The Media Online’s weekly round up of people, account and business moves in media.
This week’s BIG move:
Global retail industry organisation opens up Shop in SA
Shop!, the global trade association dedicated to enhancing retail environments and experiences, has launched a South African chapter – and it’s looking to rapidly grow its membership across a range of retail stakeholders as it builds towards an industry awards event at the end of 2023.
With chapters around the world, Shop’s mission is to engage its members with education, insights and events that help drive the evolution of retail.
Shop’s global membership includes major retailers, agencies with shopper and digital offerings, production houses, POS manufacturers and brands. The local chapter’s inaugural leadership includes well-known industry figures like Di Wilson, Chris Hewitt and Janet Kirkbride, who have vast experience in marketing, shopper, education, research, production and design.
“Our vision is to build a successful community where we can share, collaborate, upskill, network and acknowledge the excellent result driven work that is being created by brands, manufactures, retailers and agencies,” said Shop SA project manager Ashleigh Wilson.
The Shop Awards will be launched in March, with the event towards the end of the year that celebrates work that has delivered tangible results and moved the dial meaningfully in the retail space.
People moves
New appointment for MultiChoice executive head of corporate affairs South Africa
Tumi Masekela has been appointed as the executive head of Corporate Affairs South Africa. She reports to Collen Dlamini (group executive corporate affairs) and is a member of the MultiChoice South Africa executive team.
In her new role, Masekela will be responsible for the development and execution of a holistic communications strategy, to protect and enhance the reputation and image of MultiChoice South Africa and its product brands. She will also manage and oversee stakeholder relations, internal communications, CSI and transformation, and corporate services.
With over 15 years of corporate affairs experience in a global food company, Masekela brings a wealth of experience having worked in different spheres of corporate affairs including public affairs and government relations, strategic communications, managing trade associations, reputation building and crisis management.
“Tumi will no doubt be a wonderful addition to the leadership of MultiChoice. She has a proven track record in leveraging the power of purpose to drive business impact, and advancing critical policy agendas” said Nyiko Shiburi, CEO of Multichoice South Africa.
She holds a postgraduate degree in Business Administration (MAP, Wits), and she is also a marketing graduate from the Graduate School of Marketing (IMM) and (Women in Leadership Program) Harvard Business School.
It’s a win for sports fans as Robert Marawa joins Primedia’s 947
Lindile Xoko, Primedia Broadcasting CEO, has made a bold move that will benefit sports fans across the nation and beyond, by signing an exclusive deal with Robert Marawa for his highly acclaimed sports show, Marawa Sports Worldwide (#MSW).
Marawa went live on air daily at 6pm from Primedia’s studio on 947 from Wednesday. #MSW will also be syndicated to Vuma FM, Rise FM, SowetanLIVE and to millions of listeners worldwide on Primedia’s audio-stream and catch-up services.
Xoko said, “I am delighted that Primedia has joined forces with Robert Marawa who is recognised worldwide as a sports authority and is a respected broadcaster. The massive reach that the 947 audiences deliver to our clients is now complemented by us hosting Robert’s premier sports show.”
Takatso Aviation appoints veteran journalist Thulasizwe Simelane as spokesperson
Takatso Aviation (Pty) Ltd has appointed veteran journalist Thulasizwe Simelane as spokesperson to ensure improved transparency and bolster understanding of the South African Airways (SAA) Strategic Equity Partnership transaction.
Simelane’s appointment comes at a critical time, as Takatso Aviation continues to steer the SAA transaction through competition regulatory processes. These processes, along with the fulfilment of several key conditions from the part of the Government, will ultimately see the company invest R3 billion for the future growth of the national carrier, thus lessening the burden on the fiscus. Takatso stands ready to make this investment and set SAA on a path towards becoming an agile, competitive, sustainable and commercially viable airline. Takatso Aviation sees SAA as an important vehicle that contributes to economic growth, as well as regional and continental trade and integration.
