The Media Online’s weekly round-up of media business moves all in one place.
This week’s BIG move: Sizwe Dhlomo has left Kaya 959
Kaya 959 has confirmed that Sizwe Dhlomo has left the station’s breakfast show, Siz the World with Sizwe Dhlomo, effective 27 May 2026, ending an important chapter in the station’s morning offering.
Dhlomo has been a significant presence in Kaya 959’s line-up, bringing his unmistakable voice, sharp intellect and fearless approach to the flagship breakfast slot.
Dave Tiltmann, acting managing executive at Kaya 959 said: “Sizwe has brought a singular presence to Kaya 959. He is a broadcaster with a strong point of view, a deep understanding of the world around him and a rare ability to provoke thought and conversation. We are grateful for the role he has played on our breakfast show and for the connection he has built with listeners. While this chapter is ending, it does so with our respect, our thanks, and our best wishes for the road ahead.”
Dhlomo said: “My time on Kaya 959 has been meaningful and memorable. Breakfast radio is a special privilege because you become part of people’s mornings, their routines, and their lives. I am grateful to the listeners who have spent that time with us, to the team who helped bring the show to life each day, and to Kaya for the opportunity to be part of its story. I leave with appreciation and wish the station well as it begins its next chapter.”
During June, the 06:00 to 09:00 weekday breakfast slot will be hosted by Thomas Msengana, ensuring listeners continue wake up to a familiar voice from the station while Kaya prepares for the next chapter in its morning offering.
Kaya 959 will announce its new breakfast show team in June, with the refreshed programme scheduled to launch in July 2026.
People moves
SoulProviders Collective celebrates 15 years with strategy-led shift and new leadership
SoulProviders Collective (SPC) is marking 15 years in business with a strategic repositioning from a solely social media specialist to a strategy-led digital agency rooted in local culture. The new focus puts cultural intelligence at the centre of how SPC helps brands achieve measurable growth — combining audience insight, strategic storytelling and digital innovation to build relevance where people actually live, speak and spend time.
To support the shift, SPC has unveiled an updated identity and website that reflect a more fluid, adaptive brand. The identity signals an agency designed to evolve with culture and deliver value through work that is both meaningful to communities and accountable to outcomes.
“A holistic view had to be taken to arrive at the strategic repositioning of SPC,” said Nosipho Ginindza. “We’re not just a service provider — we are a thinking partner for brands that want to stay relevant, resonate and grow with purpose.”
After 14 years with SPC, Ginindza will transition to the role of Chief Growth Officer within the holding company, Matrix Communications Group. In her new position, she will drive strategic partnerships, productise the group’s offerings and unlock scalable growth across agencies.
Stepping in as managing director is Mkhuseli Mancotywa, a 20‑year veteran across full‑funnel marketing, performance strategy, AI‑driven creative delivery and media management.
Nick Hamman joins Time Out South Africa as new culture connector
Time Out South Africa has announced an exciting new partnership with broadcaster, storyteller and social media foodie favourite, Nick Hamman, who officially joins the brand as a strategic content contributor and culture connector.
The partnership marks an exciting new chapter for Time Out South Africa as the global lifestyle and culture platform continues expanding its local presence, celebrating the people, places and experiences shaping local city culture.
Best known for his infectious curiosity, immersive storytelling style and genuine love for local culture, Hamman has become one of South Africa’s most recognisable cultural voices, particularly through his hugely popular food and travel content which has introduced audiences to hidden gems, iconic local flavours and the characters behind them. His ability to blend humour, authenticity and cultural insight has earned him a loyal following across radio, social media and digital platforms.
As culture connector, Hamman will work closely with Time Out South Africa across editorial storytelling, city discovery, cultural conversations and audience engagement initiatives, helping audiences uncover the very best of South Africa’s vibrant food, music, nightlife and creative scenes.
Dr Shaka Sisulu graduates with PhD revealing what drives business success in Africa
Dr Shaka Sisulu has graduated with a PhD in International Business from GIBS after travelling 38 000km across Africa and conducting 49 conversations with senior business leaders in four countries.
His research reveals how local business leadership shapes national institutions, governance and, in some contexts, democratic development – offering fresh insights into what drives business resilience and institutional growth across the continent.
Dr Shaka Sisulu is a grandson of Walter and Albertina Sisulu, and a faculty member of the Wharton School’s Global Modular Course in South Africa. Dr Sisulu is an Archbishop Tutu Leadership Fellow, a former activist and broadcaster. A businessman whose interests span mining, infrastructure, hospitality and media, Dr Sisulu chairs Retroviral, one of South Africa’s advertising agencies.
Penquin strengthens team with strategic new hires as agency growth gains momentum
South African brand and communications agency Penquin is celebrating a strong period of growth, marked by a series of strategic new hires across its business in recent months. The latest hires bring a wealth of experience, fresh perspectives, and specialist skills that will further strengthen Penquin’s capabilities in strategy, digital, creative, and client service.
Leading the new appointments at a senior level are Nomalanga Mphuthi and Vuyo Tena, who step in as account directors. Their combined experience strengthens Penquin’s client leadership and strategic delivery, ensuring the agency continues to drive impactful, results-led campaigns for its growing client base.
Further bolstering the agency’s strategic and digital capabilities are Ayanda Zulu and Palesa Boikanyo, both appointed as digital strategist/account managers, alongside Xolile Mabuza, who joins as senior social media content manager. On the media and creative front, Amogelang Habyane has been appointed as traditional media planner and buyer, while Nthabiseng Kekana joins as digital buyer. Supporting the creative team is Buzwe Mjali, who comes on board as graphic designer.
The agency has also invested in its internal operations and future talent pipeline, welcoming Nontsikelelo Pokelo as human resource co-ordinator and Hazel Tsodzo as an intern.
