The Media Online’s weekly round up of people, account and business moves in media.
This week’s BIG move: Zanele Potelwa joins Expresso Morning Show … from Johannesburg
S3 and the Expresso Morning Show will welcome Zanele Potelwa as the newest addition to the show’s hosts. Potelwa’s arrival promises to bring a fresh energy and a vibrant presence to the popular breakfast show, enhancing the viewer experience. She will make her debut on the show on Friday 17 November 2023.
Potelwa continues to be one of the brightest stars in the local entertainment landscape. As a popular radio presenter and television host, her infectious presenting style makes her a perfect fit for S3’s Expresso.
“It’s great that Zanele is going to add her colourful energy to the Expresso team. It is also encouraging to see a talent groomed by the SABC being given an opportunity on one of S3’s flagship programmes, we wish her all the success together with the show,” David Makubyane, head of platforms Video Entertainment at the SABC says.
“When we speak of dreams coming true, working for Cardova and the Expresso Morning Show is exactly that. A few years ago, when Expresso had their presenter search, I didn’t enter, but I still posted a video online of how I would have entered, had I been able to at the time. It has always been something I hoped for, and Expresso has always been a show I admired,” Potelwa fondly recalls. “I can’t believe I get to start this new journey! It’s a huge career highlight getting to be part of many South Africans’ mornings by waking them up in the best way possible, on S3.”
With the addition of Zanele as its newest host, Expresso has revealed that it will now be broadcasting simultaneously from studios in both Cape Town and Johannesburg. The introduction of the Johannesburg studio is a significant milestone in the show’s history, it is a testament to the Expresso Morning Show’s commitment to providing fresh and engaging content to its audience.
People moves
Boomtown graphic designer makes it a hat-trick for Brands & Branding
Member of the Boomtown brand design team, graphic designer Michelle Conway-Cleaves, has designed her third Brands & Branding South Africa in a row – the hat-trick began with Brands & Branding 2021, continued with Brands & Branding 2022 and now, with the publication of Brands & Branding 2023, comes full circle.
Boomtown typically briefs two designers to generate individual concepts and creative expressions aligned with the designated theme for the Affinity Publishing-owned annual.
These concepts, along with cover possibilities, are presented to the client, and the final design brief is carried out by the designer whose idea is selected. This is the process through which Conway-Cleaves came to design Brands & Branding in 2021, when she was in her internship year at the agency. In 2022, she was directly asked to create the publication based on the success of the previous edition. This year, in 2023, the usual process was once again followed.
Commenting on the achievement, Conway-Cleaves said her three-year involvement with this project has taught her the importance of continuously digging deeper. This entails going beyond the surface and digging deeper to create stronger concepts and executing them visually through typography, colour, texture, and more, she said.
“I also learned that I not only loved design, but the conceptual thinking that goes into creating a great design and idea. Having worked on three consecutive editions, it is interesting seeing them side by side, as I can visibly see my growth as a designer from the 26th to the 28th edition, and I can see the wide range of styles I have been able to explore,” she added.
Business moves
Dis-Chem unveils an new podcast series to drive better health conversations
Dis-Chem is moving into the podcasting world with interesting guests and topics around primary healthcare and wellness. The Dis-Chem Better Health podcast is informative and entertaining with insightful South African health and wellness information.
“We’re not just launching a podcast; we’re setting the stage to make Dis-Chem South Africa’s paramount source for health and wellness information, in line with our Better Health Starts Here positioning. We have challenges like mental health, loadshedding, rising costs, and unemployment that plague our nation, and it is difficult to find local podcasts that South Africans can relate to. This series will provide authentic, South African content that resonates with real-life, local experiences,” said Lynette Saltzman, founder, and director at Dis-Chem.
The Dis-Chem Better Health podcast will stream on Dis-Chem’s website (both audio and video) and will be available on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and everywhere else you get your podcasts. A teaser and information on updates can be found on Dis-Chem’s Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok channels.
World Out of Home Organization announces first in-person Africa Forum
The World Out of Home Organization has announced its first in-person Africa Forum following a successful online event in 2022.
The Forum will take place in Cape Town, South Africa from March 11-13 2024. This follows successful in-person WOO Forums in Asia and a number of online events. The second Asia Forum will take place in Bali, Indonesia, from November 1-3.
WOO President Tom Goddard says: “Our online event in Africa in 2022 received amazing support and we have been determined to return to the continent for an in-person event since then. Out of Home is an incredible force in Africa and our in-person Forum in 2024 will be a global milestone for the medium.”
World’s largest electric vehicle brand extends footprint in South Africa
History will soon be made in the Eastern Cape when the first all-electric vehicle brand launches in the province.
The introduction of Chinese automaker BYD (Build Your Dreams) on 1 December marks another milestone in South Africa’s transition to EVs, with the Eastern Cape becoming the third province to offer the new energy vehicles after Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal.
BYD is the world’s leading manufacturer of EVs, surpassing one-million sales last year. It enjoys a presence in 70 countries and 400 cities globally.
These vehicles will be sold by the Kelston Motor Group, starting at premises off Buffelsfontein Road in Gqeberha before branching out to other parts of the province.