“As Takatso Aviation, we understand that SAA is a national asset and a symbol of pride for many South Africans. When properly managed, it is also an important vehicle for economic growth, both regionally and across the continent. Therefore, we understand the importance of bringing South Africans on this journey with us,” said Takatso aviation director, Tshepo Mahloele.
FCB Africa appoints Jacquie Mullany as ECD to head-up Cape Town Office
FCB Africa has appointed Jacquie Mullany as its new executive creative director. Mullany brings a wealth of skills to the team as a specialist in digital with experience in writing and art direction. She will help oversee agency operations in the Cape Town office supported by the Joburg team.
“We are thrilled to see an upward vertical movement in our business’ creative leadership. Jacquie’s expertise is a sought-after asset across the FCB family an industry. Her intuitive and data-led leadership, passion for behavioural science and ability to blend traditional and digital mediums seamlessly, make her the perfect fit for our team. We’re excited to see the impact her ideas will have on our clients and the industry as a whole,” said Tseliso Rangaka, chief creative officer.
MetropolitanRepublic promotes Nokulunga Msomi and Sibusiso Magubane as joint creative directors
Full service communication agency, MetropolitanRepublic, has appointed Nokulunga Msomi and Sibusiso Magubane as joint creative directors in the Johannesburg office.
“Since joining us in early 2022, Lungi and Sbu have shown a maturity far beyond their years. A quality that will no doubt serve them well in their new roles as creative managers,” said Kamogelo Sesing, executive creative director at MetropolitanRepublic.
They have been instrumental in the creative output of MetropolitanRepublic particularly on the Glo Mobile account alongside MetropolitanRepublic founder, Paul Warner. “In a very short time Lungi and Sbu have been able to gain our clients’ trust and respect. We value that greatly at Metro and encourage our creatives to foster and maintain those sorts of relations with our clients. Sbu and Lungi have done that by showing a deep care for the work they create for our clients” said Warner.
Flow Communications appoints new head of social media
Independent communications and marketing agency Flow Communications has appointed Miliswa Sitshwele as its new head of social media.
Sitshwele joined Flow this month from Momentum, where she spent six years as the company’s social media marketing manager.
Leading her team to produce and manage high-quality social media content for clients, she will also be working closely with Flow’s public relations, content, design, development and project management teams.
Sitshwele is no stranger to Flow. She worked for the agency between 2008 and 2011 as a writer and researcher in what was her first job, after completing her National Diploma in Journalism at the Durban University of Technology.
Strategic senior hires prime Edelman Africa for growth in 2023
Edelman, the global communications firm, has made three new senior strategic appointments to bolster its service offering and increase value for clients on the continent.
Veteran brand builder Lerato Moleko, previously at Wunderman Thompson, has been appointed as head of strategy, Edelman Africa. Moleko has worked alongside blue-chip brands across the continent, delivering impactful and tangible campaigns which continue to reverberate in the market.
The firm has appointed Busi Roberts as head of its health practice in Africa. Having held operational roles in the medical aid and health insurance industries as well as an extensive background in communications, Roberts is tasked with further developing the company’s expertise in the sector.
With 19 years of experience in human resources, the majority in the marketing, advertising and communications industries, Kelly Smith also joins Edelman to lead Edelman Africa’s People team. Smith believes harnessing data and digitisation will be the next frontier for the talent landscape and intends to leverage new technologies in implementing Edelman’s people-centered initiatives.
Two account managers join team Tribeca Public Relations
Tribeca PR has welcomed two account managers to the team, Bongekile Nkomo (account manager) and Kgotsofalang Mashilo (senior account manager).
Nkomo joins the Tribeca team that supports the technology sector namely Epson, Profitroom and Logitech G. She brings five years’ experience to the team having previously worked with Uber, Absa, Boston Consulting Group and Vodacom. Mashilo brings her corporate background to her team with experience on brands such as Hello Paisa, Malaicha.com, Mixcorp, Vision Works and Veer Steel Mills. Her team provides communications support for Vuma, Trellix, Webfleet Solutions and DFA.
