Wayne Bischoff new CEO of Mediamark. Loyiso Bala appointed channel director of TBN in Africa. Tribeca Public Relations promotes Mmabatho Segole to account manager. Jason Cleghorn to head up marketing & product at FCA SA. WAN-IFRA announces the election of new Vice President. Former Ericsson and E&Y executive appointed to lead Africa and Middle East Expansion for Aussie OTT company. The Africa Report is hiring a business editor to organise corporate, economic and financial coverage in its digital newsroom. Pulse, Africa’s new media publisher, makes its websites more accessible to all Africans through technology. Microsoft partners with CodeJIKA to bring homegrown coding solutions to SA. Novus Holdings attains Level 3 B-BBEE status. Chef Zola Nene invites celebs and their personal heroes for a meal and a chat in new TV show on Mzansi Magic. #celebfeasts
This week’s BIG move: Wayne Bischoff new CEO of Mediamark
Wayne Bischoff is taking the helm at Mediamark as its new CEO. With three decades of experience in advertising, media sales and marketing, Bischoff’s mandate is to consolidate the company’s position as the country’s leading provider of integrated marketing solutions and continuing to drive the current strategy of building its digital capabilities and portfolio, while ensuring the company achieves the transformational goals of Kagiso Media.
Werner Lindemann stepped down late in 2018 after being MD of Mediamark for two years.
Bischoff was previously chief revenue officer at Trudon and before that, he led Habari Media, the pioneering, multi award winning digital media house, where he served as MD for nearly four years. His 30 years of industry experience span Sub-Saharan Africa and Europe and the full media landscape from print, TV and radio to out of home and digital.
It’s not his first time with the company: Earlier on in his career, Bischoff held the position of sales and marketing director of what was then Radmark and Digitalmark, and now Mediamark. “I am delighted and honoured to return to Mediamark after years spent sharpening my skills in leadership, digital and multi-platform marketing. I will draw on my experience to work with the exceptional people and brands at Mediamark to take this company to new heights ”
He brings to his position strong sales and leadership experience, as well as established relationships with key media, agencies and clients. Bischoff is also passionate about giving back to the industry and currently sits on the board of AMASA.
“On behalf of Mediamarks’ shareholders Kagiso Media and Lagardère, we would like to thank Werner for his valuable contribution at Kagiso Media and Mediamark over the past five years and wish him well,” said Andrew Manderstam, chairman of Mediamark. “We are also delighted to welcome Wayne back to Mediamark. Wayne has a proven track record as a leader and innovator in our sector, as well as excellent insight into the trends currently disrupting the media and advertising world. What’s more, Wayne’s exposure to a wide range of media channels and platforms means he is well qualified to lead Mediamark’s continued growth as a multichannel sales house.”
People moves
Loyiso Bala appointed channel director of TBN in Africa
Faith and family television network Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) has announced the appointment of Loyiso Bala as channel director of TBN in Africa.
Award-winning Bala is one of the most recognisable and passionate people in the South African entertainment fraternity. He has been applauded by icons such as Nelson Mandela, Richard Branson, Gordon Brown, Bill Clinton, Oprah Winfrey and many more.
Bala brings with him an intuitive understanding of the business having not only presented and produced several television shows, including TBN Meets, but has also run a successful talent management company since 2007. He is currently completing the final year of his MBA studies at Henley Business School.
Bala’s role will be to lead an experience team in increasing the overall viewer-experience. This includes content creation, brand and channel identity, marketing and new business strategies.
Speaking of his new position, Bala said: “I am honoured and humbled to be granted the opportunity to lead such an amazing team that I’ve come to feel a part of over the past three years presenting and producing for the channel. I look forward to the challenge and to continue building on the great success that has been achieved by TBN thus far.”
Tribeca Public Relations promotes Mmabatho Segole to account manager
Tribeca Public Relations has promoted Mmabatho Segole to account manager as she has continually shown enthusiasm, passion and skills development since joining the company in December 2016.
Segole works with a number of diverse clients, including Nimue Skin Technology, AgeWell, Solal Skincare, JA South Africa and KidZania, and supports colleagues working with Consulta, Saab, Secure Drive and Montego Pet Nutrition.
“Mmabatho has achieved great results for her clients, and is firmly committed to sharpening her PR skills by taking full advantage of Tribeca’s in-house training programmes, in addition to pursuing her own part-time studies,” says Nicola Tarr, business unit director at Tribeca Public Relations.
Dimitri Jansen new marketing director of Pernod Ricard
Following the departure of Charl Bassil to head up the global marketing of Absolut Vodka, Pernod Ricard has appointed Dimitri Jansen to replace him as marketing director.
Jansen comes with a wealth of experience, before taking up this appointment, he was the brand director for Absolut Elyx and GTR within the Absolut company. No stranger to the this new role, he was marketing director and member of the local CODI for Pernod Ricard’s Netherlands operations. He graduated with an MBA from the University of Tilburg.
He has been with Pernod Ricard since 2000, starting his journey in the company in the Seagrams organisation. The appointment is part of Pernod Ricard’s strong employer value proposition of being a global company with opportunities for growth and international transfer.
