The Media Online’s weekly round up of people, account and business moves in media.
This week’s BIG move: Chaos Theory appointed licensee for Filmbankmedia
South African sponsorship, marketing and events business Chaos Theory has become a local licensee for international film distribution business Filmbankmedia (FBM). The deal allows Chaos Theory to manage and distribute the film licenses of a number of studios including Disney, Warner Bros, Marvel, Sony and DreamWorks throughout Sub-Saharan Africa.
“Filmbankmedia handles the non-theatrical distribution (for public screenings outside of traditional cinema and home viewing) for many of the leading Hollywood, Bollywood and independent studios with distributors in over 100 countries internationally. We’re thrilled to be confirmed as their preferred licensee for Southern Africa,” explained Andrew Ross, managing director at Chaos Theory.
To screen any movie outside the home environment is, under copyright law, regarded as ‘public viewing’ and requires permission from the copyright owner.
“Until now there have been several challenges for businesses in hospitality, corporates and private individuals when wanting to legally screen blockbusters for private and public events due to a lack of information about the correct channels to follow, and complex red tape,” he said. “For example, in the past obtaining a local screening license from Filmbankmedia has meant costly and complex foreign currency transactions and factoring in fluctuating exchange rates. In addition, the processes and regulations surrounding these private and public screenings are largely unregulated, unknown and perceived as confusing.
These are just some of the areas Chaos Theory is going to tackle to make it easier for businesses and individuals to screen the latest movies and unlock the power of cinema as an entertainment medium.”
Chaos Theory has worked with most of the major movie studios and with cinema chain Ster-Kinekor for years, and through crafting bespoke screening events and premiers, realised first-hand the true power of film as an entertainment medium for corporates, schools, hotels, venues and the public at large.
As of this month, South African corporates, industry operators and private individuals will have a local contact, be able to secure the correct screening licenses in Rands and have a team ready on the ground to manage licence admin and even stage screening events, all the way from conception through to execution.
People moves
Chris Hitchings appointed to Provantage exco
Chris Hitchings, director: human capital and special projects at Provantage Media Group (PMG) has been appointed a member of the executive committee.
In his role as human capital director, Hitchings is responsible for an over-arching group strategy of transformation. This includes driving a people centred and inclusive culture across the organisation, ensuring a more robust approach to corporate governance and bolstering training and knowledge.
His special projects mandate includes refining the annual strategic process, creation of a group wide pricing and packaging forum, overseeing the creation of sales forecasting and CRM dashboards, and the creation of Social & Ethics committee and policies.
He will also be working with the exco team on enhancing the reputation of the out of home media sector and encouraging industry-wide collaboration.
His corporate experience, vast knowledge of the marketing and media sector, coupled with a pending International Coaching Federation (ICF) qualification, equip him to ensure a more robust approach to corporate governance and the development of people to reach their full potential.
Conversation LAB bolsters creative offering with new shareholder Senzo Xulu
Award-winning creative director Senzo Xulu has joined Conversation LAB as executive creative director, ensuring the agency’s established performance capabilities are matched with an equally compelling creative product.
Xulu graduated from Vega in 2010 as the most awarded advertising student in the country but despite being courted by the big, networked agencies, chose an art director role with established independent agency, Boomtown. There, and later as the head of graphic design at Nelson Mandela University, he contributed to building a competitive and award-winning creative culture that saw some of the Eastern Cape’s best young talent regularly scoop local and international awards.
Uyanda Manana, MD Conversation LAB South Africa, said: “We are excited to welcome Senzo to shape and lead the creative product of the agency. We are also thrilled that he joins us as a new shareholder who brings great value and experience to our team.
“We are known as a leading performance agency; our ambition now is being front-footed with our creative offering and closing the gap between our impressive results driven work and our creative work.”
Said Xulu: “Joining a team that is so focused on, and excited about, the intersection of creative and tech is a massive drawcard for me. The agency has just come off its best ever year financially and it’s hugely exciting to be given a platform to build a really strong creative offering going forward.”
