The Media Online’s weekly round up of people, account and business moves in media.
This week’s BIG move: Media24 welcomes ruling by Competition Commission
Media24 has welcomed the approval from the Competition Commission of the sale of its media logistics operations, On the Dot, and its community newspaper portfolio (including Soccer Laduma/Kick Off) to Novus Holdings, the publisher announced today (31 October 2024).
In addition, Media24 is initiating the next phase of fully transitioning its news operations for an overwhelmingly digital media landscape.
“We are implementing the transaction with Novus Holdings today. The ruling also allows Media24 to continue on its strategic journey to establish and cement a viable and sustainable model for independent digital journalism, in line with irreversible consumer trends and preferences. For this, we thank the Competition Commission for their thorough and comprehensive review and consideration of our application,” said Raj Lalbahadur, interim CEO of Media24:
He reiterated that this renewed focus on its two hero digital news brands, News24 and Netwerk24, will allow it to concentrate its investments in enhancing and improving its digital content offering to subscribers. “These range from further elevating the quality of journalism and streamlining publishing to deliver trusted news faster, to introducing personalisation and expanding enriched content.”
The final publication dates for the last of the printed newspapers (Beeld, City Press, Daily Sun and Rapport) to appear on shelf, the PDF editions of Volksblad and Die Burger Oos-Kaap on Netwerk24 and for SNL24 operating as a hub will be completed by 31 December 2024.
From January 2025, Daily Sun will operate as a standalone, free-access news website and Rapport and City Press will reside at Netwerk24 and News24 respectively as digital-only brands at the core of the Sunday content offering. Beeld, Volksblad and Die Burger Oos-Kaap readers and subscribers will be able to continue accessing their news on Netwerk24.
People moves
Timothy Maurice Webster joins Podcast Party as senior partner
Podcast Party has announced that Timothy Maurice Webster, strategy specialist and bestselling author in the field of behavioural psychology, has joined the team as senior partner. Known for his expertise in branding, leadership, and behavioural insights, Webster brings a unique perspective that aligns perfectly with Podcast Party’s mission to empower South Africans with the knowledge to make informed decisions.
With two decades of experience in advising global brands and thought leaders, Timothy has a proven track record of leveraging behavioural psychology to influence public engagement and leadership dynamics. His role at Podcast Party will focus on driving strategic direction, shaping content that resonates with diverse audiences, and enhancing the platform’s ability to foster critical thinking.
“Timothy’s insights into human behaviour and leadership will add incredible depth to our work at Podcast Party,” said Rina Broomberg, co-founder of Podcast Party. “We are at a crucial time in South Africa’s history, and the need for thoughtful, informed discourse has never been more important”.
“I’m thrilled to join Podcast Party at such a critical juncture,” said Timothy Maurice Webster. “This platform is not just about recording podcasts —it’s about empowering individuals with the tools they need to think critically, engage with their communities, and make decisions that will shape their futures. I look forward to contributing to this important mission.”
Epson makes four strategic leadership appointments in META-CW Asia Region (including South Africa)
Epson Middle East FZCO (EME) has promoted four leaders to senior management positions within its META-CW Asia operating region, covering key markets including Middle East, Turkey, Africa, and Central & West Asia, centrally managed from a regional office in Dubai, UAE. This strategic leadership enhancement underscores Epson’s newly established sales company’s commitment to investing in and expanding its presence in these dynamic regions.
As the strategic planning director, Christine Chua now leads key sales analysis and planning processes, provides input into functional strategy, and drives operational rigour and business analysis for the company’s senior sales leadership team.
Natalie Harrison’s remit as the marketing director includes leading the company’s marketing team to define and deliver strategies across the region.
In the role of services & support director, Razia Mahomed leads a team focused on improving productivity and operational efficiency while putting customers first.
Charley Stevens’s responsibilities as the HR director involve leading the company’s human resource function and partnering with the business to cultivate a diverse and innovative environment where people and the organisation can mutually thrive.
