The Media Online’s weekly round up of people, account and business moves in media.
This week’s BIG move: Joe Public celebrates its 25th birthday by committing to the growth of young creative talent for the next 25 years
Joe Public is celebrating 25 years of growth within the South African advertising industry in 2023.
To mark the occasion, the organisation – currently ranked the largest independent and locally owned communication group in South Africa – is making a commitment to the next generation of creative talent.
“We are celebrating this milestone by living our purpose of growth, which has remained at the core of everything we’ve done over the years. We are grateful to be in a position to commit 25 bursaries for the next 25 years to support the continued growth and transformation of our industry,” explained Pepe Marais, co-founder and group chief creative officer, who is also a firm believer that diversity is the cornerstone of creativity.
“We are excited to give young creatives from underprivileged backgrounds the opportunity to excel in our industry, in partnership with the Red & Yellow School of Advertising, by building a pipeline from grassroots into our business, as we strive to put our South Africa industry on the global map, by means of a diverse talent pool.”
People moves
Flow Communications appoints new deputy head of social media
Flow Communications has appointed Bianca James as its new deputy head of social media as it grows its already strong social media department.
James joined Flow this month from Sauce Advertising, where she was the head of social media. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Science from Unisa and a Postgraduate Diploma in Marketing Management from IMM Graduate School. James has 12 years of industry experience, having worked at Mediology, the Chat Factory and Newsclip.
She will be working closely with Miliswa Sitshwele, Flow’s head of social media. Together they’ll lead the social media team to continue providing strategically informed, top-notch social media solutions to clients. Sitshwele and James will also work in collaboration with the broader Flow team – consisting of expert content developers, public relations professionals, designers, developers and project managers.
East Coast Radio bids farewell to Keri Miller
East Coast Radio regrets to announce that Keri Miller will no longer be part of the ECR Breakfast Show.
Boni Mchunu, MD of East Coast Radio, said: “The decision came after extensive discussions with Keri, the nature of which are confidential. However, she leaves with a proud legacy, having made a significant contribution to the station, and with the very best wishes of the management and the ECR Breakfast team.”
The show has been running for the past seven years and has achieved many milestones such as Best Breakfast Show in South Africa at the 2019 Liberty Radio Awards.
The station does not intend to replace Keri at this stage and will communicate any future changes with listeners. Darren Maule will continue as show host, with Sky Tshabalala playing the dual role of co-host and sports presenter.
Tribeca appoints two account managers
Tribeca has appointed two account managers, Mbali Khumalo and Tshegofatso Mashala, bringing fresh talent and personalities to its agency teams.
“We love welcoming new talent to our team, and Mbali and Tshegofatso both bring unique value and contemporary PR expertise to our agency,” says Nicky James, managing director at Tribeca. “We look forward to supporting them grow and flourish in their new positions.”
Khumalo has a background in B2B, corporate and social responsibility PR consulting, having managed media relations among other related tasks, but earned her PR stripes as an intern and later account executive at a global PR agency.
Mashala joins Tribeca from a well-known sports and entertainment marketing agency, where she worked on a range of consumer clients, including Nedbank, Sasol and Telkom. Her portfolio of clients comprises The Capital, Cathay Pacific, Sony, Teljoy, EcoFlow, SAPRO, Respublica and Cipla.
Multi award-winning Carly Fields joins Algoa FM
Carly Fields, who became a household name after making her broadcasting debut on YOTV in 1996, followed by award-winning stints on radio, has joined Algoa FM.
“I’m extremely excited to be joining the Algoa FM family,” said Fields, who hosted her first show on Friday, March 10.
She presents Carly on Algoa FM on Friday evenings from 10pm to 2am and Saturday evenings 7pm to 10 pm.
“I’ve had my eye on the building and an ear tuned into the station since I moved to GQ (Gqeberha), and now my dreams have come true! Algoa FM already feels like home. You know that feeling when you walk through your front door after being away for a while?
“That’s the feeling,” said the former “blonde chick from YOTV”.
Teboho Mokoena to partner with Unorthodox Sport
Teboho Mokoena, the Bafana Bafana and Mamelodi Sundown’s midfielder, has joined Unorthodox Sport, in partnership with The Players Club, in an effort to unlock commercial opportunities for the player off the field in order to enhance his growing reputation on the field.
“The love for the game comes from my family; my late dad was a professional footballer, and my family loves football so much. The love started there, and I grew up playing the game from the junior ranks. My first amateur team was Juveniles FC, then I moved to Harmony Sports Academy in Virginia, where I later got scouted by SuperSport United. Football is in my blood, and I’ve been a hard worker from a very young age, and that’s been my weapon for all these years.” – Teboho Mokoena
His achievements include, but are not limited to, 21 national team appearances and 4 goals. He has won the MTN 8 twice and he is also an Olympian. During the January transfer window, it was said that the signing of the Bafana Bafana midfielder from SuperSport United to Mamelodi Sundowns was one for the record books.
Business moves
Flume expands into Amsterdam and appoints Janique Smeets
Independent full-service digital marketing agency, Flume, has opened its doors in Amsterdam and has appointed Janique Smeets to lead the agency as account director in Europe.
Flume has seen great growth in South Africa and has begun to develop a portfolio of international clients based in Europe.
MD Jacques Du Bruyn said that the agency has been very intentional about their expansion into Europe, and that this move into Amsterdam will contribute toward fast-tracking their growth in the region.
“Amsterdam is home to some of the world’s best agencies and is also one of the fastest growing agency hubs in the world, so it makes sense for us to set up shop in the city. The beauty of digital marketing is that the tools and platforms don’t change based on where you’re sitting in the world,” said Du Bruyn.
