The Media Online’s weekly round-up of media business moves, all in one place.
This week’s BIG move
MultiChoice puts the SA creative industry first at Durban FilmMart 2026
MultiChoice is heading to the 17th Durban FilmMart (9 to 12 October) to build new partnerships that will help turn South African filmmakers’ abundant supply of creative ideas into viable productions, grow businesses and careers, and protect intellectual property.
“A sustainable local content industry requires both investment and an enabling ecosystem in which producers can build businesses, women can progress into leadership, and where emerging professionals can access mentorship and opportunity,” says Willington Ngwepe, MultiChoice (Pty) Ltd CEO.
“As the custodians of DStv’s content in South Africa, we understand the challenges that creators are facing while constantly listening to our customers to understand what they want to see on their screens – and we want to bring the supply and demand sides closer together with the right funding, training and support to continue to grow the industry we’ve invested in for over three decades.”
Durban FilmMart has a long history of connecting filmmakers and producers with finance, co-production opportunities, industry expertise, international market opportunities and potential partners.
“Having a partner of MultiChoice’s stature alongside us is a significant milestone for the Durban FilmMart,” said Magdalene Reddy, director of the DFM. “MultiChoice has a long-standing commitment to African storytelling, and their involvement strengthens our mission to connect filmmakers with the financing and partnerships they need. For filmmakers, this kind of access is invaluable. It means projects will engage with decision-makers who can help move them from concept to screen.”
WiC aims at African cinema’s missing link: audiences
African cinema has spent decades building filmmakers, films, festivals, markets and production capacity. Yet one fundamental challenge remains: how do African films consistently find, grow and sustain paying African audiences?
At Durban FilmMart 2026 (9 to 12 October), Deepixels will introduce WiC, Watch in Community, an audience infrastructure initiative designed to help build new audience markets for African screen content.
“Across African film, we have invested substantially in creative development, production capacity and market access,” says Toni Monty, co-founder of Deepixels. “The missing discipline has been sustained audience development. WiC is designed to help address that gap by building practical routes between content, audiences, transactions and exhibition, so that more African stories can find viable markets over time.”
People moves
Thumiso Masoha to lead HUMANTRUTH
After 100 years of building South Africa’s most iconic brands, FCB Africa officially bows out and makes room for a new chapter with the launch of HUMANTRUTH Agency. An independent African marketing agency, HUMANTRUTH consolidates Nahana Communications Group’s FCB Africa and boutique media agency Meta Media.
Thumiso Masoha leads the business as managing director. Speaking at the launch of HUMANTRUTH, Masoha said, “This is Day One of HUMANTRUTH – an agency built for the future of the African marketing industry. We are bringing together integrated strategy, creative and media because people do not experience brands in separate disciplines. They experience one brand, across ideas, platforms, culture and conversations.”
Masoha added, “We are bringing something different to the industry, using the very building blocks that have made our country’s marketing landscape one of the best in the world. The unit of work may be the deliverable, measurement metrics may be the outcome, but the true unit of value of our work is the shift in the relationship between the brand and the human. We want to change what growth for clients looks like by asking better questions and using human understanding to create work that moves people and grows brands.”
HUMANTRUTH leverages the creative and brand-building capabilities of FCB Africa, and Meta Media’s expertise in media, audiences, data and behavioural intelligence.
The Vineyard Hotel welcomes Shaun Tregoning as general manager
The Vineyard has announced the appointment of Shaun Tregoning as general manager, effective 28 September 2026.
He brings more than three decades of hospitality experience across South Africa and internationally. Most recently general manager of The Westin Cairo Golf Resort & Spa, his career has included senior leadership roles at The Westin Cape Town, The Table Bay and The Palace of the Lost City, as well as hotel assignments elsewhere in Africa.
Business moves
MEX26 slated for end October
Music Exchange (MEX), South Africa’s leading music business conference, returns to Cape Town on 31 October 2026, bringing together 12 highly respected local and international speakers, a keynote address from SAMRO CEO Annabell Lebethe, senior SAMRO leadership, major prize giveaways from Bothners Music Group and four days of access to FAME Week Africa activities.