Business moves
Outdoor Network captures affluent commuters in the high-traffic Randpark Ridge with a new digital billboard
Outdoor Network, a Provantage company, has extended its digital out-of-home (DOOH) footprint with the launch of a new digital billboard on Beyers Naudé Drive, positioned within the busy Randpark Ridge and Randburg commuter corridor.
The municipality approved placement sits along one of Gauteng’s more consistently high-frequency suburban routes, connecting the residential nodes of Randpark Ridge and Honeydew with the commercial activity of Randburg. The commuter profile along this stretch skews affluent and retail-active, making it a compelling proposition for brands seeking quality audiences beyond the traditional arterial routes.
Shamy Naidu Outdoor Network Director says: “Suburban corridors like Beyers Naudé Drive represent a significant opportunity for brands to reach audiences that are engaged and primed to respond. We identify placements where commuter frequency, audience quality and line-of-sight combine to maximise message delivery.”
The site is projected to deliver almost 320 000 VACs per month, providing advertisers with a measurable and reliable reach metric within a suburban environment that has historically been underserved by large-format digital OOH.
Halo creates the brand identity for Nine Yards, Johannesburg’s new design-led precinct
Independent Johannesburg agency Halo has created the name and visual identity for Nine Yards, a new design-led lifestyle precinct in Rosebank that brings together food, wellness, culture and retail within a connected urban space.
Situated at the corner of Chester Road and Jan Smuts Avenue, neighbouring The Gardenshop nursery and connected to Lumley House and Rosebank Office Park, Nine Yards reflects a growing shift in how Johannesburg’s social spaces are being designed: less as shopping destinations and more as integrated community environments.
A walkable, design-led precinct where food, wellness, lifestyle, art and culture are designed to coexist seamlessly.
“The challenge was finding the balance between cohesion and character,” says Kelly Brazier, creative director at Halo. “We needed a design system strong enough to define the destination, but flexible enough to let each space speak for itself. The brand lives between architecture, design and culture, so it had to feel rooted in place, not simply applied to it.”
The name carries two truths at once. After collaborating with the architects, landscape artists and developers, we stumbled across an unignorable truth. The development was the merging of 9 original Rosebank properties. The name of the precinct was right in front of us – Nine Yards.
Nine Yards presented a particular design challenge: how do you build an identity strong enough to anchor a destination, yet open enough to house everything within it – food, wellness, lifestyle, culture, and whatever comes next? The answer, as it turned out, came from the space itself.
Just as the nine plots flex and fit within a pre-defined municipal block, occupying exactly as much space as they can without feeling cramped, the identity operates on the same principle, expanding and contracting, always making room. The mark is built like a piece of architecture: fixed, considered edgings, deliberate structure, and at its centre a hollowed-out core that functions as a malleable window, assuming the shape of its environment and allowing moments to be perceived through it rather than branded over.
New product announcements at Google Marketing Live
Today at Google Marketing Live, Google announced the latest ads and commerce product innovations coming to Google and YouTube. Please find a summary of the news below.
Key news from GML 2026 include:
- Create ads that actually answer: We’re announcing new formats for Search and AI Mode to transform ads into seamless interactions, bridging the gap between a user’s initial discovery and their final purchase. We’ve also made it easy for partners to access these new formats with new features that best align with their brand goals.
- Transform automation into intelligence: We’re creating a new Gemini-built Advisor that will soon span all Google Ads products as an always-on strategic partner, building on our new capabilities to proactively troubleshoot and monitor campaign performance.
- Scale your human creativity: Our new Asset Studio features, powered by Gemini, will help marketers remove the guesswork from the creative process by scaling a team’s unique vision globally and ensuring assets connect with the right audience.
- Harness the next era of agentic commerce: We’re bringing more Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP) capabilities to Google, including the checkout experience on AI Mode in Search and the Gemini app, and further evolving the experience for merchants by integrating Direct Offers.
- Drive discovery across more surfaces, verticals, and markets: We’re introducing new AI-powered Demand Gen features, like new Google Maps inventory that connects brands with people exploring the local area, and checkout links in nine new markets. Product feeds are expanding to more surfaces and verticals—including auto. Plus, get started faster with AI-assisted Demand Gen campaign creation.
- Leverage data by unified measurement: We’re bringing Meridian – our open-source Marketing Mix Model – into Google Analytics 360.
Campaign moves
SPAR launches national radio drive to end period poverty by 2030
Making moves
Young designers invited to create a global Nando’s feature ahead of Youth Day
Careers have been launched. Dreams have been realised. Since 2016 the biannual Nando’s Hot Young Designer (HYD) talent search has surfaced the hottest emerging designers in the country – talented creatives who’ve benefited from this coveted business-accelerator opportunity that takes talent out of the shadows and mentors it into the spotlight.
Applications are now open for the sixth edition of Nando’s HYD and young designers from across South Africa are invited to show what they’re made of, with entrants invited to rise to the challenge of designing a striking linear light.
Entries close on 16 June 2026. For more information and to submit entries online, please visit the official microsite: www.hotyoungdesigner.com. Follow @nandos_hyd on Instagram.
Orlando Pirates and Amstel celebrate the Golden Taste of Victory with Soweto fans
Save the date for the launch of the Social Media Landscape Report
For 16 years, the Social Media Landscape Report has helped South African marketers, communicators, and business leaders understand the platforms, behaviours, and trends shaping digital communication.
This year, we’re tackling one of the biggest questions facing brands:
When AI can create, write, and decide, what’s left for humans?
Join Ornico for the official launch of the 2026 Social Media Landscape Report, where we’ll unpack the latest findings and what they mean for marketers, communicators, and brand leaders.
Click on the image to register.
