLUX Trends, an innovator, creative thinker, a walking ideas bank and professional cage rattler. And Khumo Theko, researcher and trend spotter at Flux Trends.
Founder of Boo-Yah! Carmen Murray, an African inspired advisory and educational marketing services company. Neil Eddleston, managing director of JCDecaux OneWorld. Chief marketing officer of Trace Mobile, Prescillia Avenel-Delpha will be there, as will Lotang Mokoena, digital strategist at VML South Africa
Dawn Rowlands, CEO of the Dentsu Aegis Network Sub-Saharan Africa has unsurpassed experience and expertise in the marketing, advertising and media industries in sub-Saharan Africa. And Valentine Gaudin-Muteba, VP for channels and operations, Trace Mobile, who has close to 10 years of experience in the entertainment / television industry,
DATE: Thursday 30 August 2018
TIME: 08h30 – 15h00
VENUE: Bryanston Country Club, 63 Bryanston Drive, Bryanston, Sandton
COST: This thought-leading event is fully sponsored by JCDecaux Africa
BOOKING: Please click here to book your seat before Tuesday 21 August 2018
Second annual African Fintech Unconference coming up
The second African Fintech Unconference will take place in Stellenbosch on 25 & 26 September 2018. At the heart of #AFU18 is the goal to “boost collaborative fintech partnerships across Africa”. As usual the agenda will be guided by African fintech innovators, thought leaders and entrepreneurs, who largely lack the resources to create an event that focuses on their reality and challenges
According to PwC, cumulative investment in global fintech could well exceed $150 billion within the next three to five years. Given the current innovations emerging from the continent, major portions of this projected investment could be directed towards African fintech projects, making industry events like AFU18 even more essential – to consolidate efforts and to forge sustainable, long-term partnerships.
This key industry event will be co-convened by African fintech pioneers Nomanini, MFS Africa and Tugende
Global Advertising Lawyers Alliance to hold GDPR and influencer seminar in Budapest
The Global Advertising Lawyers Alliance will hold an advertising law seminar in Budapest, Hungary on 17 September 2018. The seminar, The GDPR Experience and its Effect on Direct Marketing & Influencer Marketing – What is Fact & What is Fiction? is co-sponsored by GALA’s Hungarian member, Szecskay Attorneys at Law.
“We are thrilled to bring together advertising law experts from around the world to help guide global marketers on best practices for marketing in Europe and beyond,” said Jennifer Pienaar, GALA EMEA President and Partner at Adams & Adams in Pretoria, South Africa.
The seminar will be held on Monday, 17 September 2018, starting at 11:30 a.m., at the Zwack Unicum Heritage Centre. For more information about attending the seminar, go to www.galalaw.com or contact GALA’s Executive Director Stacy Bess at sbess@galalaw.com.