The Media Online’s weekly round up of people, account and business moves in media.
This week’s BIG move: Redi Tlhabi joins the War Room
Just a few weeks into their launch, the War Room trio have welcomed Redi Tlhabi to their corporate affairs offering, boosting their North America exposure.
Tlhabi, based in Washington DC, is in the hotspot of activity right now, able to lean in swiftly and decisively from a geopolitical standpoint.
“Redi is an international broadcaster, policy strategist, and scholar–practitioner of international relations whose work bridges Africa and the world. She brings over two decades of experience at the intersection of diplomacy, media, and governance – advising multilateral institutions, governments, and private sector leaders on how to translate complex policy into actionable communication and public engagement strategies,” says Phumzile Van Damme, currently based in Europe.
The War Room is housed under the KAMuses Consultancy group that Keri-Ann Stanton has quietly built over the past seven years, winning over 86 awards to date for clients across sectors and disciplines.
“Corporate Affairs is fast becoming the most dynamic and exciting discipline: one that you are seeing influence anything from product development to policy change. Its geopolitics, its economics, its cultural and its societal,” says Stanton, “That is why I can’t think of a more powerful collective coming in to solve things fast in high pressure situations. It’s been a long-time dream to bring us all together under one offering. Redi is the unexpected cherry on top.”
People moves
Pete Little appointed as vice chairperson of Creative Circle
The Creative Circle exists to maintain the standard of South African advertising, in part, by endorsing a selection of top international and local awards shows (including Cannes Lions, D&AD, The One Show, the Loeries and Best of the Year). And using these results to rank the top performing agencies in an annual review.
As vice chairperson, Pete Little brings a combination of global credibility and a strong local focus on creative excellence, mentorship and development. He has most recently served as a jury member for the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, The One Show and the Loeries Awards to mention a few. He has also been credited with multiple awards globally, including Cannes and Loeries Grand Prix, Effies Grand Prix and D&AD wins over his career.
Little says: “The Creative Circle is made up of the industry’s most respected creative leaders, so being appointed to this role is both humbling and energising. I’m looking forward to building on the strong foundation already in place and giving back to an industry that has given me so much.”
Brad Guymer appointed GM of Megapro’s rugby division
Megapro, the commercial sports and marketing agency, has announced the appointment of Brad Guymer as general manager for Rugby.
In his new role, Guymer will oversee Megapro’s extensive rights portfolio across local and overseas rugby, including the national landscape, the country’s premier franchises, the United Rugby Championship (URC) and European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR).
A highly respected figure in the sporting industry, Guymer joins Megapro following a distinguished nine-year tenure at First National Bank (FNB), where he led sponsorship for major rugby and other sporting properties.
His appointment signals a strategic move by Megapro, which turns 40 this year, to further enhance its prominent role in the rugby ecosystem. Guymer’s deep-rooted relationships with major teams and sponsors, combined with his can-do approach, position him as a key driver for the agency’s future growth.
Commenting on his appointment, Guymer said, “My focus is on the rugby properties from the top end all the way through. Megapro already holds a prominent role in that landscape, and my task is to enhance it. Having worked on the brand side for over nine years, I understand that there is a relatively small basket of sponsors out there; my priority is to establish deeper relationships and truly understand the challenges they face.
Andre Esterhuizen – hybrid craftsman – is STECO hybrid power tools hero
STECO power tools ‘Hybrid Craftsman’ campaign has launched with Andre Esterhuizen – South Africa’s first hybrid rugby player – in the starring role
John Stevens, RYOBI Africa and STECO CEO says, “The Shark’s captain and Springbok utility back has been moulded by coach Rassie Erasmus into the world’s first hybrid player. Essentially he is versatile enough to perform at the highest level, globally, as both a back and a forward.”
He adds, “This is a perfect metaphor for our STECO offering. Most power tools are walled gardens, but we have designed STECO batteries to work on RYOBI products and vice versa. Our industry-leading 20v batteries last longer, perform better, and offer the performance and power needed for residential and commercial building projects.”
Esterhuizen said, “It’s an absolutely synergistic partnership that just makes sense. The STECO team is proudly South African with several decades worth of credibiity. The Stevens and co team have built one of the most envious power tools offerings on the continent but their after sales, hands on approach, puts the customer at the heart of everything that they do.”
Spur Corporation welcomes Vuyo Henda as new executive director
The Spur Corporation has announced the appointment of Vuyokazi ‘Vuyo’ Henda as an executive director on the company’s Board, effective 2 March 2026.
Henda, who currently serves as chief marketing officer at Spur, brings extensive experience in leading major consumer brands, having previously built a strong track record at Unilever before joining the Group in 2022.
