The Media Online’s weekly round up of people, account and business moves in media.
This week’s BIG move: Film permit surge spotlights Cape Town’s appeal as international film destination
The City of Cape Town’s Film Permit Office has recorded an increase in the number of filming permits issued during the 2023/24 financial year. A review of the statistics shows commercial shoots still hold the spotlight, but there is an uptick in feature films.
The Film Permit Office issued 4 757 film permits between 1 July 2023 and 30 June 2024 – a 22% increase from the 3 910 permits issued in the preceding financial year (2022/23).
This includes permits for feature films, commercials, TV series, stills photography, documentary films, short films, student projects and music videos. The permit office also received bookings for more than 9 317 film locations in the same period.
Commercials make up the bulk of the film shoots over the last financial year, with 1 604 permits issued.
“In the past, Cape Town attracted a lot of film productions during the summer season due to a number of factors, including our beautiful long summer days. However, what we are seeing over the last couple of years is that filming is increasingly becoming an all year business and this is good for both the industry and Cape Town,” said Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith. “We are seeing more and more productions taking place in the winter months and this was the case for the concluding financial year. This is critical for an industry that contributes billions to the economy and employs over 30 000 people.”
In an effort to further boost the film industry, the City froze tariffs for filming in Cape Town for the fourth year. This includes zero rated fees for the deployment of metro police and traffic services to assist where road closures are required.
People moves
Rogerwilco announces new hires
Rogerwilco, the digital CX agency, has announced three senior management appointments.
Creative industry veteran Dallas du Toit has joined Rogerwilco as Co-Creative Director working in partnership with current reative sirector, Wilton Ackeer. Du Toit joins Rogerwilco directly from Mark1 where he was involved with bringing an anamorphic programmatic digital out of home (DOOH) campaign to life for RE/MAX.
Adolf Lategan is an internal appointment, having been promoted from head of development to become the agency’s chief technology officer.
Jane Hollander has returned to Rogerwilco to replace Lategan as head of development. She worked for the agency between 2019 and 2022.
Charlie Stewart, Rogerwilco CEO, said doubling up on creative management and strengthening tech capability enables the agency to refine the marriage of creativity and tech.
Avatar Agency appoints new head of human resources
Avatar has appointed Sibonginkosi Zuma as the new head of human resources. Zuma, an accomplished professional with a rich background in HR management, brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the role.
Zuma holds a BA Hons in Public Management and Governance from the University of Johannesburg, a testament to her strong academic foundation. She joins Avatar Agency from VML, where she recently held the position of head of people operations.
“We are thrilled to welcome Sibonginkosi to our team,” said Lynda Fiebiger, MD at Avatar. “Her extensive experience in human resources, combined with her proven track record of success in people operations, makes her the ideal candidate to lead our HR department. We are confident that her insights and leadership will drive our HR strategy forward, ensuring we continue to attract, develop, and retain top talent.”
Giving Wings appoints chief operation officer Thato Morobane
Giving Wings – an organisation leading in strategic consulting, executive coaching, and development – has appointed a new chief operating officer, Thato Morobane.
“This appointment reaffirms Giving Wings’ dedication to creating practical solutions for organisations in human capital development with a strong strategic approach to equip people and organisations to reach their full potential,” said CEO Kefilwe Morobane. “Before joining Giving Wings, Thato served as Digital Channel Owner at Momentum Metropolitan Holdings. “
International gaming celeb Thea Beasty wears garment made with AI and sustainable car interior
South African-born Thea Booysen, known as ‘Thea Beasty,’ has made a name for herself in the eSports industry and co-owns an eSports team. She teamed up with Volvo Car South Africa and local designer Fikile Sokhulu to model a custom-made A/W ’24 Ready-to-Wear garment using upholstery from Volvo’s latest electric car and AI technology in the design process.
“The aim was to use material from the car, combined with a design that was influenced by AI. It was a first in South Africa,” said Volvo chief financial officer Marishka Govender. “We wanted to inspire the public to view sustainability and advanced technologies such as AI as concepts that can exist in harmony with human-centric ideas of beauty and creativity.”
Designer Sokhulu, renowned for her work with natural fibres and drawing inspiration from her cultural heritage, used Meta AI to inspire her garment.
