The Media Online’s weekly round up of people, account and business moves in media.
This week’s BIG move: Quote This Woman+ saved from closing thanks to 2022 grant from the Open Society Foundation for South Africa
A R700 000 shot in the arm from the Open Society Foundation for South Africa (OSF-SA) will allow Quote This Woman+ to keep its doors open in 2022. Quote This Woman+ is an intersectional feminist non-profit fighting to end gender discrimination when it comes to whose stories get told, and whose opinions are listened to, in the news. The organisation is based in South Africa but has a footprint in Southern and Central Africa too.
According to QW+ director Kathy Magrobi, the funding is critical given that in South Africa, as in most countries in the world, only one in every five sources interviewed in a news story is a woman.
“Quote This Woman+ works to change this by providing journalists with easy access to a growing database of great women – and otherwise marginalised – expert sources that they can reach out to when they’re looking for somebody to help them close the gender gap and make their news more reflective of the society they’re reporting about – and for.”
There are close to 600 experts on their database in 50 categories, starting at agriculture and ending at xenophobia. This database is accessed by over 1000 journalists from all over the world.
OSF-SA is the South African national foundation of the global philanthropic organisation the Open Society Foundations. The organisation’s vision is for a just, equitable and inclusive South Africa. “As a primarily grantmaking organisation, OSF-SA seeks to support and prioritise the rights and needs of women and young people. Our support to Quote This Woman+ provides a timely opportunity to do so. Through this support, we hope to help centre the narratives and experiences of women in this country,” said OSF-SA executive director, Bulelwa Ngewana.
“This grant acknowledges not only the critical issue of gender parity in media, but also the important role of creating awareness and providing the necessary media training required for women+ experts to become active in promoting their voices,” says Magrobi. “This funding has arrived not a moment too soon as we have exhausted our previous funder’s grant cycle – from the South African Media Innovative Programme (SAMIP) – which closed to South African non-profits during the course of last year. “We are incredibly grateful to the entire SAMIP team for our journey with them; we know that the level of support we have had from SAMIP has been extraordinary.”
For more information on QW+ or how you can support its social efforts, please visit www.quotethiswoman.org.za or contact Kathy Magrobi at 084 688 8980.
Read more: Making our voices heard
People moves
Chad Otto joins Grey Group is digital strategy lead
Grey has welcomed Chad Otto to the Grey Group as digital strategy lead. Otto joins us from Duke Group where he was Head of Digital Strategy.
Otto’s career in digital started in digital media, which gave him a strong foundation for understanding metrics and platforms.
Having studied art direction, he made the decision to move into the creative team, where he became digital art director. His experience as a digital art director added another layer to his digital skill set which proved to be invaluable for his plunge into the world of strategy.
Otto constantly pushes to get digital a seat at the marketing table. He believes, “Between our laptops and smartphones, we are spending most of our waking hours connected to the internet. So, I believe the opportunity to build impactful relationships through digital does exist – we just need to figure out how.”
A few of the brands Otto has worked on include; PepsiCo, Jive, Coronation Fund Managers, Satrix Investments, KFC South Africa and Food Lover’s Market Holdings.
Pete Case appointed as Ogilvy South Africa CEO
Pete Case is returning from his current global role to become interim CEO of the Ogilvy South Africa Group. Case, who has been actively leading Ogilvy’s creative ambitions across a number of offices in the worldwide network as CCO, will start the new position mid-January 2022.
“We are exceptionally confident in Pete’s ability to effectively lead our business and to raise the bar for us in South Africa. Pete knows our company well. He is a proven leader and a true modern marketing professional,” said Ogilvy EMEA chairman Paul O’Donnell.
“He played an integral role in forming Ogilvy South Africa’s industry-leading position after joining the company in 2014. He was Founder and CEO of Gloo, the market leading digital agency acquired by Ogilvy. Pete took over the Creative and Digital leadership of our group post the acquisition and was responsible for an impressive string of successes. He is a leader who excels at the intersections of business and creativity.”