Her appointment reflects Spur’s continued focus on strengthening leadership and driving long-term strategic growth.
Business moves
Volvo chooses (Retro)viral!
Volvo South Africa has appointed Retroviral as its creative earned media agency, marking a new chapter in how the Swedish automotive brand will show up culturally and creatively in the local market.
The partnership will see Retroviral tasked with unlocking earned-first creative opportunities for Volvo, delivering culturally resonant ideas designed to spark conversation, travel organically across platforms and bring the brand’s progressive vision for mobility closer to South African audiences.
The appointment comes as Volvo continues to accelerate its electrification strategy globally and locally, with a growing portfolio of fully electric and hybrid vehicles entering the South African market.
The brand’s current range offers a modern engine lineup with options including 2.0-litre turbopetrol engines with both mild hybrid and plug-in hybrid options, and fully electric powertrains.
Grant Locke, managing director of Volvo South Africa, says the brand was drawn to Retroviral’s reputation for creative work that earns attention in the real world. “Volvo has always been a brand that leads with purpose, from pioneering automotive safety to driving the transition toward electrification,” says Locke.
Founded in 2010, Retroviral has built a reputation as one of South Africa’s most culturally tuned creative agencies, specialising in ideas designed to generate earned media and meaningful public conversation.
Media MasterChef: From insights to impact
Kantar has introduced its MasterChefs who will share their recipes for a flop-free media and creative mix and discuss:
– When platforms become creative partners – not just distribution channels
– Where great creative ideas lose impact when media isn’t considered early enough
– Where collaboration between media and creative teams’ breakdown (and how to fix it)
– How to design creative that flexes across platforms without losing meaning
Join us on Friday 20 March for Media MasterChef – The Creative Edition, where we explore the growing divide between where brands invest and where consumers are most receptive – and why bringing creative and media closer together isn’t a nice-to have anymore. It’s the difference between work that simply runs and work that truly performs.
Our data shows that ads placed in receptive environments can deliver seven times the brand impact compared with low receptivity settings.
Register here.
Discover Sport signs three-year title sponsorship with Maple Ridge Presidents Cup
Discover Sport has signed a major three-year title sponsorship agreement with the prestigious Maple Ridge Presidents Cup – a premier, national showjumping event – reinforcing its role as a global connector across diverse sporting communities.
From 2026 through 2029, the competition will be presented as the Maple Ridge Discover Sport Presidents Cup. This marks a significant partnership that signals a new chapter for one of South Africa’s most respected showjumping events, whilst further strengthening Discover Sport’s™ commitment to sport beyond traditional broadcast boundaries.
Held annually at Maple Ridge Equestrian Farm in Gauteng, South Africa, the multi-day competition is widely regarded as a cornerstone of the national showjumping calendar. The event draws elite riders, top horses and passionate spectators from across the country.
The digital platform, discoversport.com, will live-stream all classes from the main arena across the final weekend of competition: Saturday, 14 March and Sunday, 15 March are set to spotlight live commentary and full broadcast graphics for the featured main-arena events.
Standard Bank is headline sponsor of the 2026 Buy Local Summit & Expo
Standard Bank is the headline sponsor of the 2026 Buy Local Summit & Expo, reaffirming the bank’s commitment to strengthening the domestic economy through localisation and SME empowerment.
South Africa’s small and medium enterprises (SMEs) remain the backbone of the country’s economic resilience, driving innovation, job creation, and inclusive growth.
Against this backdrop, Standard Bank’s partnership with Proudly South African on the 2026 Buy Local Summit & Expo highlights the bank’s longstanding focus on localisation and procurement from South African suppliers, both essential strategies for boosting the domestic economy and enabling entrepreneurs to start, manage, and grow thriving businesses, even in uncertain conditions.
Hosted annually by Proudly South African, the Buy Local Summit & Expo is a premier platform that showcases local businesses, fosters collaboration, and highlights the importance of supporting homegrown enterprises.
Cape Town startup Yazi raises funding to reinvent market research on WhatsApp
Cape Town-born startup Yazi (built entirely on WhatsApp) has raised its first institutional funding round led by 3 Capital Ventures (3CV), the early-stage venture firm spun out of Allan Gray. The investment reflects two major shifts shaping the global insights industry: the rapid rise of AI-powered research and the fact that the next billion consumers are messaging-first.
Founded in 2022 by CEO Timothy Treagus and CTO Mzwandile Sotsaka, Yazi replaces traditional surveys with AI-led conversations on WhatsApp. Instead of gathering shallow responses from thousands of forms, Yazi can run hundreds of simultaneous in-depth interviews through WhatsApp. The system automatically analyses conversations, identifies themes, and delivers presentation-ready insights.