Jason Cleghorn to head up marketing & product at FCA SA
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) South Africa is proud to announce the appointment of Jason Cleghorn as the new Head of Marketing and Product across the Alfa Romeo, Jeep, Fiat, Abath and Fiat Professional Brands.
Cleghorn joins FCA from Maserati South Africa, where he was previously employed in the role of marketing director for Sub-Saharan Africa, over the course of the last three years. During this time, he helped manage the successful re-launch the luxury sports car brand into the local market. Previous to this, he also held the same role of marketing director at Ferrari South Africa.
In terms of qualifications, Cleghorn holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) and is a Chartered Marketer from the CIM in the UK.
WAN-IFRA announces the election of new Vice President
During its General Assembly of Members held in Amsterdam on 13 December, the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers appointed Fernando de Yarza, president of Henneo Group in Spain, as vice president.
De Yarza, along with Michael Golden (USA), Lisa MacLeod (Tiso Blackstar, South Africa), Paul Verwilt (Mediahuis, Belgium), and David Callaway (The Street, US) will now form the new Presidency of WAN-IFRA until the incoming board elections planned for June 2019.
”I am very honoured to be appointed to the presidency of WAN-IFRA. The organisation is undergoing a successful and remarkable transformation that underlines its role as the global voice of news publishers. I’ve followed the success of WAN-IFRA’s programmes worldwide during the past few years. It’s a unique, invaluable and inspirational forum on global trends in the news industry and I am grateful for this opportunity to contribute to its development,” said De Yarza.
Mel Shah joins dmg events
dmg events, an international events company, has appointed Mel Shah as vice president of its Energy Sector, Asia.
Shah will grow the company’s energy events in Asia, which currently include Bangkok’s Future Energy Asia, the Gas Asia Summit held in Singapore and Jakarta’s Gas Indonesia Summit. Development in South East Asia will further boost the company’s portfolio of global energy events, which already includes two of the world’s largest oil and gas shows: Gastech and ADIPEC.
Former Ericsson and E&Y executive appointed to lead Africa and Middle East Expansion for Aussie OTT company
Former Ericsson and Ernst and Young executive Hans Belz has been appointed to head up growth in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) for Australian OTT streaming technology company Switch Media, headquartered in Johannesburg.
A seasoned media and telecommunications executive, Belz was most recently regional head of operations and programming for SVOD service targeting emerging markets at iflix.
He has an MBA from the University of the Witwatersrand
Switch’s technology enables streamed video content with ad insertion for clients, including free-to-air and payTV networks as well Parliament House in Canberra and Melbourne’s RMIT University, among its many clients.
On offer
The Africa Report is hiring a business editor
Are you able to read a balance sheet and come up with the right line of questioning for a CEO? The Africa Report is hiring a business editor to organise corporate, economic and financial coverage in its digital newsroom. Some travel required.
Job Brief
- Plan, write, and edit material for publication on our digital platform
- Liaise and plan coverage with The Africa Report editors and correspondents
- Oversee business coverage on our print editions, including investigations and rankings
- Handle social media responsibilities for business and economic stories
Skills and qualifications
Have writing, editing and commissioning experience at a reputable newspaper, magazine or digital publication.
Experience in managing people.
A good network of business journalists and sources in multiple African countries, and the drive to develop it.
Ability to execute tasks on a website news cycle.
Be a native english speaker. Knowledge of a language from the continent, or French/Arabic is a plus.
Please send a CV along with a covering letter to: jobs@theafricareport.com
Business moves
achtung! to build and manage a global agency network for the Lufthansa Group, Atmosphere to handle SA
Lufthansa Group has chosen the agency achtung! to lead the global PR activities for its airlines. These include the brands Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, Swiss, Eurowings and Brussels Airlines. The communications agency with 160 employees in Hamburg and Munich has won a multi-stage pitch and is now responsible for planning and supporting PR activities in 41 countries outside the home markets of Germany, Belgium, Austria and Switzerland. achtung! has created its own global network of hand-picked agencies for the Lufthansa Group. The network and its processes are individually arranged.
Integrated local brand and corporate communications consultancy, Atmosphere Communications, has been appointed as the South African agency and will work alongside achtung! to manage local PR activities for The Lufthansa Group.
Colourworks and designers ink MERGE
Colourworks – founded in 1998 and Designers Ink – founded in 2000 have announced their union as a joint force: CWDi.
The two companies, each committed to bright ideas and extraordinary results, spearheaded the 67 Logos project for Mandela Day 2018, an initiative that saw designers and established businesses assisting up and coming SMEs in fast tracking their businesses.
Lesley Waterkyn, Founder and CEO of Colourworks, said, “We are thrilled to announce our new agency, which brings two bold companies together, upping our business value exponentially while lowering our costs. We felt and understood that there was a synergy between the two companies and we are delighted that this has culminated in such a unique amalgamation of talent and team.”
The merged agency – 52% black owned and 100% female owned – gives CWDi a national footprint across South Africa with offices in Johannesburg and Cape Town. The company also supplies in Africa and Internationally – with clients across the globe.
