The Media Online’s weekly round up of people, account and business moves in media. As South Africa entered lockdown, businesses closed across the country. But the media will continue to do its job, and The Media Online will continue to report on the sector. #StaySafe.
This week’s BIG move: Kgaugelo Maphai moves on from The MediaShop
Park Advertising’s group managing director, Chris Botha, has announced the resignation of The MediaShop Johannesburg’s managing director, Kgaugelo Maphai.
“It is with great sadness that after three years with the organisation, Kgaugelo Maphai, managing director and board member of The MediaShop Johannesburg, has resigned,” said Botha said.
Maphai intends exploring other business opportunities and pursuing his lifelong dream of setting up an NPO that will focus on purpose-led cohesion in the country and on the continent.
“Over the past three years that he was been with the organisation, Kgaugelo has contributed massively to our business success,” said Botha. “Under his management, The MediaShop has won several awards (including MOST Awards and the Financial Mail AdFocus Awards Network agency of the year twice), retained business and won various client pitches.
“Kgaugelo also launched various initiatives within the company including cultural appreciation, staff immersions to various parts of the country, various media owner engagement sessions and he started two new divisions within the business namely the Integrated Marketing and Communications (IMC) division, as well as Tirisano, the Intelligence division.”
Maphai said he was grateful for the opportunity to lead an organisation with such an illustrious history and heritage.
Over the years, he has been involved in various industry initiatives having served as a board member of the AMF (Advertising Media Forum), on judging panels for AdFocus and the AMASA awards and more recently as a member of the advisory panel for The Radio Awards.
He will now start serving his notice and begin the process of handing over. His replacement will be announced in due course.
People moves
Ziyanda Mngomezulu joins Rapid Blue as business director and executive producer
Rapid Blue has appointed Ziyanda Mngomezulu as business director and executive producer.
The appointment comes as the company celebrates winning a prestigious SAFTA award for Best International format with Celebrity Game Night for E! Channel, last Wednesday evening.
With a proven track record in South Africa’s broadcasting industry, Mngomezulu joins Rapid Blue after spending seven years at eMedia Investments. There she held the position of general manager of Group Content Services, managing e.TV’s local content selection and creation and channel acquisitions for South Africa’s fastest growing digital free-to-view platform, Openview.
A graduate of AFDA, Mngomezulu has a background in production and spent five years at public South African Television, SABC 2, as programme co-ordinator, later becoming programme manager of the channel.
Duncan Irvine, CEO Rapid Blue, said: “We’ve interacted with Ziyanda at SABC 2 and eTV over many years and have always been so impressed by her knowledge and passion for content and production, and so we are very proud to welcome this formidable mover and shaker to Rapid Blue. Ziyanda is experienced, passionate, energetic and creative and so we look forward to scaling new heights with her as part of the team”
Rapid Blue, who are part of the BBC Studios international family of production companies, has a strong legacy of producing award winning localized African versions of international formats including Family Feud, Celebrity Game Night, Come Dine With Me South Africa, Project Runway South Africa, Batchelor South Africa, Dancing With The Stars and First Dates South Africa.
Ogilvy Joburg MD Elouise Kelly resigns for a new adventure
Ogilvy Joburg MD, Elouise Kelly is set to leave to join another global company, still to be announced.
Kelly joined Ogilvy in April 2018. Prior to joining the agency, she worked as a branding, communication and business strategist, managing content strategies, launching brands, and driving business objectives at companies like Top TV, Viacom, MTN Irancell, M-Net and SABC.
Elouise’s experience, commitment and enthusiasm have been an asset to Ogilvy, helping the agency grow client brands and deliver meaningful communications, while also being a core part of operational management and senior leadership.