For 16 years, Music Exchange has been built around one simple principle: delegates should leave with more than inspiration. They should leave with practical knowledge, industry contacts, business opportunities and a better understanding of how the entertainment economy works.
That philosophy drives MEX26, taking place at the Protea Fire & Ice Hotel, Cape Town, under the theme, Navigating Today’s Entertainment Economy: Strategies, Skills and Opportunities for Success.
As part of FAME Week Africa, a MEX26 ticket delivers exceptional value, giving delegates access to four days of talks, networking opportunities and industry engagement from Wednesday through Saturday.
Hosted by popular broadcaster and industry personality DJ Eazy, MEX26 will feature 12 leading speakers drawn from the worlds of music rights, publishing, artist management, technology, sync licensing, branding, entrepreneurship, leadership and artificial intelligence.
5FM unwraps an explosive birthday month celebration with #5FMBornToParty and #5FMBornToPlay
5FM is celebrating its birthday in October and gearing up to make a proper statement on being Born to Party and Born to Play. The station will be celebrating in full colour and full surround with a month packed with massive events, iconic throwbacks, wild giveaways and the raddest birthday game on radio, with a share of a whopping R50 000 in cash up for grabs.
This October, 5FM explodes nationwide with #5FMBornToParty, bringing listeners a host of birthday events where they can catch their favourite shows broadcasting live from the action:
- 10 years of The Kyle Cassim Show, Kaytee’s Place, Sandton – 23 October 2026
- Saint Champagne Lounge, Cape Town – 30 October, with Taste the Weekend with Taste Champagne lighting up the party between 22h00 and 01h00
- Johannesburg Pride – 31 October, with Top 40 on 5 with Harrison Mkhize joining the fray from 10h00 to 14h00
- Haunted House of Cassim Halloween, Amazon, Menlyn – 31 October 2026
- Truth Halloween, Truth Nightclub, Midrand – 31 October 2026
Masi Mdingane, business manager for 5FM and Good Hope FM, says: “5FM is THE authority in youth music, news and culture, and there’s no better way to LIVE that than with our birthday month – louder, braver, geared towards the new generation and built for only one thing: a level HIGHER. We keep reinventing ourselves to remain the cross-platform beat that Mzansi’s young movers and shakers move to. This birthday month is a celebration of the beautiful places we’ve been… and the thrilling new heights we’re going to next. October to the power of 5 is one thing you do NOT want to miss.”
Shaka iLembe: Zulu King makes international debut
STUDIOCANAL will bring the record-breaking isiZulu-language drama to buyers outside Africa for the first time ahead of MIPCOM 2026. STUDIOCANAL has launched international sales at the market, revealing a first look at season 3.
Produced by Bomb Productions for MultiChoice, a CANAL+ company, SHAKA ILEMBE: ZULU KING is the origin story of King Shaka kaSenzangakhona, told authentically, in isiZulu, by African filmmakers and historians.
Across its first two series, it has become the highest-rated drama in DStv’s history, the most-searched TV series in South Africa in 2023, and the record-holder for the most wins by a drama series in a single year at the SAFTAs, with 12 wins including Best Drama Series.
The series is executive produced by Desiree Markgraaff and Nomzamo Mbatha, who also stars as Queen Nandi.
Nomsa Philiso, vice president, content, CANAL+ Africa, concludes: “The international launch of Shaka iLembe: Zulu King marks an important moment not only for this extraordinary franchise, but for African storytelling as a whole. MultiChoice has spent decades investing in local stories because we believe cultural authenticity and global appeal are not opposing ideas; they are mutually reinforcing. Shaka iLembe demonstrates that the most powerful stories are often the most specific, and we are delighted to see this proudly African production find new audiences around the world.”
Nedbank to power the next generation of South African gaming as rAge Nation’s headline sponsor
Nedbank is deepening its commitment to South Africa’s gaming community as the headline sponsor of rAge Nation, taking place from 27 to 29 November 2026 at Level 8, Fourways Mall in Johannesburg.
The partnership brings together Nedbank’s growing involvement in South African gaming and esports with an event that has been at the heart of the country’s gaming and geek culture for more than two decades.
For Nedbank, the partnership is about more than reaching a growing audience.