Naledi Mallela tackles Mzansi’s hottest TV shows with a new companion show for Mzansi Magic, 1Magic
Naledi Mallela, a vibrant content creator and influencer, with over 160 000 YouTube subscribers, is the host of ‘What’s Hot Mzanzi’, a convergence project for Mzansi Magic, Channel O, 1Magic, and Mzansi Wethu.
Mallela is best described as the queen of pop culture and is a firm favourite with local audiences online and on screen. Every week she will give viewers, an exclusive sneak peek into all of the biggest TV shows in Mzansi.
“Bringing together local TV content and content creators is at the core of what I love to do. So I’m excited to host Mzansi Magic’s first companion TV show and to share my love for Mzansi content in such an original and captivating format,” she said
WOO names OMG MENA’s Elda Choucair as the Day 1 keynote speaker for WOO’s first in-person MENA Regional Forum
The World Out of Home Organization has named Elda Choucair, CEO of Omnicom Media Group MENA as the Day 1 keynote speaker for WOO’s first in-person MENA Forum, which will take place from 15-17 February 2023 in Dubai UAE.
Choucair has a 15-year history at Omnicom and was previously COO of OMG MENA, where she led the group’s response to the impact of the pandemic. She accelerated the group’s transformation through developments in automation, predictive modelling, and eCommerce, as well as driving programmes to bring the agency’s training and upskilling to the very highest level.
Business moves
Wavemaker evolves agency capabilities by launching Wavemaker Data and Analytics
International media house Wavemaker recently announced that it would be intensifying its approach to data solutions. It has appointed Delia Conde to lead this exciting evolution.
“After months of planning and preparation, we are pleased to reveal the data solutions we will be offering in 2023, as well as the phenomenal team who will be leading the charge,” Conde says. “Data, and the opportunities that can be harnessed from it, will always be a foundational strength for Wavemaker. Indeed, it is part of our DNA.”
The team — aptly named Wavemaker Data and Analytics, or DnA — will be responsible for driving data solutions that harness various data sources to provide actionable insights and products. This will ultimately result in growth for clients.
“The team is inspired and ready to work with clients on their business, communication, media, measurement, product, and tech goals,” Conde adds.
The Wavemaker DnA team is made up of eight specialists, each of whom boasts extensive and highly skilled experience.
SA’s largest DOOH screen launched 1 Feb, & it’s SOLAR
Epic Outdoor, a niche media company specialising in the development and marketing of large-format, high-impact static and digital out of home (DOOH) platforms, has announced a new digital billboard site on the N1 highway. The property was specifically designed to accept advertising and at 400m2 the international-standard LED will be the largest roadside LED in South Africa, by far. That’s bigger than two tennis courts!
While the concept is similar to screens in London, New York and Dubai, those billboards target pedestrians predominantly. This is a massive roadside digital LED, on a bespoke building that has a run up of more than 800m. It will be impossible to miss. The LED screen is able to cater for all modern OOH creative techniques, including deep motion and anamorphic 3D.
“It all adds up to a site with incredible impact. The site ticks every single box, it’s unique in the South African context,” said Rene Hedley, director of Epic Outdoor.
Provantage joins DPAA
Provantage is currently the only media owner on the continent to have joined the g DOOH community via its membership of the DPAA.
Provantage CEO Jacques Du Preez said this collaboration further strengthens the company’s position as a leader in digital OOH in Africa. “We are the largest digital place-based network provider on the continent which includes rotating digital billboards and our SONAR offering which allows for OOH messaging to further extend its reach into the mobile OOH space. It is therefore advantageous for us to be a part of a global association that will help enhance our digital services. Through this, Provantage will be exposed to global players, thought leaders and innovations, adding impetus to our ongoing efforts of pushing digital boundaries, not only in the South African context, but internationally too.”