Smeets started out in fashion design before studying Cultural Heritage with a specialisation in marketing and entrepreneurship.
SAB first in category to launch podcast
The South African Breweries (SAB) was the first in the local beer industry to launch a podcast this week. The ‘More Cheers’ podcast – with the tagline, ‘making beer, brewing change’ will focus on insightful conversations and industry chatter. Part motivational, part inspiration – it is designed as an easy storytelling platform for a diverse group of talented personalities.
SAB Corporate brand director, Sphe Vundla, said, “Our goal is that the More Cheers narrative will contribute positively to our brand purpose. In this series, we take a deep dive into our brands, our people and our partners; as well as an in-depth look at how SAB continues to demonstrate the unique power of beer to propel South Africa forward towards a #FutureWithMoreCheers.”
The podcast will unpack the journey from seed to sip and the recurring theme will be the impact of the beer sector on our nation. It will also zero in on SAB’s Sharp programme that focuses on responsible drinking. There is also an episode on the ever-important topic of ESG, then to add some flavour, it will include some of the entrepreneurs who make up the breweries value chain.
Riverbed wins BP South Africa
Riverbed has won BP South Africa’s Communications’ account in a fiercely contested pitch. Monalisa Zwambila, CEO and founder of Riverbed, said the win is a major milestone in realising the agency’s growth ambitions. The scope of work includes the bp corporate, brand and retail business.
“This is a significant win for us on every level,” she said, “more so because it gives us yet another opportunity to be in service of creating positive impact. We love the fact that as BP embarks on its Net Zero ambitions globally, they have chosen us as their strategic partner.”
Riverbed is one of South Africa’s most awarded agencies for PR leading in wins in both 2020 and 2021. The agency was ranked 8th Mid-Sized agency at the Loeries in 2022.
“This win is a demonstration of our strategic capability brought to life by our belief in the power of care, and we look forward to working with the BP team” Zwambila added.
Telkom partners with Clickatell to launch mobile messaging payments in South Africa
Clickatell has launched its Chat 2 Pay feature for South Africa’s largest integrated communications company, Telkom. Telkom’s millions of customers can now make payments in WhatsApp, the country’s largest chat channel.
Responding to the growing demand for fast, digital, self-help services, Telkom now deploys to its customers the Chat 2 Pay pay-by-link capability in WhatsApp, providing them with the convenience of safe and effortless mobile payments. Telkom post-paid and prepaid customers can pay their phone and xDSL/fibre bills, and buy airtime, data and SMS bundles by simply sending “Hi” on WhatsApp to 0811 601 700.
WhatsApp solution developed for Capitec aims to increase access to relevant financial education
Many South Africans make everyday money decisions without having had the opportunity to learn about key money concepts and principles that can empower and protect them. Capitec’s WhatsApp solution, MoneyUp Chat, aims to make free, engaging and practical financial education available on an accessible platform.
Created by Helm, the CX innovation experts who turn complex realities into simple customer experiences, the chat solution features an automated ‘financial friend’ called Moola, who teaches South Africans about money on WhatsApp.
Moola, the bot’s persona, guides users through an educational journey with short, interactive courses in the form of a WhatsApp chat, presenting complex financial concepts in an easy and digestible way. Topics such as budgeting, compound interest, inflation, retirement, and savings are covered as a series of chapters that the user can work through in their own time and at their own pace.
World Out of Home Organization signs up a further seven new members
The World Out of Home Organization has signed up seven new members; three from Europe, two from the Middle East and one each from Africa and South America. Four of them are national media owners, one is a national OOH association, one a national media agency, and one an OOH service provider/supplier.
The new members are:
- London Lites: national media owner, UK
- Streetwise: national media agency, Brazil
- GDS Lighting: OOH service provider/supplier, Italy
- Elevision: national media owner, UAE
- BBOA (Black Billboard Owners Alliance): national association, South Africa
- Intelligent Track Systems: national media owner, Denmark
- Viola Communications: national media owner, UAE
WOO COO Mark Flys said: “With a total current membership of over 180 across the world, WOO is providing an increasing number of benefits to all sectors of the OOH industry. We are now helping companies and organisations deal with the rapid and intense changes that are bringing both challenges and opportunities to the medium.”
Making moves
Disney+ South Africa has teamed up with local Johannesburg mural artist Dbongz Mahlati to create a proudly South African mural celebrating the much anticipated and critically acclaimed third season of the original, live-action series from Lucasfilm, Star Wars: The Mandalorian that is now streaming exclusively on Disney+.
The African Association of Exhibition Organisers Launches CEM Course
As a growing industry that employs thousands of events professionals, professional development is crucial in supporting members of the MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) industry in opening doors to more opportunities, elevating credibility, distinguishing from competitors, and supporting in earning potential.
Together with the IAEE (International Association of Exhibitions and Events), the African Association of Exhibition Organisers (AAXO) has announced the opening of the coveted Certified in Exhibition Management (CEM) Learning Programme in South Africa.
An eight-part adult learning and certification programme designed to provide industry professionals an in-depth understanding of the overall operations of the industry, the CEM designation is a globally recognised designation that demonstrates the highest professional standard throughout the exhibitions and events management arena.
Currently, in South Africa, there are only 10 CEM graduates in the country that form part of the total 3 700 designation holders worldwide.
The CEM Learning Programme’s comprehensive course of study information is based on a curriculum blueprint that is composed of the essential concepts required of a professional in the exhibitions and events management industry. It’s an education program first and a designation program second so students can take what they learn in the classroom and apply it to their careers after their first class.