“Elouise has a passion for people. She has been committed to the wellbeing and success of our teams and to delivering value to our clients. Elouise’s exceptional marketing and communications skills will serve her well in her new role. We wish her all the best for her new chapter.” Ogilvy Chief Growth Officer Mathieu Plassard
“I’ve learnt a lot during my time at Ogilvy,” said Kelly. “Leaving has not been not an easy choice. Ogilvy has an amazing network of talent, which continues to deliver great work. I’m fortunate to have been a part of the magic. I’m excited to be returning to the media and entertainment industry and looking forward to the challenges ahead.”
Tribeca welcomes Terry Mlangeni to its content team
Tribeca Public Relations (Tribeca) recently appointed Terry Mlangeni to its content team, where he works closely with the agency’s PR teams to produce content on accounts including Kaelo, Epson, Sony, Logitech, Cathay Pacific, Opera, and WEBFLEET.
Mlangeni’s writing experience spans multiple marketing disciplines including public relations, digital marketing and above and below the line writing projects for a wide range of clients in the mobile operators, consumer technology, travel and aviation sectors.
“Terry’s enthusiastic energy and willingness to embrace every challenge we send his way have added a lovely energy to Tribeca’s content team,” said Kerry Haggard, head of content at Tribeca. “His ability to write across multiple sectors and his commitment to finding creative solutions to communications challenges within his writing have added significant scope to the range of content services that Tribeca is able to offer its clients.”
Introducing the New Kids On the Block
Over the last 14 years of Gagasi FM has constantly recruited, nurtured and groomed young talent. This year, the commercial station’s new line up continues to build on this legacy.
Gagasi FM has once again identified two talented young people to take over the trainee slots. Harrison Mkhize and Luyanda Khambule have both joined Gagasi FM, as of 01 May 2020 and they are extremely excited to add their flavour into the thriving radio station.
Mkhize is a 24-year-old who describes himself as being a principle-centred and purpose driven individual. He is a creative, a vocalist, an aspiring actor and radio presenter. He is also a Masters Student at the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal as well as an educator at Malvern Primary School.
Luyanda Khambule is a 29-year-old female who studied Analytical Chemistry at the Durban University of Technology. “I fell in love with radio while I was in primary school but I didn’t quiet have the confidence to pursue it. Campus radio was when I took a chance on myself. That was the best decision I have ever made and I haven’t looked back since,” said Khambule. Khambule is going to be hosting her show on Saturday between 04h00 – 07h00 and on Sundays 04h00-06h00.
Business moves
The Good Things Guy becomes a verified news source
Social media giant Facebook has verified www.goodthingsguy.com as a credible news source. Verification for this website affirms that the Good Things Guy account is authentic, belongs to an industry leader and has a strong online presence.
“I’m absolutely thrilled that my Good Things Guy website, an initiative I thought would be a small endeavour just five years ago, has not only been verified, but has also grown to over a million readers a month with over two million page views in April alone – it’s staggering,” said founder, Brent Lindeque.
Four factors are taken into account by the social media giant before proceeding with account verification. These are: ensuring the authenticity of the account; the account’s uniqueness; it needs full and complete information and must be noteworthy in terms of real people searching for and desiring information from that account.
“Over the past couple of months our Google ratings have been astronomical,” says Brent. “Our March stats reflected 4.26 million impressions and 87 000 click throughs. Over the first two weeks in April those figures jumped to 5.78 million impressions and 246 000 click throughs.
ICASA grants SABC full exemption from compliance with local TV content quotas
The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) has granted the SABC “full exemption from compliance with the specific license terms and conditions of its sound and television services”. ICASA has further granted exemption from compliance with the local television content quotas. This exemption only applies to the SABC’s television services and not the radio or news services.
The approval was based on the SABC’s exemption application to ICASA, in an attempt to mitigate the impact that COVID-19 has and could have on the corporation’s local productions, as all production houses had to shut down when the national lockdown was announced. It must be emphasised that the relaxation of the regulations by ICASA is to mitigate the risk of non-compliance by the public broadcaster and does not reflect an intent by the Corporation not to execute and deliver on its mandate, as it has consistently done.
Competition for creatives: Write the Future, Right the Wrongs.