Senzo joins the agency as Conversation LAB entrenches its ‘remote first’ model, with a 100% work-from-home option for all staff. He will be guiding the creative output of the agency across all staff hubs in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban and London.
Wunderman Thompson SA names Parusha Partab group strategy director
After joining Wunderman Thompson South Africa as strategy director in November 2020, Parusha Partab is now celebrating her promotion to group strategy director, effective 1 April 2022.
Partab will lead strategy for the group and join the group exco. Miles Murphy, CEO of Wunderman Thompson SA, commented, “Parusha is one of the most exceptional strategic leaders I have met in my 30-year career. Her experience, knowledge and strong strategic approach make her invaluable to our clients and the stand out work we create for them. Our agency is a strategic-led organisation with an appreciation of the value and impact of strategy for our clients, the work we produce and our culture. Parusha’s not afraid to offer daring thinking, always finding new heights to conquer and collaborate.”
Parusha said, “The Wunderman Thompson mission of inspiring growth for ambitious brands is the core influence of our culture, capabilities and community. Managing a large strategy team involves directing what inspiration, growth, and ambition mean to the brands we service and our internal talent.”
Joseph Hundah joins Rogerwilco board
Digital marketing agency Rogerwilco has strengthened its non-executive advisory board with the appointment of Joseph Hundah.
Hundah is a seasoned media executive with a career that has seen him serve as Group CEO of Econet Media, managing director of MultiChoice Nigeria and CFO of M-Net and SuperSport in South Africa.
He is the founder and current CEO of Banaya Group, an investment holding company with interests in various sectors, including media, e-learning, digital advertising, and online betting.
Hundah joins Zimkhita Buwa, CEO of Quintica, Tom Fels, former MD of Machine_ and CEO of Animarem, and Robert de Rooy, a lawyer and founder of Comic Contracts, on Rogerwilco’s advisory board.
Renowned radio presenter and education specialist to head up Curro’ new Learner Support Unit
Curro, the JSE listed independent school group has appointed author and education specialist, Johan van Lill, as project co-ordinator of its specialised approach to make inclusive education a reality within the group. Named, the Curro Learner Support Unit (CLSU), the approach aims to support teachers, parents and learners to understand neurodiversity and embrace research findings on barriers to learning and development.
Van Lill is a renowned expert on the complex stages of child development and feels passionate about equipping the mainstream school community on how to manage and work with learners with barriers to learning and development, such as ADHD, autism, dyslexia, dyscalculia or executive function challenges.
As a prominent radio documentarist, Van Lill has mainly used this medium to enrich the lives of listeners across South Africa with insightful documentaries on education, language, the arts and spirituality.
Business moves
Ylaunches its first audio drama series
Tequila AF, created and directed by Y content producer Lumko Johnson, brings a storyline of murder, and explores themes of friendship, loyalty and mental illness.
Says Johnson: “My late great grandmother introduced me to radio through radio dramas she loved and followed. We didn’t have a TV at the time, I must’ve been four or five and we would gather and listen to the Xhosa stories every night before bed. I trust and believe in this story and commend Y for introducing something so cool to its audience.”
“Y is more than a radio offering. After the success of The Banques and Venom Show, we are confident in our abilities to produce content for all platforms and Tequila AF is our second project, with more following soon,” said Phindi Ziqubu, Y’s content manager.
“Our research has shown an undeniable demand amongst younger audiences for this kind of content. Y has been deliberate in ensuring we enter the podcast space with something unique and which is not simply a repurposing of what we produce on-air. Content produced by the station will be available exclusively on the YFM app, before it is released on other platforms,” added Hilton Tarrant, Y’s digital manager.
MiWay follows its heart in partnership with Good Things Guy
MiWay has partnered with Good Things Guy, the established source for positive news stories in South Africa and the world. Nthabiseng Moloi, executive head: people & brand at MiWay, said the partnership will allow MiWay to share good news and highlight its contribution to positive developments and initiatives taking place in the country.