Making moves
Mollo Animation Academy and GOBELINS Paris join forces to support women in animation
Three Mollo Animation Academy talents have been successfully admitted into the prestigious GOBELINS Paris Master of Arts in Character Animation and Animated filmmaking programme for the 2023-2025 period.
This circulation of talent is possible through public and private funds earmarked for scholarships. Netflix Grow Creative, NFVF (the South African National Film and Video Foundation), and the French Institute of South Africa are part of this scholarship programme.
Agence Française de Développement (AFD) has also been instrumental in financing Tshimologong, under which Mollo Academy falls.
The three Mollo champions are Daniela Del Castello, animation tutor, character designer and animator from Johannesburg; Kamohelo Salemane, character designer and visual development artist from Johannesburg; and Tshegofatso Tracy Pitseng, a 2D and 3D artist with skills in character design, visual development and animation, from Westonaria in Gauteng.
The Mollo partnership with GOBELINS Paris, which is ranked the leading animation school in the world, has allowed all senior staff at Mollo (Lesego Vorster, Marthinus D van Rooyen, Sithembiso Mpehle) to train in Paris. Mollo also boasts a near-yearly intake of members into GOBELINS’ rigorous Master’s degree.
Insights and Reflections from the Nedbank IMC 2023 Conference
The Nedbank IMC Conference, in collaboration with Meltwater, the global leader in social and media intelligence, has released its 2023 Conference White Paper. Authored by Louise Burgers and Tendai Mbumbwa, two top academics and lecturers at Red and Yellow Creative School of Business, the White Paper skilfully synthesises and reflects on the event’s key take outs and teachings. It’s a paper prepared by the industry for the industry.
As Katherine McInnes, head of marketing Africa at Meltwater noted, “The theme focused on the growing need for how marketers can better understand and engage with an increasingly sophisticated, tech-savvy customer base, something that Meltwater recognises as a priority in our data-driven customer insights.”
Burgers and Mbumbwa have written a White paper that is reader-friendly, dynamic and offers up a summary of the central messages under six creative categories – all of which are clearly unpacked chapter by chapter.
In brief, these include the call for marketers to (Re) Create the creative process under an AI lens (and not be afraid to embrace chaos), Connect and collaborate in a multiplayer universe while harnessing the Magic of Africa to differentiate African global brands. Marketers should also have the Courage to reinvent their roles, be relevant and embrace Truth – engage and reflect human values, while never forgetting the Heart that beats in every person.
While AI is undoubtedly making waves and consumers are increasingly active participants in the brand universe – which can make for a tricky marketing terrain – the white paper concludes that we can navigate these turbulent waters by embracing the 6 learning categories and deliver on brands that have the power to change the world.
As Dale Hefer, CEO of the IMC, reiterates “Get up close & personal with this valuable resource. Like all our endeavours, it has real, practical value.” It’s a great read and one that captures the complexities around engaging successfully with customers to ensure Marketing is Business©”
The Nedbank IMC 2023 Conference Paper is freely accessible at www.imcconference.com
Africa Online Safety Fund announces grant winners
The Africa Online Safety Fund (AOSF) has announced the winners of this year’s grants, among them five organisations operating in South Africa: The Centre for Analytics and Behavioural Change, City of Johannesburg Library and Information Services, Global Leading Light Initiatives, Media Monitoring Africa, and Wolfpack Information Risk.
The selection of the 22 winning organisations from seven countries was recently announced by Impact Amplifier (IA) from its headquarters in Cape Town, South Africa.
South Africa had five winners, followed by four each for Kenya and Ghana. Nigeria, with six winning grantees, had the highest number of awards. Cameroon, Somalia and Zimbabwe each had one winner. Although the winning organisations reflect seven countries their internet safety interventions span across 15 African countries in total.
Just over 350 applications were received in the 2023 cohort, from which a shortlist of 40 entries made it for the final selection process. Each of the eventual winners will receive grants ranging from $10,000 to $50,000, made possible with the support of Google.org.
Making the announcement, Impact Amplifier Director, Tanner Methvin said, “With over 500 million people having access to the internet in Africa, reflecting just under 40 per cent of the continent’s population, online safety issues are of critical concern.”
Creative Careers South Africa launches mentorship and internship campaign
The Creative Careers Acceleration Program (CCAP), an innovative initiative that looks to nurture young, aspiring South African artists and creatives, launched a new mentorship programme last week.
The organisation, Creative Careers South Africa, led by Stallone Santino (actor, director, producer), invites young South Africans to apply for an internship at various arts and culture spaces by submitting a 2-minute video expressing who they are and why they should be chosen. Emphasis will be placed on the merit of the applications, with a commitment to prioritising applications from marginalised groups.
CCAP offers participants a unique opportunity to gain practical experience, knowledge, and insights into the vibrant arts sector through hands-on learning experiences and professional development opportunities. The program also addresses unemployment by offering valuable work experience in various artistic disciplines. The programme runs from 7 November until 8 December and will see established art organisations and mentors from around the country step up and offer their time and invaluable experience to young South Africans.