LAW FOR ALL, a company dedicated to fighting for equality and justice, calls on South Africa’s creative minds and wordsmiths to enter a competition to help imagine a future world where everyone has access to justice and legal recourse.COVID-19 has arrived the world over, with a torchlight in hand to cast a light on the shadows that lurk in our society.
It’s opening our bottom drawers, and airing the dirty laundry of decades of consumer-driven markets. The world is unequal. The systems we’ve created work only for a few. Suddenly in the absence of our daily hustle, it’s become glaringly evident in many industries. The justice system, one of them.
“The COVID-19 outbreak has made an already uncertain future that much more frightening. In times like these, we need to call upon our artists, our writers, our poets and lyricists. It is through art that we shape new narratives for the future,” said Adv Jackie Nagtegaal, futurist and managing director of LAW FOR ALL.
Submit this future world of justice creative work in less than 1000 words. It can be a haiku, poem or piece of prose that reflects a future South Africa where the law belongs to all and where everyone has access to justice. To enter, email your work to justice@lawforall.co.za.
- All submissions must reach us by no later than 5 pm on 20 May 2020.
- The winners will be announced on 5 June 2020.
- By submitting your work, you agree that LAW FOR ALL may share it on its webpage and social pages and that it may be used in an academic research paper on the future of justice in South Africa.
- You will be credited fully and retain all rights to the work for further personal or commercial use.
- LAW FOR ALL’s decision on the pieces will be final and in its sole discretion.
- A prize of R10 000 will be awarded as first prize, R7 000 as second prize and R3 000 as a third.
Canon becomes a founding member of intellectual property partnership to combat spread of COVID-19
Canon Inc has joined the COVID-19 Countermeasure Declaration as a founding member. According to this declaration, Canon has pledged not to enforce its intellectual property rights against development, manufacturing and other activities whose purpose is stopping the spread of COVID-19.
In order to stop the spread of COVID-19, there is an urgent need for business, government and academia to overcome existing barriers and join forces, free from established mindsets, to accelerate development and manufacturing in such fields as therapeutic drugs, vaccines, medical devices and infection control products.
Entities who become signatories of the COVID-19 Countermeasure Declaration pledge that they will not assert their patents, utility models, designs or copyrights during the time of this crisis against any activities whose purpose is stopping the spread of COVID-19, including diagnosis, prevention, containment and treatment.
By eliminating the need for complicated, time-consuming analysis of intellectual property rights of the declarers and license negotiations for such intellectual property rights, this declaration clears the way for the fastest possible means of research, development and manufacture of the most effective tools to combat the spread of COVID-19.
For more, visit the website.
Making moves
The Herald turns 175
“We would not have reached 175 without you.” That’s the message from The Herald acting editor Rochelle de Kock to the readers of SA’s oldest newspaper which on Thursday celebrates its 175th anniversary.
De Kock said The Herald was committed to its watchdog role.“It is an absolute privilege to be leading this newspaper that has such a rich history.
“Yes, the road has been bumpy but we remain committed to continue delivering quality journalism that is impactful and ultimately brings about change.
“Ours is a resilience to ensure that we fulfil our duties as a vigilant watchdog to keep our readers informed about the very issues that affect us all.
“We would like to thank our readers for their continued support. We would not have reached 175 years without you.”
#NOEXCUSE introduces an innovative way to get help during lockdown
While South Africa’s government and all its essential care providers are hard at work leading the fight against Covid-19, civilians are in another battle against Gender Based Violence. Statistics show that during the national lockdown period, reported cases of Gender Based Violence have spiked from less than 1500 to over 5000 per week.
This spike has rightfully raised the ire of government and civic organisations, and prompted a response from various organisations, including Carling Black Label’s #NoExcuse initiative.
“This is a very concerning development which we are faced with, particularly as we do not know how many cases remain unreported. As a brand that is committed to recognizing the champion within, we want to encourage people to be brave and give them a way to get help. This WhatsApp line gives victims of abuse who could be men or women a way to get counselling silently. It also puts men who are struggling to be their inner champion in touch with a mentor, someone to talk to, so that they can start on the journey to be champion men. All of this can now happen silently,” said Carling Black Label Brand Director, Arné Rust.