“When you receive a WhatsApp from Yazi, it feels like you’re chatting,” says Treagus. “Our AI asks questions, follows up based on your answers, and digs deeper the way a real researcher would.”
The traditional research industry was designed for email users sitting at a desktop; this represents only a fraction of the global population. Yazi was built for everyone else.
WhatsApp has 3.2 billion users globally and 94% penetration among internet users in South Africa. Across Africa, it is the dominant digital channel and often zero-rated by mobile networks.
RØDE backs the growing content creation sector at Mediatech Africa 2026
Mediatech Africa has confirmed RØDE as an official sponsor of the Content Creation Technology Sector. The expo brings together professionals from across Pro AV, broadcast, live production and media technology.
Mediatech Africa has long been known for high-end film, studio, broadcast and live production technology. But the way content is produced and consumed has changed significantly since the show last ran in 2019. Short-form video, podcasts, live streaming, online learning and in-house brand content are now part of everyday business and communication.
Simon Robinson, Expo Director of Mediatech Africa, explains: “The content landscape has shifted. While film and broadcast remain core to the show, we’re seeing strong growth in creators, educators and corporate teams producing their own professional content. The Content Creation sector reflects that change and brings a new and expanding audience to Mediatech.”
The sector focuses on professional yet agile production tools for marketers, podcasters, educators, corporate teams, YouTubers and digital creators.
WPP claims top spot on WARC Creative 100 for fourth consecutive year
For a fourth consecutive year, WPP has been named the most creative company on WARC’s 2026 Creative 100 List. The prestigious list ranks the most awarded companies and campaigns for creativity from around the globe, with WPP’s agencies showcasing exceptional creative prowess across its unified network of iconic brands.
WPP Creative’s global agencies once again demonstrated their industry-leading excellence, with Ogilvy named the Network of the Year for the sixth consecutive year, alongside VML ranking third amongst the top 50 networks. AKQA also featured prominently, placing amongst the top 30 networks worldwide.
The depth of WPP’s global creative talent was also on display in the agencies category, with 12 WPP agencies appearing in the global top 50: VML New York, Ogilvy New York, DAVID Madrid, Ogilvy Singapore, Ogilvy Mumbai, DAVID New York, VML Kansas City, Circus Grey Lima, VML Madrid, Ogilvy Health New York, VML Mexico City and VML Paris.
Capitec ranks among the world’s strongest banking brands
Capitec has been ranked 7th globally for brand strength in the latest global banking rankings released by Brand Finance, a global independent brand valuation and strategy consultancy, making it the strongest banking brand in South Africa.
Capitec achieved a Brand Strength Index score of 93.4 out of 100, earning the prestigious AAA+ rating, the highest possible brand strength rating awarded by Brand Finance. The result places Capitec among an elite group of financial institutions globally recognised for building deep client trust and strong brand loyalty.
The ranking is part of the Brand Finance Banking 500, 2026 report, which evaluates the world’s most valuable and strongest banking brands using its Brand Strength Index, a score that measures factors such as brand investment, brand equity, and overall performance.
The ranking highlights the strength of Capitec’s brand in a highly competitive international sector.
Bushtec unveils unified brand
Bushtec, a pioneering force in tented camps and solutions, has announced a significant brand evolution, unifying its 55-year heritage as Canvas and Tent and a consortium of specialised brands under a singular Bushtec master brand.
A proudly South African success story, the group has grown from its world-renowned Canvas and Tent manufacturing origins to include global design and delivery capabilities for its diverse clients across the hospitality, adventure, military, mining and disaster relief sectors.
Making moves
Midrand resident drives away in brand-new SUV as Jacaranda FM’s ‘Kia or The Cash’ delivers over one million entries
Jacaranda FM has wrapped up its latest integrated brand campaign with Kia South Africa, crowning Midrand listener Jerome Govender the grand prize winner of a brand-new Kia Sonet worth R289 995.
The three-week ‘Kia Or The Cash’ promotion, strategically developed by Jacaranda FM’s commercial and creative teams, ran every day from 07:00 to 19:00, with clues dropping on-air, across Jacaranda FM’s social media pages, and through on-the-ground activations hinting at what was hidden in the boot of a brand-new Kia Sonet.
Listeners submitted their guesses via WhatsApp, and every morning one entrant was called live on air. If they answered correctly, they faced the ultimate decision: take the guaranteed cash prize or hold out for a chance to win the car.
The campaign sparked strong audience engagement, with more than 1.1 million entries received over the three-week campaign. The results showcase the campaign’s success in driving participation and brand visibility.
