The Media Online’s weekly round up of people, account and business moves in media.
This week’s BIG move: SANEF launch financial journalism fellowship sponsored by Deloitte South Africa
The South African National Editors’ Forum has announced the launch of a financial journalism fellowship aimed at mid-career journalists.
The fellowship iponsored by Deloitte South Africa with funding for the next three years and administered by the WITS Centre for Journalism (WCJ).
The SANEF Fellowship in Financial Journalism will offer specialised training over six months, and equip candidates to accurately report on complex financial matters. Students will engage with local financial and journalism experts giving them the opportunity to expand their networks and produce more in-depth stories and economic news.
The course has been identified as suitable for upskilling journalists with experience who want to understand complex financial and regulatory issues for accurate reporting. The fellowship will be delivered to cohorts of about 20 journalists from October this year and another twenty in 2024.
Sbu Ngalwa, SANEF’s chairperson said, “This is a ground-breaking development and a much-needed intervention in the journalism industry. Over the years, we have seen the depletion and lack of investment in newsrooms, thus eroding the available skills. This specialist training in financial journalism will go a long way in ensuring that South African journalists continue to speak truth to power and have the necessary skills to make sense of complex financial matters. This is a boost for our profession, and our country’s democracy will be all the better for that.”
Deloitte Africa CEO, Ruwayda Redfearn said, “Business has an essential role to play in improving society, including advancing economic opportunity. Our support for this initiative is informed by the critical role we as Deloitte play in upholding trust within the financial markets and broader society. Quality financial journalism has a critical role to play in this process.”
Redfearn further adds, “South Africa has a rich tradition of financial journalism, and the fellowship aims to deepen and diversify this pool, with an increased weighting on black females as part of the selection process to help drive transformation.”
The coursework was developed by both SANEF and the WCJ, in close consultation with Deloitte South Africa, which will use its experts and client network to provide supplementary Masterclasses.
Business moves
Nando’s heat aHead! New agency nabs publicity account
aHead PR, a new-thinking PR and publicity agency, has secured the account for Nando’s. Nando’s is not only renowned for its mouth-watering food but also for its witty and edgy marketing campaigns that always add some flavour to the conversation.
Brad Knowles, owner of aHead Marketing Services, said: “We are thrilled to work with Nando’s, one of the country’s most iconic and loved brands. Nando’s has a reputation for being bold and brave in its communication, and we love that. Their commentary about what’s happening in the country is known to get tongues wagging, and they do it with humour and flair. We are excited to collaborate with them and help them spread their fiery message.”
aHead PR is built differently from other agencies because it offers a 360° service led by industry experts who combine both senior agency- and client-side experience. They know what clients want and need, and they deliver it with quality, speed, and efficiency.
Joe Public Cape Town launches Uber One campaign in South Africa
Joe Public Cape Town recently helped launch Uber’s latest campaign, Uber One, a brand-new membership programme that brings together the best of Uber and Uber Eats.
The aim of the campaign is to showcase just how much one can save. With this new membership, which costs R50 per month or R500 annually, users can enjoy a wide range of benefits, starting with unlimited R0 delivery and up to 0% service fees on food and groceries from Uber Eats.
“Uber One makes every day effortless. The combined benefits will offer consumers better value across Uber and Uber Eats and communicating this was key to our brief to Joe Public,” sais Mel Gischen, head of marketing South Africa at Uber. “The main objective for the campaign was to drive awareness about the membership, its benefits, and to get people to consider signing up.”
Joe Public Cape Town’s solution was a campaign that showcases humorous and unexpected scenarios where people are so excited to tell someone the news of having signed up for Uber One, along with the benefits of course, that they end up doing it at very unusual moments.
The campaign is being rolled out across TV, YouTube, and social channels.
Experience the greatest city on earth virtually
Prospective visitors can now virtually tour Cape Town. The immersive experience stems from a partnership between a globally leading destination marketing organisation (DMO) Cape Town Tourism (CTT) and virtual tours agency, Gecko Digital Global.
Leigh Dawber, CMO of Cape Town Tourism, said they were always looking for new and innovative ways to inspire potential travellers to choose Cape Town.
“With the influence of immersive digital experiences, research shows that 70% of people who view a virtual tour online link through to a direct booking opportunity. Tourism bookings can be extrapolated into tourism expenditure and job opportunities in Cape Town, which is Cape Town Tourism’s ultimate goal.”
The partnership between the two organisations is built on shared objectives and value exchange; it lays the foundation for a long-term relationship with an emphasis on innovation and collaboration. It demonstrates how strategic partnerships can leverage technology to explore new ways to promote CTT’s member product to increase bookings and enrich the travel experience.
Jacques Clarijs, South African partner from Gecko Digital Global, said international research shows that 35% of people who view a virtual tour end up making a direct booking with the client on their own booking engine. The typical return on investment for a virtual tour is 14 – 30 days, the highest of any marketing media and trackable through Google Analytics.
Converge Africa: A new era for the digital commerce ecosystem
ECOM Africa has transformed into Converge Africa, a significant rebranding and momentous milestone for the company.
Converge Africa represents a step forward, reflecting a commitment to accurately represent the digital commerce economy. As the industry has evolved beyond traditional e-commerce, Converge Africa recognised the need to embrace a broader spectrum of sectors and players within the digital commerce ecosystem.
Converge Africa is committed to being the ultimate meeting ground for professionals across the digital commerce landscape. The world is moving into a digital area where non-online businesses are now doing business online and in a digital capacity. Through our comprehensive and inclusive platform, we aim to promote knowledge-sharing, encourage partnerships, and facilitate meaningful exchanges among diverse industry segments that have shifted into this digital environment.
Play Room launches on DStv Channel 300
A whole new world of learning and fun opens up for local kids on 6 November when new children’s channel Play Room launches on DStv Channel 300.
Play Room will combine education and entertainment in a uniquely local package carrying original South African and popular international content, including favourite animated titles dubbed into isiZulu.
“We are bringing dubbed content to parents who are eager for their children to learn their home languages. The languages used will be conversational and accessible, with language switching taking place as we do in everyday speech,” said Thabile Ngwato, CEO of the Ngwato Nkosi Group which owns the channel.
“Watching titles such as Cocomelon and Akili and Me in isiZulu empowers children to explore the world and their feelings in their own language. For the pre-teen kid, our content re-affirms that the way they express themselves and experience the world is also valid. Our content will give kids the tools they need to create the world they want to live in. Because at the end of the day, the world is their Play Room,” Ngwato added.
“We are constantly looking to give our customers the best entertainment and by increasing our content offering we’re providing more viewing options to them. From a local content perspective, we’re excited to expand on local representation in the form of content being dubbed in local languages. The launch of Play Room is an enhancement that we believe parents and children will have a strong affinity to,” says Georginah Machiridza, Executive Head of General Entertainment at MultiChoice Group.
“We will also have a fresh Play Room Live offering every Monday to Friday from 15h00 until 16h00 which will see us bring back a tried and trusted format that audiences love.”
Ngwato said the new channel would build on the success of the Ngwato Nkosi Group’s existing channels, Newzroom Afrika and Movie Room, to provide a home of learning and fun for local youngsters.’