“Gaming has become one of the most influential forms of entertainment and community in South Africa. For the people inside it, however, it has always been much more than entertainment,” says Chipo Mushwana, executive emerging VP Innovate. “It is where friendships are formed, skills are developed, careers begin and people find communities in which they belong. Nedbank understands that potential, and we want to help create more opportunities for South African gamers to participate, progress and be recognised.”
CANAL+ and STUDIOCANAL announce the international launch of SPINNERS season 2
Following the great success of the award-winning first season, CANAL+ and STUDIOCANAL, CANAL+’s in-house studio and worldwide distributor of SPINNERS, announce the global rollout of Spinners Season 2 at the end of October.
SPINNERS Season 2 will air across more than 45 countries spanning French-, English- and Portuguese-speaking Africa, France, Overseas territories, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Belgium, and in five language editions: the original English/Kaaps/Afrikaans, French, Swahili and Amharic dubs, and Portuguese subtitles. The scale of the release reflects CANAL+’s wider ambition to bring African stories to audiences around the world.
“SPINNERS has already proven that African stories can compete on the world stage, and this rollout is us backing that conviction at scale. Bringing Season 2 to millions of viewers across the world and delivering it in more than five languages means audiences from Lagos to Paris get to experience South African storytelling at its best,” says Nomsa Philiso, executive vice president, content, CANAL+ Africa.
Vodacom South Africa and SmartOps Fleet partner on e-hailing economy
Vodacom South Africa and SmartOps Fleet have brought together partners from the technology, financial services, automotive and e-hailing sectors in a new integrated programme designed to broaden participation in South Africa’s growing e-hailing economy.
With an ambition to introduce up to 55 000 vehicles over the next nine to 12 months, the programme could support up to 110 000 driver opportunities, based on two drivers per vehicle. The initiative also targets a fleet mix of 66% electric vehicles (EVs), supporting growth in South Africa’s e-hailing sector.
Launching during Transport Month, the programme brings vehicle ownership, finance, technology and professional fleet management together, creating a pathway for qualifying individuals to participate in the e-hailing economy through vehicle ownership.
“The programme demonstrates what can be achieved when organisations across different sectors combine their capabilities around a shared challenge. By bringing together capabilities across technology and financial services, we are helping to create an ecosystem that supports broader participation for both vehicle owners and drivers,” says Sitho Mdlalose, CEO at Vodacom South Africa.
Homegrown Nawty Water brand expands retail footprint with Pick n Pay listing
Homegrown South African hard seltzer brand Nawty Water is expanding its retail footprint through a new listing with Pick n Pay, marking the next phase of growth for the locally built brand.
Founded by Michael Tones and Jason Reid, Nawty Water has built its following differently. Community first. Brand second. Sales third.
Tones says, “It’s not marketing speak. It’s written into the company’s internal manifesto: ‘Community first. Brand protected. Sales follow.’”
USAASA welcomes ministerial approval of Universal Service and Access Fund
The Universal Service and Access Agency of South Africa (USAASA) welcomes the approval of the Universal Service and Access Fund (USAF) Manual by the Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, Honourable Solly Malatsi. The approval follows a collaborative review process between the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies (DCDT) and USAASA.
The approved Manual establishes a strategic and administrative framework for the management and implementation of funding interventions supported by the USAF.
It provides clarity on the Fund’s objectives, governance arrangements, funding instruments and accountability mechanisms, strengthening the framework through which universal access and universal service interventions will be supported across South Africa.
The approval follows engagements between USAASA and DCDT to strengthen the Manual and align it with legislative requirements, governance principles and national development priorities.
Fifty5Blue selected by beIN to deliver unified audience measurement across 24 MENA markets
Fifty5Blue has announced that it has been selected by beIN MEDIA GROUP (‘beIN’) to design, build and operate a unified audience-measurement system across 24 markets in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).
The three-year agreement will bring together return-path viewing data from connected set-top boxes with usage data from beIN’s streaming platform, creating a single view of audiences across satellite television and OTT services.
Fifty5Blue will apply proprietary capping and modelling to the combined data to produce reliable household-level insights across one of the world’s most complex multi-market, multi-platform viewing environments.
hayo joins Linux Foundation and CAMARA Project
hayo, a digital infrastructure provider, has joined the Linux Foundation and become a member of the CAMARA Project to accelerate the adoption of network APIs across Africa and the Middle East.