Street Network launches audience measurement for street furniture formats
Street Network, a Provantage company, has partnered with Lightstone, a leader in property and automotive data, to launch a holistic street furniture advertising audience measurement. “The proprietary audience measurement will be critical in helping brands and advertisers connect with targeted consumers, while simultaneously being able to quantify campaign reach and impressions. This strategic investment in data is led by our desire to keep the OOH industry moving forward and constantly innovating,” said John Faia, general manager of Street Network at Provantage.
Culture of trust and niche tech focus sees DUO grow 30% year on year
A culture of trust is an anomaly in the PR industry,” says Judith Middleton, CEO of DUO. “And so we have consciously nurtured this for a number of years and it is paying dividends now, not just in revenue growing solidly by 30% year on year, but also in the retention and attraction of talented staff.”
She says the key to building this trust is by building an environment where each person works to their strengths, appreciating that inter-dependability, across levels of experience, is crucial to deliver excellent client service. “What you find is that over the years this dependency and investment in core competencies has created an environment where everyone trusts the next person to a point where they are not afraid to be vulnerable. This means there’s real collaboration and perseverance to find the best solutions for each challenge and this positively affects outcomes both for the client and the agency.”
Middleton says that the bulk of the agency’s growth has come from growing the existing client pool, as opposed to new client signings. “Times are tougher now, however there was a notable spike in requests for proposals towards the end of the year and we have subsequently signed two new retainer clients in January. However, what really excites me is the growth of our existing book – not because it demonstrates ‘upselling’ for upselling’s sake, but it is a direct result of an important strategic digital shift we embarked on a few years ago,” she explains.
Jacaranda FM and Pretoria Capitals T20 cricket team partner for exciting innings at SA20
Jacaranda FM has announced its support for another local sports team as Pretoria Capitals cricket team hit the crease for their first tournament against Sunrisers Eastern Cape yesterday in the SA20.
“The opportunity to support Pretoria Capitals is an extension of our existing sponsorship strategy to sponsor local sports teams in Gauteng, and give this new and exciting cricket tournament the commercial support they need to thrive,” said Jane Ruinard, Commercial Manager at Jacaranda FM.
EMCSA 2023 partners with South Africa’s largest automotive marketplace for the most anticipated e-mobility conference
The E-Mobility Congress of South Africa has announced its partnership with AutoTrader for the 2023 conference, which will take place on the 18th – 19th of April 2023. The trusted motoring marketplace is the two-day conference’s official Presenting Media Partner.
“We are delighted that AutoTrader has partnered with the e-mobility conference. This enables us to continue broadening our influence across South Africa – inviting more people to take part in the electric vehicle conversation and be part of the solution to issues of carbon emissions,” said Robert Walker, director of EMCSA.
AutoTrader will also collaborate with EMCSA on the conference’s PR Campaign called Bums in Seats, which aims to encourage people to consider and adopt electric vehicles by giving them an opportunity to sit in and test drive an electric vehicle during the conference. AutoTrader will be involved in this campaign on the build-up towards the conference.
Making moves
Lonehill Media celebrates 20 years of The Gardener and Die Tunier magazines
Lonehill Media has announced the 20th anniversary of South Africa’s favourite, and only dedicated, gardening magazines, The Gardener and Die Tuinier.
To celebrate this milestone, Lonehill Media has published a celebratory 20-year anniversary collector’s edition that will hit the shelves on Monday 23 January 2023 at retailers, nurseries and garden centres across the country.
This special 96-page edition takes a trip down a gardening memory lane with past stories and experiences from gardening gurus who have contributed since it all began, as well as clients sharing stories of their journey over the last two decades.
And what would a birthday celebration be without presents? Readers also stand a chance to win a giant garden hamper to the value of more than R75 000, which includes an exclusive garden tour and lunch with editor and South Africa’s favourite gardener, Tanya Visser, and her partner, Izolda van der Merwe.