Ogilvy South Africa Board Chairman, Nkosinathi Biko, concluded, “We welcome Pete’s energy and experience back in this role and he carries the full support of our Board. An important part of his mandate, alongside the continued evolution of our business services, will be the growth and excellence of our diverse talent pool, central to our wider transformation ambition. Pete will work with the board and WPP to identify and appoint a successor.”
Case added, “Over the last year I’ve had the pleasure of helping implement Ogilvy’s new strategy in several markets across the world and working at the intersections of innovation, creativity, technology, data and media – in order to drive business growth for our clients. I’m excited to help activate this with increased purpose and power here in South Africa.”
TransUnion Africa names Beck as new CMO
Information and insights company TransUnion Africa has announced the appointment of Amy Beck as chief marketing officer and member of the company’s executive team, effective 10 January 2022.
In her new role, Beck will report to Africa CEO Lee Naik, and will lead marketing activities across all TransUnion Africa’s regions, working closely with the company’s leadership to drive and support its brand and regional growth strategy.
“Amy’s strong business acumen and compelling track record make her well-suited to lead our marketing work in Africa as TransUnion continues to create economic opportunities for businesses and consumers across the continent,” said Naik. “Her strategic mindset and analytic focus will help us elevate our brand and boost our position as an industry leader.”
Before joining TransUnion, Beck built and managed AB Inbev’s in-house agency, draftLine, into a profitable business, which won several awards and became one of the largest agencies in South Africa in less than three years.
“I’m excited to be part of the growth strategy for TransUnion. I look forward to taking awareness of the company and our products and solutions to a wider customer base, while continuing to build a customer-centric culture that lives and breathes exceptional customer experiences,” said Beck.
Zola Nene, Gregory Czarnecki and Justine Drake are MasterChef South Africa’s all-new judges for season 4
Following the announcement of MasterChef South Africa’s return, M-Net has announcde that the highly anticipated fourth season of the reality competition series has an all-new judging panel.
Chefs Zola Nene and Gregory Czarnecki and food editor Justine Drake will be the culinary masters whose palates and expertise will guide a new crop of contestants to the ultimate R1-million prize and the coveted title of MasterChef.
MasterChef SA season 4 premieres on Monday 28 February 2022 on M-Net (DStv Channel 101) at 18:00.
“We’re very excited to have one of our most-loved shows – and toughest of reality competitions – returning to our screen after some time away. We have always had a rich crop of home chefs to choose from, but the pandemic has certainly created more, and this is the perfect time forMasterChef South Africa to make a comeback,” said Yolisa Phahle, CEO of General Entertainment and Connected Video for MultiChoice.
On having two women on the MasterChef SA panel, Dave De Bie, Format Consultant at Banijay, the content producers who own the rights to the show, said: “We are focused on improving the gender balance in MasterChef judges worldwide. Over the last couple of years, we have increased the number of female judges and this is something we are continuing to improve upon. Out of 37 active markets, 26 now have female judges. We are delighted that MasterChef SA joins the likes of Israel, Norway and Brazil with two female experts on their panel.”
SANEF congratulates Nikiwe Bikitsha on her appointment to the NPC
The South African National Editors’ Forum (SANEF) has congratulated renowned journalist Nikiwe Bikitsha on her appointment as a member of the third National Planning Commission (NPC).
Bikitsha was appointed to the NPC by President Cyril Ramaphosa and will serve for a period of five years, effective from 1 December 2021.
Bikitsha is an experienced broadcast journalist and social commentator whose contribution to South African journalism is commendable.
She follows in the footsteps of veteran journalist, Dr Thami Mazwai, who previously served in the NPC.
Bikitsha also sits on the board of the Nelson Mandela Foundation.
Kaya 959 bids farewell to Brenda Sisane
Kaya 959’s Brenda Sisane has hung up her headphones. Widely regarded as one of the most iconic radio presenters in South Africa, Sisane has left Kaya 959. Her last radio show was Sunday 26 December 2021.