With the worldwide network API market forecast to grow from $1.5 billion in 2025 to $6.9 billion by 2029, according to IDC, hayo is helping to shape the future of network-based services, digital identity and authentication across high-growth markets.
CAMARA is an open-source project within the Linux Foundation, focused on defining, developing and testing telco northbound APIs related to service and service management.
Campaign moves
SASKO invites South Africans to name the 12 official sandwiches of South Africa
South Africa recognises 12 official languages, each one a marker of who the country is and where its people come from. This Heritage Month, SASKO is asking the country to give the same kind of recognition to something eaten in almost every South African home but rarely celebrated as heritage: the sandwich.
Rather than telling South Africans a heritage story, the bakery brand is asking the country to help write one by naming the 12 sandwiches that best represent South African food culture. In a bread category often shaped by habit, value and everyday routine, the campaign gives consumers a reason to see the sandwich as part of a shared national story.
The search is now open, and South Africans can share the sandwich they believe deserves official status. From the Kota, born out of Soweto’s quarter-loaf trade, and the Gatsby, a Cape Flats institution built for sharing, to the bunny chow, a Durban original with its own claim to being the most talked-about sandwich in the country, the Braaibroodjie, the Boerie roll, chicken mayo, bacon, egg and cheese, Dagwood, chip sandwich and vetkoek, there are many ways the country already enjoys a sandwich.
South Africans buy any SASKO loaf, buns or rolls, scan the QR code on the pack and enter the last four digits of the barcode, then share their favourite sandwich by text or voice note. Every valid entry unlocks an instant reward and a place in the weekly and grand-prize cash draws.
Participants can post a photo or video of their own sandwich on social media, tagging @sasko_sa and using the hashtag #12OfficialSandwichesOfSA, for more chances to win.
SPAR and Cancervive turn one pink cap into a breast cancer awareness campaign
SPAR is making its private-label water bottles part of the message this Cancer Awareness Month. Developed in support of Cancervive, the campaign changes one in every 12 caps on SPAR 500ml Still Water bottles to pink, bringing the campaign’s central statistic into view: one in 12 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime.
The creative approach builds on the initiative’s donation mechanic to create a more personal connection with a cause that affects families and communities across South Africa. Throughout October, every purchase of SPAR 500ml Still Water contributes towards Cancervive’s cancer awareness, education and community support initiatives, regardless of cap colour.
The campaign uses the shape of the bottles, their shadows and pink caps to create imagery that evokes breasts. Paired with the line “You noticed. That’s a start.”, the creative connects the act of noticing an advertisement with a wider message about paying attention to breast health.
“We wanted to create a campaign that gives people a reason to stop and engage with a subject that can be difficult to talk about,” says Mpudi Maubane, head: PR, communications & sponsorship at The SPAR Group. “By using a familiar product in an unexpected way, we can bring the conversation closer to everyday life and connect that awareness with support for Cancervive’s work.”
LunchBar unveils limited-edition chrome foil pack with R1 million in prizes up for grabs
LunchBar is unveiling its bold new Chrome Foil Limited Edition, giving South Africans a fresh take on the iconic chocolate bar that continues to deliver Much Much More.
At the centre of the campaign is the return of fan favourite Bra Lucas, who introduces his latest theory yet, the Chrome Foil LunchBar Invisible-izer. Inspired by his fascination with the unknown, Lucas believes the new chrome foil packaging has been specially designed to shield LunchBars from alien detection.
While the theory itself may raise questions, the new limited-edition pack is designed to do exactly the opposite: stand out on shelves and spark conversation among consumers across the country.
The launch marks more than just a packaging refresh. The Chrome Foil Limited Edition transforms LunchBar into a playful cultural moment rooted in curiosity, humour and shared South African experiences, while staying true to the brand’s promise of delivering Much Much More.
“LunchBar has always connected with South Africans through humour, imagination and culturally relevant storytelling. The Chrome Foil Limited Edition allows us to reimagine the familiar in a way that feels entertaining, memorable and distinctly Mzansi,” said Ayesha Hassim, brand manager for Cadbury LunchBar.