Objekt South Africa launches summer issue with a new interactive rich media digital experience
Warmer days are here, and Objekt©South Africa’s Issue 38 for summer 2023 has everything to keep you cool with a move towards digital for all who want a glimpse into a life of discerning tastes. This luxury quarterly magazine is now available for free online, in addition to the annual high-quality print edition coming out in December 2023.
Objekt©South Africa is the South African rendition of internationally acclaimed Objekt©International; the authoritative and unique title for the upscale urban modernist with a passion for interiors, art and antiques, modern design and outstanding architecture.
“We are very excited to be the first publisher in SA to be using this feature, as this will not only change our audience’s experience engaging with our content, but also change the advertising capabilities for our clients,” said Gareth Bouwmeester, publisher owner.
TBWA\SA boasts a successful data and insights internship programme
Staying ahead of the digital curve means ensuring talent keeps up with the demands of the modern-day workplace such as requirements for data and digital analytical ability. As the brand experience company, TBWA\South Africa decided to do something about it, with the launch of a cutting-edge and innovative Data & Insights internship programme.
The 2022 group has successfully completed the programme, and is set to advance their careers within the organisation and in the industry; the company is looking forward to welcoming the interns of 2023.
TBWA\SA Group CEO, Luca Gallarelli, said the result have been tremendous, opening up a healthy and fast-growing pipeline of fit-for-purpose digital and data talent, while also helping accelerate the transformation of the agency collective and industry at large.
“Being the disruption company demands that we live in a constant state of restlessness with our orientation always being to reach higher. We realised that getting the right candidates on board with such specialist and rare skills is difficult and expensive, with poaching and competition on the rise. The current problem is that there is a shortage of quality digital and data talent,” explained Gallarelli.
The need for performance marketing, end-to-end measurement, e-commerce, and other solutions saw agencies scrambling to meet demand.
The Sandton Times Hour marks 100th show in 2023
Reaching a significant milestone, The Sandton Times Hour, a radio show and podcast that brings the webpages of The Sandton Times to life, marked its 100th show this week. To celebrate this major achievement, the show was presented from a cruise ship off the coast of South Africa, bringing together local and international travel media voices in an hour-long release with a difference.
Having started as a podcast during the first week of the Covid-19 lockdown in 2020, the weekly show quickly garnered an audience from both greater Sandton and from around the world, speaking to an impressive list of celebrity guests every week, both locally and internationally including Boity, DJ Zinhle, DJ Cuppy, Kim Engelbrecht, Michaella Russell and Sipho “Hotstix” Mabuse to name a few, as well as newsmakers, CEO’s, analysts and authors.
In a world where almost every radio show has a podcast, it’s almost unheard of to have a podcast become a radio show. Yet, in a unique cross-over from digital to traditional media, The Sandton Times partnered with Mix 93.8 in May 2022 on an exciting new slot that brings greater Sandton to life across mediums, with local content and interviews that reach beyond the borders of Africa’s richest square mile. The Sandton Times Hour goes out every Monday night from 7pm to 8pm on Mix 93.8, with a blend of topical content, wide-raging interviews, local news, and music.
With a media career spanning over 20-years, The Sandton Times Hour is hosted and produced by seasoned media personality Alexander Leibner, who apart from being a sought-after keynote speaker and MC, is also the founder and managing editor of The Sandton Times.
CHAN 2022: Local African footballers get the chance to shine.
StarTimes will broadcast all 32 games of the African Nations Championship 2022 (CHAN 2022). The tournament is available across five sports channels and the StarTimes ON App, live in HD. As with 2021, StarTimes will broadcast all CAF CHAN 2022 matches in English, Portuguese, and many African languages.
The CHAN 2022 event gets hosted in Algeria from Friday, the 13th of January, until Saturday, the 4th of February. It is the 7th edition of the biennial football tournament in which only the players competing in the local leagues of their country can participate. These local players will have the chance to show off their skills to international audiences.