“Ultimately the stories on Good Things Guy celebrate the power and resilience of the human spirit, and our desire to help one another – ideals that resonate with MiWay’s ethos and brand. Everything we do is about people, whether it’s finding solutions to make clients’ insurance work better for them and enabling them to live their way or coming up with new ways to help young people achieve their potential through our corporate social investment initiatives,” said Moloi. “Like Good Things Guy, we know that everybody faces daily challenges, but that our common humanity holds the key to overcoming them and making the world a better place.”
Brent Lindeque, founder of Good Things Guy, believes MiWay’s approach to identifying and nurturing individuals with potential is aligned with his organisation’s view that there is a lot of good news that people don’t get to hear, and that it’s powerful.
OBJEKT©South Africa’s autumn issue features a brand new lifestyle section
The days get shorter. The nights get colder. There is no doubt autumn is here. It is time to make the most of those last evenings on the veranda before winter hits. Embrace the last sundowner days with OBJEKT©South Africa’s Autumn Issue.
Take a trip back in time with us, looking at German artist Walter Spiers’ influence on Balinese art. We pay tribute to John Hutton and Jorge Zalszupin, two massive influencers in modern furniture design. Let’s delve into the latest in sustainability with Mario Cucinella Architects and the World’s Advanced Saving Project. Together, they created the first eco-sustainable housing model 3D printed from local raw earth.
Greek artist Kostas Lambridis wows both the creatives and the eco-conscious with his first solo show. Held at Carpenters Workshop Gallery in Paris, it reconstructs iconic furniture design using repurposed material.
Locally we are very excited to feature the brilliant Tarryn Goldman. The photographer shares her experience and takes us through her latest Kempton Park shoot. The ethereal beauty of this high-concept shoot discreetly comments on the disastrous effects of fast fashion.
Stay abreast of the latest luxury lifestyle trends with our new OBJEKTS of Style section. This exciting quarterly portion highlights some of the most indulgent fragrances, accessories and vehicles currently on the market. This edition features Aqua di Parma home fragrances and the latest in men’s and women’s luxury timepieces. We also take a look at the Gordon Murray Automotive T.33.
OBJEKT©South Africa has vivaciously burst into 2022 with a thirst for the best in international and local talent. We continue to grow our local reach by highlighting talented South Africans in all fields. Our online platform allows us to feature the constantly evolving homegrown creative industry.
Making moves
The Real Housemates Showcase a Collective Brand and Staying Power
From being invited to spend one night in the Big Brother Mzansi House in January, 15 South African industry creative contributors have now come together to form a first-of-its-kind brand set to take over the entertainment scene.
Made up of a crew of content creators, DJs, influencers, radio hosts, actors, actresses, singers, songwriters, producers, presenters, MCs, bloggers, dancers, musicians, ambassadors, PR agents, event curators, fashionistas, podcasters, artist managers, creatives and hosts, The Real Housemates (TRH) bring along with them a combined massive social media following, brand appeal and an impressive list of industry connects.
You have either seen them on your TV screen, heard them on your radio, read about them or at least heard of them and their names are Mzee ‘Robot Boii’ Mbuli, Naledi Mallela, Teboho ‘Fresh by
Caddy’ Tsotetsi, Mpho Sebeng, Thato ‘President Thato’ Dithebe, Bridgette Makhela, Hlengiwe ‘HLE’ Ntombela, Siya Raymond Sepotokele, Siphelele ‘Skits by Sphe’ Cele, Zamani Mbatha, Kutloano ‘Da Kruk’ Nhlapo, Mandisa ‘Mandz Not Hot’ Jakavula, Hope Sesera, Linda Majola and Katlego Maifadi.
Bonded by unstoppable talent, drive, creativity, a range of fun-loving personalities and friendship at the core, The Real Housemates are your go-to crew for all your influencer marketing needs, creative collaborations, event hosting, appearances and brand partnership.
While individually doing amazing things in their own lanes, TRH always publicly support one another and do this for all collective wins as well.
Industry is encouraged to keep an eye out for this crew because who knows what’s next?!