“Our new approach is a WhatsApp service where people can send the word BRAVE to 0800 150 150 and get in touch with the right organisation to get the help they need. We will also be partnering with other corporate entities, government departments as well as affiliates such as Takuwani Riime and the men’s sector to grow awareness of the service and remove barriers to getting assistance. While #NoExcuse has always encouraged victims to be brave and report immediately, there are other socio-economic problems that need to be considered.
This campaign has two phases – the first phase being to raise awareness about the LifeLine number, as people should know there is help available to them. The second phase is to provide them with insight on the WhatsApp functionality and that help is only one Brave text away. #NoExcuse has a holistic approach to ending GBV through various programs aimed at men who are seeking mentorship and assistance in becoming better men and to provide the victims of abuse with help. The Helpline is for both men and women.
The #NOEXCUSE The Bravest Thing programme will be rolled out on social media, with the assistance of influential figures in TV, presenter and medical doctor, Dr Musa Mthombeni; Sports presenters – Thomas Mlambo and Andile Ncube; Radio DJ, Moeti ‘Mo Flava’ Tseki and former football player, Phumudzo Manenzhe.
For more information, consumers can visit the #NOEXCUSE website on www.noexcusesa.com.
Daily Dose of Positivity #projectsunshine
Daily Dose of Positivity SA (DDP) has launched an initiative to create food parcels for some of the many homeless individuals who have been driven to begging on the streets by hunger and desperation.
The initiative was created by Disruptive Marketing SA (DMSA), the founder of whom initially created DDP to help a group of friends find positivity and inspiration through short daily fitness sessions – encouraging the benefits of natural endorphins, and social interaction – even through online means – in addition to improving fitness.
“So many of us are being beaten down by negativity as continued lockdown prohibits much of the ‘normal life’ we all enjoyed. DDP was a small way that I felt I could help some friends, through exercise and sharing morning sessions, to feel more positivity in their lives, and ‘start the day right’ with some active inspiration,” said Kerry Hayes, founder of DMSA.
“If each individual can do just a little bit, collectively we could have a massive impact on so many lives,” says Hayes, “and bring a little bit of sunshine into those lives by helping them in our own small way”.
Hayes said the parcels will be left at the side of the road, across from the beggars, to manage the fear of possible infection, with a note sharing a positive message; and she would further like to try and include a mask in each parcel.
A selection of packages is available, which pledgers can choose from, with the participant being able to choose their selection of sessions within their packages:
~ 3 sessions a week, 5 sessions a week, 10 sessions a week, Full package (20 sessions a week): R320/month R450/month R800/month R1 250/month
Sessions take place at 07h30 in the mornings, and 17h30 in the evenings to work around business hours.
For the Diary
FREE | Attend our third Covid-19 Business Survival Bootcamp for entrepreneurs
SA has been in lockdown since March 27. Now, many entrepreneurs are fighting for survival while their shops are shuttered and their factories dark.
Therefore BusinessLIVE has decided to partner with the African Management Institute (AMI) to give free business survival tools to SA entrepreneurs and owners of small and medium-sized businesses during this period.
On Friday May 8 from 10am SA time (GMT+2), AMI and BusinessLIVE will co-host, for the third time, a free webinar titled “Financial Forecasting and Cost Management in an Economic Slowdown”.
Nfinity Group to host FREE webinar on influencer marketing
Join the Nfinity Group for a FREE webinar about the rise of influencer marketing and using brand content to drive objectives.
Agenda includes:
- The rise and need of influencer marketing
- The role of influencers during the COVID-19 crisis
- How to use influencer marketing to drive performance / business objectives using branded content
- Showcase local and global case studies
Date: 12 May 2020
Time: 14h00
Book your space by clicking here.