Business moves
IAB SA rebrands Content Marketing Committee
In 2020, the IAB South Africa established a Content Marketing Committee to spotlight content marketing as a specialist marketing discipline. At the time, content marketing accounted for 20%* of all marketing spend globally. And for the first time in South Africa, there was a definition for content marketing, spearheaded by IAB South Africa’s dedicated committee. Together with a team of local industry peers, the Committee developed a white paper and series of podcasts to share how audience-centric content — where the brand plays a supporting role — can drive loyalty and retention and expand brands’ customer bases through owned audiences.
“Fast forward to 2024 and ‘content’ is ubiquitous,” said committee chair and DENTSU CREATIVE’s content strategy director Emma Odendaal. “Few specialist content marketing agencies still exist, many having been acquired by larger creative agencies who, through their acquisitions, hope to use editorial expertise to bring relevance to advertising.
“Along with Razia Pillay, CEO of IAB South Africa, we decided to broaden our committee scope to include all areas of brand-funded content production, namely branded and partner content, native advertising and digital publishing across digital media formats. With this new directive, the Committee has relaunched as the Branded Entertainment & Content Committee.”
The IAB South Africa is calling for nominations of members to its Branded Entertainment & Content Committee before 5 pm on Friday, 12 July 2024. To nominate yourself or an industry peer, click here.
Scout reappointed for Decorex Africa 2024
Following a hugely successful 2023 run, Scout PR & Social Media has once again been chosen to promote the prestigious Decorex Africa portfolio. Known for setting the benchmark in the African design and decor industry for more than 30 years, Decorex Africa mounts world-class exhibitions that are built by RX Africa and which take place in two major South African cities.
The annual shows bring fresh and innovative brands to the fore alongside a wide array of talks, launches and interactive displays. Next up is Decorex Joburg, collocated with 100% Design Africa, and taking place from 1-4 August 2024 at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg.
Scout’s reappointment marks another milestone in a longstanding and prosperous relationship which has seen the agency working with show organisers RX Africa since 2015, focusing on the company’s renowned series of design-related exhibitions. Earlier this year, Decorex Africa scooped three coveted awards at the Association of African Exhibition Organisers (AAXO) Roar Awards, including winning the Best PR Campaign for 2023 for its standout campaign proudly managed by Scout PR & Social Media.
EPIC Outdoor’s Stunning 3D innovation at O.R. Tambo Airport gets pulses racing.
EPIC Outdoor has collaborated with Garmin to launch an innovative and eye-catching campaign for the new Garmin Forerunner 165 series watches. The three-month campaign ran from 1 April to 30 June 2024 and was strategically situated at O.R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg.
The timing of this campaign was significant. Garmin, known for its tactical and dynamic campaigns, sought to captivate the attention of the thousands of runners and their supporters passing through the airport en route to major marathon events, such as the Two Oceans Marathon in April and the Comrades Marathon in June, as well as cyclists heading to various races around the country. EPIC Outdoor delivered an exceptional execution that combined cutting-edge technology and creative design to create an unmissable visual experience.
PRGN and Newmark Group Launch Global Expert Panel to Accelerate Growth in Africa’s Tourism and Travel Sectors
The Public Relations Global Network (PRGN) has announced today the launch of the Global Expert Panel on tourism and travel for Africa, led by its member agency, the Newmark Group, a strategic communications and advisory firm headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya.
This pioneering initiative brings together top communications and marketing experts and leaders from across the world to arm tourism and destination management organisations with deep local insights and data from source countries. It underscores the importance of understanding cultural nuances to significantly enhance the market presence and reimagine Africa’s tourism narrative globally.
Tourism and Travel in Africa has experienced impressive growth since the start of the millennium, as highlighted by a World Travel & Tourism Council report. In 2022, the sector contributed nearly 6% to Africa’s GDP, playing a vital role in economic stability and supporting 22 million jobs across the continent.
“To elevate Africa’s tourism sector, destination marketers must harness global capabilities and adopt a holistic approach to branding and marketing. PRGN provides unparalleled global resources and local expertise, delivering a unique insight to meet new needs and thus capture market shares,” said PRGN President Natacha Clarac at the formation of the Global Expert Panel for tourism and emphasised the competitive nature of global tourism.