“Brenda is one of the most loved women with an impeccable radio track record in South Africa. She remains a force to be reckoned with, having contributed so much to the development of Radio in this country and to setting a standard for women behind the microphone” said Kaya 959 station director Sibongile Mtyali. “Recently inducted into the Liberty Radio Awards Hall of Fame, she has led the way for many aspirant radio presenters, especially women. She will be sorely missed. We know for sure that her journey in telling compelling stories and her contribution to this industry does not end here, we wish her well as she turns a new page in her journey.”
Kaya 959 announces Xola Dlwati as new Sunday afternoon, Spade of Hearts show host
Following the departure of the radio icon Brenda Sisane in December 2021, Kaya 959 has announced it’s newest Sunday afternoon show, Spade of Hearts, and the brand-new host, Xola Dlwati. The show airs every Sunday from 12:00-15:00 and features your favourite love songs to make you fall in love all over again.
“We’re very excited to have Xola on board to host this brand-new spectacular soulful show that will focus on romantic, tender and sweet music for those times when the heart wants what the heart wants. Sundays are an easy and perfect day to relax, reconnect and rekindle your love and this show provides a perfect platform and mood for those who just love falling in love. Every Sunday, our listeners will be taken down memory lane of their love stories and will be reminded how beautiful love can really be,” said managing director of Kaya 959, Sibongile Mtyali.
Dlwati joined Kaya 959 in November 2021, filling in one of the developmental slots from 02:00-05:00 Monday to Friday. He is a trained engineer from the Wits Radio Academy. His previous experience includes having spent time in the Community Radio sector, having hosted shows on Eldos FM until he joined Kaya 959.
Apart from taking on the new Sunday afternoon slot, Dlwati will continue to host his weekly show Monday-Friday from 2am-5am.
11 South Africans are part of 33 Pan African Animators who graduated from Ada Animation International Bootcamp 2021
Budding South African animator Kearabetswe Moumakwe has won an Ada Animation Bootcamper of the Year Award at their awards ceremony on 9 December 2021 hosted in conjunction with the Kenya Film Commission.
A Kenyan-based studio with a growing African footprint, Ada Animation was founded on the desire to tell African stories and the completion of the recent programme has proven how possible this dream is. With a growing cohort of trainee animators from across Africa, and a team of six internationally acclaimed animators, Ada Animation’s Bootcamp Training is a first for Kenya and one of the only capacity building animation programmes on the continent.
Forty-five ambitious African animators from five countries responded to Ada Animation’s call for participants: namely from Kenya, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, South Africa and Egypt. The four-month programme commenced in September at the Adanian Lab Campus. Of the original 45 students, 33 students completed the course and submitted the 30sec Public Service Announcement group project.
Business moves
TelkomONE Rolls Out Pop-Up Channel and More for AFCON
Africa’s united for the 2021 CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and the sporting events in Cameroon are live on TelkomONE via SABC Sport and a dedicated pop-up channel the streaming service has rolled-out for this pan-African soccer fest.
After an opening ceremony this past weekend that captured the outstanding diversity of the African continent and its billion-plus people, the football action has kicked off in earnest.
Altogether, some 52 AFCON games will be played until Sunday, 6 February 2022 and TelkomONE viewers will be able to access them live and via the Catch-Up service. Provided they have registered on the site, TelkomONE users can access the games free via SABC Sport and the dedicated AFCON channel.
“Ensuring TelkomONE users have access to the continent’s best soccer action, in the most convenient format, stays true to our founding promise of serving the best content and matching it with unparalleled functionality,” says Wanda Mkhize, Executive Smart Home & Content at Telkom.
Sanctioned by the Confederation of African Football, AFCON is the main international men’s association football competition for Africa. Algeria are the current champions.
Season 2 of Smirnoff Game Nights remixed its format, games and style and SA viewers loved it!