Audiences flock to cinemas for Mr Bones 3: Son Of Bones
South Africans flocked to cinemas this past weekend to see Mr. Bones 3, Son of Bones, the latest installment in the popular franchise featuring Leon Schuster and Alfred ‘Shorty’ Ntombela. 38 295 tickets were swiftly sold in the first weekend for the film that sees Schuster and Ntombela joined by a stellar cast including Tumi Morake, Sans Moonsamy, Daniel Janks, Sthandile Nkosi, Jay Anstey and Jerry Mofokeng.
To accommodate for the film’s popularity, additional to the 77 screens on which the film opened across the country last weekend, an extra eight screens are being added. The new Ster-Kinekor cinemas where the film will screen from Friday 22 April include Cradlestone Mall (Krugersdorp), Forest Hill (Tshwane), Maerua Mall (Windhoek), N1 City (Cape Town), Newtown (Johannesburg), Southgate (Johannesburg), and The Grove (Windhoek), The Zone @ Rosebank (Johannesburg). Bookings for these cinemas are now open.
‘Cinema is Here to Stay’: Ster-Kinekor Celebrates 127 Years of Cinema in South Africa
Over the last century, cinema’s obituary has been written many times, but the industry has proven to be central to popular culture (and several other industries), which is why cinema now celebrates 127 years in South Africa.
What is the magic behind the formidable staying power of cinema? Despite our fixation with our hand-held screens and home entertainment systems, the biggest and oldest screen certainly cannot be overlooked. With a larger-than-life screen, surround sound, luxurious seating, iconic snacks and highly anticipated blockbusters, cinemas provide anunrivalled immersive, multi-sensory entertainment experience.
“When it comes to any highly anticipated blockbuster, very few can dispute that it really is better on the big screen,” said Ster-Kinekor’s Acting CEO, Motheo Matsau. “And much to avid cinema-goers delight, 2022 is bringing countless thrilling titles to Ster-Kinekor’s screens, including The Minions: Rise of Gru, Jurassic World: Dominion, Top Gun: Maverick and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.”
“It’s truly testament to the ‘staying power’ of cinema that the movie industry has been part of South African history for over a century, and that Ster-Kinekor has been giving our guests ‘Great Moments at their Greatest’ for over 100 years of those (from the days of Ster and Kinekor cinemas) – and many more to come.”
Ster-Kinekor has come a long way since the first movies were shown in South Africa, 127 years back. The first kinetoscopes in South Africa were opened to the public on 19 April 1895 in Herwoods Arcade on Pritchard and President Streets in Johannesburg, and in 1896, at the Empire Palace of Varieties in Commissioner Street, Johannesburg.
By 1910, the first dedicated bioscope was opened in Durban. After a colourful history of theatre launches, mergers and sales, in 1970, Ster and Kinekor theatres were merged to form Ster-Kinekor, after decades of operating as separate theatres. It was also during this time, nearly a decade after the first cinema, that television arrived in South Africa.
2008 was the start of Ster-Kinekor’s pioneering digitalisation, including 3D cinema – which gave rise to the multi-box-office-record-breaking and one of the highest-grossing movies of all time, Avatar, in 2009.
Pro fathers offer a cautionary tale to aspirant Diski Challenge sons
The pitfalls and perils of the transition to professional sport are well known. Less well known is how to prepare for these stark realities, specifically in local football, which is why MultiChoice has produced a vibrant new show, Life Lessons: Father to Son.
The premiere will be on SuperSport Variety 4 on Friday 22 April 2022, at 6.30pm. Anchored in real-life experiences, the show takes three former professional players, who now have sons playing in the DStv Diski Challenge, and tracks the lessons they impart on their sons.
Filmed on location in the Kruger National Park, the fathers – Eugene Zwane, Fabian McCarthy and Manqoba Ngwenya, who all enjoyed illustrious careers in the Premiership – discuss the good, the bad and the ugly of their sport with sons Samkelo, Aden and Thandolwethu respectively.