CONNIE Brands launches a new era of CONfidence
CONNIE Brands, a renowned name in South Africa’s beauty and personal care industry, founded by the iconic Connie Ferguson and award-winning advertising guru and entrepreneur Groovin Nchabeleng, launched its newly extended and rebranded collection that boasts a diverse basket of self-care offerings from facial care products to a hair care range, firming products, nutritional supplements — plus a clean, fresh and sophisticated look.”This new era of Connie Brands is about more than just beauty. It’s about empowering individuals to feel confident in every aspect of their lives. We have meticulously developed these products to ensure that they meet the highest standards of quality and effectiveness, and we are thrilled to finally share them with the world,” said Ferguson.
Making moves
TransformSA calls on young scribes to Join the Movement
South Africa faces a daunting challenge – an unemployment rate of 32.9% according to Statistics South Africa. A significant portion of this statistic falls on the shoulders of young people, those aged between 15 and 34, who are most impacted by this harsh reality, with Stats SA further stating that there is a 45.5% unemployment rate among this age group. One of the reasons our youth struggle to land jobs is a lack of experience and skills. That’s why Papasha Media decided to do something about this by giving young people the opportunity to write for one of our publications.
TransformSA, a publication under Papasha Media, recognises this crisis and is determined to play a role in empowering the youth. Saki Mabhele, founder of Papasha Media and TransformSA, is passionate about youth empowerment, “We cannot accept a future where our young minds are brimming with potential but have no platform to thrive. This Youth Month, we want to give young people the opportunity to hone their writing skills and find their voice in the world of journalism. By providing this platform, we hope to inspire, educate, and empower a new generation of writers,” he said.
In an era where misinformation travels faster than ever, TransformSA remains committed to publishing original, credible content. TransformSA is extending a year-long internship opportunity to budding journalists, a chance to hone their writing skills and contribute to our online platforms.
Africa’s dazzling design showcase Decorex Joburg comes to Sandton in August
Hot on the fashionable heels of its Cape Town counterpart, Decorex Joburg is set to sizzle and shine at the Sandton Convention Centre from 1 to 4 August 2024. Always a much-anticipated highlight of the decor and design calendar – and running simultaneously alongside 100% Design Africa – this is the definitive showcase of contemporary design on the African continent. Visitors will be able to take in two shows, plus daily live talks and demonstrations, for the price of one entry ticket.
HOT 102.7FM powers Ferrari Owners’ Club to another memorable event
The Red Star Raceway in Delmas was bursting at the seams on the 22nd of June, after the Ferrari Owners’ Club of South Africa once again partnered with HOT 102.7FM and tapped into the power of the ‘HOT’ brand to drive attendance at their annual event.
Approximately 3 000 people attended the club’s annual ‘Track Day’ it hosts for its members, as the Ferrari Owners’ Club of SA took their event to a wide audience and engaged one of the fastest-growing radio stations in South Africa to help them do it.
“There’s such an obvious fit between the iconic Ferrari brand and HOT 102.7FM, as we both speak to an affluent, upper-income audience,” said Lloyd Madurai, MD of HOT 102.7FM. “But, what was nice about this event was how we could expose some of our aspirational listeners to these amazing vehicles and raise some money for charity in the process, which is a big part of the DNA of HOT 102.7FM.”
HOT 102.7FM was tasked with using its influential platforms to drive awareness with its engaged upper SEM audience and play a key role in increasing ticket sales on the previous Ferrari track days.
2025 World Out of Home Organization Global Congress heads for Mexico City
The 2025 World Out of Home Annual Congress will be held in Mexico City from 4-6 June. This is the first time the WOO Annual Congress has been held in Latin America and follows the highly successful WOO Annual Congress in Hong Kong, its first visit to Asia, earlier this year. Over 500 delegates attended.
Helping to host the 2025 event will be ALOOH, the trade body representing Out of Home in the region. ALOOH was formed in 2018 and both Gabriel Cedrone (ALOOH President) and Guillermo de Lella (ALOOH General Manager) are Vice Presidents on the WOO Board.
WOO President Tom Goddard says: “WOO is the only global media organisation that represents equally all main markets and it’s right that we should now go to Latin America, a dynamic, rapidly-growing market in every respect.
“Mexico City is a fantastic venue and our 2025 Annual Congress will be a major stepping stone as we reinforce Out of Home’s status as the most progressive and effective non-online global medium.”