Online game show, Smirnoff Games Night, had an epic run with its second season as the show pulled in over 800 000 views and 1.3 million impressions over four episodes.
The show’s winning combination of entertainment and general knowledge was imaginatively reformatted with new games and an exciting mix of celeb guests, packaged in a fast paced, short form content style.
Contributing to the show’s success was the charming and entertaining cast made up of the hottest South African talent, influencers and break through performers, including Costa Titch, Don Design, Phantom Steeze, Okay Wasabi, Musa Keys, Sasha Langa, Holly Rey, DJ Doowap, Thandolwethu Tsekiso, Oscar Mbo and Money Badoo. No other production has staged this diverse and next-gen mix of talent on one show.
“The first season of Smirnoff Game Night was so warmly received by viewers that we knew that, should the show return, we would want it bigger and better with even more laughs. The phenomenal number of viewers who have taken the show into their hearts and brought it into their homes this season proved the show’s format really resonated with a wide audience. We couldn’t be happier,” said Nicole Smith, Marketing Manager for Smirnoff.
CBI-electric: low voltage partners with Hook, Line & Sinker to plug into the tech revolution
Established in 1949, CBI-electric: low voltage is a subsidiary of renowned JSE listed industrial group Reunert, with international operations across Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, and USA. CBI-electric: low voltage’s circuit breakers can be found in almost every home and the company has firmly become a market leader over the last 72 years. To successfully launch and introduce the brand’s new IoT (internet of things) home automation range, Hook, Line & Sinker (HLS), has been appointed as agency of choice to support the brand’s new digital transformation journey while positioning the company as an innovative leader.
Following an intense three-way agency pitch which included the development of a two-year full scope communications strategy across paid, owned, earned, and shared communications channels, HLS’s tech-first approach secured the launch of CBI-electric: low voltage’s Astute Range across local and Pan-African markets. The robust strategy will feature a collection of quarterly podcasts with tech influencers, an intense Pan-African media relations campaign, website developments including a chatbot to support the sales funnel, a 24-month advertising campaign, and an active social media drive with renowned celebrity influencers – all creatively packaged for both business and consumer audiences.
Making moves
The MultiChoice Bursary Scheme is now open for the 2022 academic year
MultiChoice South Africa has opened applications for its R20 million bursary scheme for the 2022 academic year. The MultiChoice South Africa Bursary Scheme aims to help approximately 200 students.
Since its inception in 2020, a total of 188 students have received funding for their studies with a spend of R11.2 million going towards bursaries.
For the 2022 bursary scheme, 10 of these students will be funded via the Nomzamo Lighthouse Foundation – an organisation that invests in the future of South African youth – of which MultiChoice is a partner. The bursaries extend beyond tuition fees and include registration fees, accommodation costs, and an annual living allowance.
The MultiChoice Bursary Scheme is open to students in all years of study, including students who have enrolled for their first post-graduate degree that is focused on the STEM discipline (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), particularly:
- Actuarial Science
- Electrical, Electronic and Information Engineering
- Computer Science and Applied Mathematics
- Information Technology (AI and Robotics)
- Data and Information Science
- Digital Media Technologies
“As technological developments continue to advance at a rapid pace, there is a critical need for a dynamic workforce in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics in order for our country to keep up with the rest of the world,” said Nyiko Shiburi, CEO of MultiChoice South Africa. “We see the value in opening doors for youth to build the skills within our industry, shaping the professionals who will lead us into the future.”
Applications are now open and close on 15 February 2022. To register and apply, click here.
Kaloopy’s World Famous California Lifestyle Channel Now Available in SA
Kaloopy is a California Lifestyle Channel and this taste of the Sunshine State is now available to South Africans thanks to a recent content deal with TelkomONE.
“It’s now possible to experience living like a ‘Cali’ local, courtesy of South Africa’s emerging streaming leader,” said Wanda Mkhize, executive smart home and content at Telkom.