Business moves
The Up&Up Group acquires stake in content marketing agency 2Stories
The recently formed Up&Up Group – made up of agencies M&C Saatchi Abel, Levergy, Connect, Razor, Black & White and Dalmatian – has announced that it has acquired a strategic stake in content marketing agency 2Stories. This is the first acquisition following the announcement of the formation of the independent, locally owned Up&Up Group.
2Stories was started in 2020 by co-CEOs Anelde Greeff and Joanne Hope with the ambition to leverage their extensive experience to bring something more impactful, meaningful and valuable to clients in the content marketing space.
“It has always been clear to us that there is a need to shift away from what brands want to say, and towards what people actually want to hear. Our philosophy is underpinned by our belief that brands that act like interesting supporting characters in people’s lives are the ones people choose to cast in their real-life stories. And that makes for a powerful story,” says Greeff, who leads the strategy and creative side of the business.
The Up&Up Group’s Chief Executive Officer Jacques Burger says the acquisition is designed to further diversify and enhance the overall group offering to its client base, “A powerful, precisely positioned brand unlocks sustainable, long-term growth, and we know that a large part of building a powerful brand comes down to the stories it tells. 2Stories finds, creates, and shares those stories in a way that people want to engage with and be a part of.”
Until Until expands from event powerhouse to creative agency shaping youth culture
A name once synonymous with South Africa’s iconic youth-centred events, Until Until has evolved into a full-scale creative agency that is making waves in the marketing and branding world.
Founded in 2013, Until Until’s journey started with a modest event on a tennis court, but it quickly became clear that this was just the beginning of a much larger story. Today, the agency delivers high-impact creative solutions to global brands, while maintaining a deep connection to the youth culture that sparked its original success.
Charles Lusengo, creative director and co-founder of Until Until, says: “We started to notice that the brands sponsoring our events were showing up in ways that didn’t match the creativity and innovation of the experiences we were curating. That’s when we realised there was an opportunity to be more than just event organisers. We could help these brands connect with our audience in more meaningful and authentic ways.”
Until Until’s expansion has attracted high-profile global brands, including Breezer, Beefeater Gin, Spotify, Prime Video, and Absa. These partnerships have grown into collaborations and extended projects where Until Until provides everything from communication strategies to fully integrated marketing campaigns. It is this ability to marry deep cultural insights with innovative creative work that sets the agency apart.
Heavy Chef and Daily Maverick announce collaboration
As of October 2024, Heavy Chef and Daily Maverick are launching a collaboration.
“It’s an obvious partnership. Heavy Chef’s core belief is that entrepreneurs can change South Africa for the better. Daily Maverick is the media team most dedicated to changing South Africa for the better,” Heavy Chef said in a press release.
Daily Maverick will be covering all our events featuring some of the most inspiring leaders in the small business sector.
Daily Maverick Insiders will get free tickets to all its entrepreneur-focused events. For example, tomorrow’s Antifragile event in Cape Town and the annual Futurists sessions with Dion Chang and Bronwyn Williams.
Heavy Chef will offer entrepreneur guidebooks to Insiders at a greatly reduced price.
Heavy Chef community members will get discounts and free tickets to relevant DM events. For example, next week’s in-person event, the launch of the brilliant new book Man Alone by Caryn Dolley.
Click here and use the the discount code HCMember20 at check-out.
Heavy Chef and Daily Maverick will send a joint monthly mailer targeting entrepreneurs, side-hustlers and small business owners. It’s called ‘Business Bites’ and you should subscribe.
Primedia Outdoor’s digital out-of-home inventory achieves independent verification by Seedooh
Primedia Outdoor has announced that its digital out-of-home (DOOH) inventory has been independently verified by Seedooh, a globally recognised leader in media verification, for over a year. This partnership underscores our commitment to delivering unparalleled transparency, trust and accountability in the execution of our clients’ media campaigns.
As digital out-of-home advertising continues to evolve into a critical and dynamic platform in Africa, the need for transparency and data integrity has never been greater. Advertisers today require complete assurance that their campaigns are being executed as planned—free from discrepancies or inefficiencies. Independent verification provides an objective and automated system that guarantees accuracy, instilling confidence in every campaign.