Nedbank announces new marketing and communications agencies after extensive search
After a vigorous search aimed at meeting the business objectives, Nedbank has announced the appointment of the successful agencies selected to work on it’s through-the-line, sponsorship, and digital marketing communication strategies from 2019.
Award-winning brand and communication group Joe Public has retained the bank’s through-the-line account. Joining the bank will be Levergy Marketing Agency who will manage the sponsorship account while Digitas Liquorice will manage the digital creative account. All appointed agencies have strong BBBEE credentials and their diversity aligns to Nedbank’s procurement strategy linking transformation to the bank’s purchasing choices. Furthermore, the partners have proven to have the correct culture fit to meet the business objectives.
“The diversity of these agencies will enable us to entrench the Nedbank narrative, expand our client reach through effective and targeted digital strategies, remaining mindful of the current competitive landscape in the financial sector,” explains Khensani Nobanda, group executive for Nedbank Group Marketing and Corporate Affairs, who believes these appointments will help drive the bank’s aspirations.
Microsoft partners with CodeJIKA to bring home-grown coding solutions to SA
In line with its global commitment to computer science (CS) education, multinational technology company Microsoft has partnered with South African campaign CodeJIKA to raise awareness and promote the uptake of CS education and coding skills in South African schools.
A strong advocate of mainstreaming CS into the global schooling curriculum, Microsoft is doubling down on this commitment in the local context by promoting dialogue with government and leading educational stakeholders to revise the existing educational policy on CS. The tech giant will also promote the uptake of coding and CS in schools across the country by promoting the establishment of leagues of coding clubs and teacher induction workshops across various schools.
Microsoft’s local partner, CodeJIKA, is an initiative of non-profit organisation Code for Change, which believes that exposing the youth to coding and computer-based skills develops their computational and critical thinking skills and shows them how to create, not simply use, new technologies.
Conversation LAB gets top marks with Crawford Schools digital account win
Conversation LAB has further increased their stable of accounts with JSE listed ADvTECH Group in picking up the digital business of Crawford Schools. They add this highly respected school brand to their leading tertiary brands already in their stable namely Varsity College, Business School, Vega School of Branding and Design and Rosebank College.
Adam O’Hara, divisional digital marketing manager, ADvTECH Schools commented “We have worked with Conversation LAB across the Group for some time now, primarily in the Tertiary Division building a very strong and trusted partnership. It is great to now have them working with the School Division and applying the same winning formula to help us continue to grow the Crawford brand”
Making moves
Novus Holdings attains Level 3 B-BBEE status
Novus Holdings, a leader in the South African commercial printing and manufacturing sector, has successfully obtained a Level Three Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) rating with a score of 94,23 moving up one notch from its previous Level Four status, the company announced.
This is the second time that the Group received an improved score, after achieving Level Four status earlier in 2018.
“We are proud of this achievement and committed to proactive transformation and attaining the best B-BBEE scorecard possible. This accreditation is testament to the fact that we are moving in the right direction,” said Neil Birch, CEO at Novus Holdings.
“We continue to encourage the increased support of small businesses with black-owned and black female-owned business enterprises as first choice suppliers,” concluded Birch.
Chef Zola Nene invites celebs and their personal heroes for a meal and a chat in new TV show on Mzansi Magic
Mzansi Magic and Okuhle Media has launched Celeb Feasts with Zola (tastefully brought to you by Consol) – an entertaining new cooking-talk show which airs weekly on DSTV, Mzansi Magic (Ch 161) from 8 January 2019 for 13 weeks and will combine some of South Africa’s most-loved celebrities with mouth-watering South African meals, inspiring stories and – of course – lots of wine and laughs.
It is hosted by award-winning cook-book author, Celebrity TV chef and food stylist, Zola Nene. The “recipe” for each episode of Celeb Feasts with Zola is an easy one: Take one delectable chef, add one tasty celebrity and their scrumptious mentor, stir in three delicious recipes of their liking to that, scoop in a generous serving of personality and voila, you have a succulent story and a heavenly feast!
Some of the most delicious brands are behind this brand-new show. Look out for Consol Glass, Nederburg Wines, LANCEWOOD®, Spekko Rice and Tongaat Hulett. Use the hashtag #celebfeasts.
Pulse, Africa’s new media publisher, makes its websites more accessible to all Africans through technology
Pulse, a new media publisher in Africa, is starting off the year with the migration to a new publishing technology for its mass media online publications in Nigeria (www.Pulse.ng); Ghana (www.Pulse.com.gh); Kenya (www.Pulselive.co.ke) and Uganda (www.Pulselive.ug).
The new system is a significant part of the widely-read media platform’s efforts in providing millions of readers across the African continent as well as the diaspora more convenient access in consuming News, Entertainment, Lifestyle, Sports, Live Videos, and Business Insider content. Additionally, Pulse is widely represented with channels across all social media platforms on the continent, including in Francophone Africa through Pulse Live Afrique.
Reaching over 175 million unique users across all its platforms in Sub-Saharan Africa on a monthly basis, Pulse and it’s Pan-African license partner, Business Insider by Pulse, have positioned themselves as the preferred media publisher for accurate news and entertainment, backed up with unbiased analysis, fact-checking and research.