Available now, TelkomONE viewers can immediately enjoy Kaloopy’s artful blending of outstanding models dancing to music with elements of surfing, skating, art, cars and more interwoven throughout. From coastal beaches to inland parks, Kaloopy viewers are treated to a lifestyle they’ve only seen in Hollywood movies and which is now easily streamed as part of TelkomONE’s FREE View offering.
Nando’s Bridges for Music Bursary Students Graduate
Two years ago, Nando’s South Africa began supporting Cape Town based non-profit organisation Bridges for Music as part of its efforts to nurture South African creative talent. This year, the partnership involved sponsoring ten passionate students with full bursaries to take on the MusicMBA course, an MBA-styled programme at the academy.
The MusicMBA is a five-month long Music and Entrepreneurship programme that looks to enhance the potential of those who wish to strengthen their entrepreneurial skills while learning about sound, music entrepreneurship, digital literacy and mindfulness practice. This is to achieve the outcome of producing employable music experts with the mental and emotional capacity and maturity to become successful in a deeply competitive and mostly under-funded creative industry.
All of this year’s MusicMBA students sponsored by Nando’s have successfully graduated from the course. They have completed more than 200 hours of learning music production and the finer details of working within the music industry, more than 20 hours focused on creative entrepreneurship and 50 hours hearing from entrepreneurial experts and creatives from various industries through in-person and online lectures and masterclasses.
“We are thrilled that all ten of the students we supported through the course are graduating and we wish them all the best with their next steps towards taking their creative skill forward with technical and entrepreneurial know-how,” said Justine Cullinan, Nando’s GM marketing: brand strategy and communications. “Our partnership with Bridges for Music is really an extension of our commitment to support emerging creatives who produce beautiful works we can all enjoy, showcase and export proudly. We have no doubt each of these bright young creators will go on to make amazing contributions to the creative landscape in South Africa.”
A line-up of award-winning radio presenters takes to the decks of East Coast Gold to bring back the magic of music’s ‘golden years’
The evocative power of music is the mainstay of pioneering digital music radio station, East Coast Gold (ECG), which plays classic hits from the 60s, 70s, and 80s. Running the show is a line-up of award-winning radio presenters, each with their own appreciation for music’s ‘golden years’.
As East Coast Radio programming manager, Zane Derbyshire explained: “Our list of presenters is the result of a careful and meticulous selection process. We wanted to give our listeners a reason to tune in from wherever they live, knowing that they’ll be treated to the music from their best years. We have seen exceptional results, with a growth rate of between 29% and 166% in regions outside of KwaZulu-Natal, including Gauteng and the Western Cape. We envisage East Coast Gold as the No.1 South African destination for timeless tracks from the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s, and our listeners are making that vision a reality.”
The East Coast Gold radio team features hosts with multi-channel experience, among them weekend breakfast presenter Guy McDonald – the recipient of several coveted awards, including three MTN Radio Awards. His joined on the weekend by industry stalwart and Radio Awards Hall of Famer, Alex Jay, who is on air from 10:00 to 14:00 every Saturday.
One of Guy and Alex’s weekday counterparts is Dave Guselli, who hosts East Coast Gold during one of its most popular time slots, 10:00 to 14:00. Johns and East Coast Radio. In his hometown, KwaZulu-Natal, Dave Guselli is a household name.
The station is accessible via various platforms, including the East Coast Radio app, Radio Garden, Alexa, and on the station website.
Diary
NMA to conduct print advertising innovation master class in February
Over three modules and eight hours of programming, the INMA Print Advertising Innovation Master Class aims to break the subject into three parts:
Over three modules and eight hours of programming, the INMA Print Advertising Innovation Master Class aims to break the subject into three parts:
• Is print advertising dead?
• Innovation in print ads
• Print advertising justification
Our 10-person faculty will focus on:
• Timelines for print advertising sustainability.
• What will constitute print advertising in the emerging marketing mix.
• The emergence of new formats.
• How do we change the perception of print among younger media planners and buyers?
Click here for detailed programming and to register