“At Primedia Outdoor, we are dedicated to delivering transparent and reliable media solutions to our clients. Our partnership with Seedooh, which has now been in place for over a year, reflects our commitment to elevating the standard of accountability in out-of-home advertising. The ability to provide real-time, verified data empowers our clients with greater confidence in their campaigns, ensuring that every investment delivers maximum impact. When a campaign underperforms on a particular screen, we can swiftly amend it, optimising performance without delay,” said Genevieve Coward, marketing & revenue growth executive, Primedia Outdoor
Google announces 15 more African languages across Voice Search, talk-to-type on Gboard and dictation on Translate
Google announced the expansion of African languages on Voice Search, typing with voice on Gboard and voice input on Translate – totalling 15 more African languages.
Enabling voice input across these products offers approximately 300 million more people across Africa the freedom to interact with the web and communicate with friends and family using the modality that comes most naturally to many people: their voice.
Google already supports typing input with custom keyboards in Gboard for around 200 African languages and varieties, with automatic translation with Translate for over 60 languages spoken in Africa.
Commenting on the announcement, Alex Okosi, Managing Director of Google Africa said: “This technology will make a difference to over 300 million more people across the continent – enabling them to interact with the web with just their voice. With teams in Google Accra working on this, it’s one example of how Google in Africa is building technology for Africans – and for the world”.
Making moves
GivenGain challenges Virgin Active 947 Ride Joburg participants to #RideForAPurpose
GivenGain, a global fundraising platform for charity founded by two South Africans, has once again joined forces with the Virgin Active 947 Ride Joburg as its official charity fundraising partner.
Since the start of this partnership in 2013, the GivenGain platform has enabled more than 750 fundraising cyclists raise an astounding R7.7 million from over 7000 donors in support of no fewer than 172 charities. This year, GivenGain and 947 Ride Joburg, are aiming for even more.
The race takes place on Sunday, 17 November 2024. The world’s second largest timed cycle race, it sees an average of 20 000 – 30 000 participants each year. Said Jannie Smith, Regional Manager for Sub-Saharan Africa at GivenGain, “This wonderful cycling event provides all of the cyclists with the opportunity to #RideForAPurpose. It adds an extra layer of motivation to their training and preparation, and the actual race day itself, by leveraging this epic event to raise funds for a cause or charity close to their hearts.”
Join GivenGain and the Virgin Active 947 Ride Joburg in its mission to empower participants to ride for good and make a positive impact on their communities.
Record entry for annual Algoa FM Big Walk for Cancer
The 2024 Algoa FM Big Walk for Cancer presented by ISUZU MOTORS South Africa was bigger than ever – with a record of more than 15 000 participants in pink turning up across Gqeberha, George and East London on Saturday.
Now in its 26th year, the Big Walk is the largest mass participation charity event in the Eastern Cape – and one of the largest in the country.
“Participants were encouraged to walk in support of those affected by cancer through one of the biggest on air, online and on the ground marketing campaigns executed by Algoa FM and our partners,” says Algoa FM marketing manager, Lesley Geyer.
“Our beneficiaries, sponsors and service providers all actively promoted the event through their own channels,” she adds.
The 2024 beneficiaries are the Childhood Cancer Foundation of South Africa (CHOC) in East London, St Bernard’s Hospice serving Buffalo City and surrounds, and St Francis Hospice which serves Nelson Mandela Bay and the Kouga region.
The 2024 partners are ISUZU MOTORS South Africa, aQuellé, the Eastern Cape Department of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture, MTN, Value Added Life, The Courier Guy, Radhiant Diagnostic Imaging, and the Nelson Mandela Bay and Buffalo City municipalities.
“It is also heartening to have experienced the level of corporate support in the Eastern Cape and Garden Route. Bulk entries totalling more than 5 000 employees were received from over 70 companies,” says Geyer.
“The opportunity to upgrade our CHOC House kitchen will enable us to provide nutritious meals for children and their families, who rely entirely on CHOC East London whilst they undergo lengthy cancer treatments,” says Juliet Houghton, CHOC Eastern Cape Regional Manager.
