The Media Online’s weekly round-up of media business moves all in one place.
This week’s BIG move
Greg Maloka returns to Kaya 959
Kaya 959 and United Stations have announced the appointment of respected media executive, radio strategist, and cultural entrepreneur Greg Maloka as executive commercial partner.
Maloka will be contracted through his company, Griza Enterprise, to United Stations, the specialist media sales house representing a portfolio of radio, audio, and digital brands, including Kaya 959.
The move marks a significant homecoming for Maloka, who previously served as managing director of Kaya 959, won the station three prestigious Commercial Radio Station of the Year awards, and helped establish Kaya 959 as one of South Africa’s most distinctive and commercially successful radio brands.
His return comes at a moment of renewed momentum for Kaya 959. It follows the recent announcement that broadcasting heavyweight Thato Sikwane, better known as DJ Fresh, will join Kaya 959 as host of the station’s flagship weekday breakfast show from 1 July 2026.
Together, the appointments point to a new phase for Kaya 959: bigger talent, stronger cultural relevance, deeper commercial ambition and a renewed focus on serving South Africa’s most influential, culturally engaged and economically active audiences.
Dave Tiltmann, acting managing executive at Kaya 959, says Maloka’s return brings both institutional memory and fresh commercial energy.
Business moves
ReachPlayers joins IAB gaming task force to reshape how brands invest in gaming
ReachPlayers, the in-game advertising network connecting brands and agencies to audiences inside Roblox, Fortnite, and Minecraft and more, has been selected as one of 18 companies joining the IAB’s task force to define how gaming is bought and sold as a media channel.
The IAB, the trade body responsible for the standards that underpin digital advertising, is convening a small group of companies to establish the frameworks brands and agencies need to invest in gaming with confidence: agreed measurement methodologies, brand suitability standards, and buying models that sit comfortably inside a media plan.
“Gaming is already where the audience is. This task force is about making sure the industry has the infrastructure to match,” said Michael Anav, CEO at ReachPlayers. “Being part of this conversation means gaming is moving closer to where it belongs: inside the media plan, with clear buying models, clear measurement, and clear value for brands. We are proud to be in the room.”
Network X OOH relaunches with a bold new identity rooted in Mzansi’s streets
Network X OOH, a specialist in premium, township, transit and digital advertising solutions, has officially relaunched its brand, unveiling a refreshed identity, renewed market positioning and a bold campaign platform that captures the company’s belief that the street remains one of South Africa’s most powerful media environments.
The relaunch marks a new chapter for a business that has spent more than a decade building outdoor media networks where South Africans live, move, trade and connect. The refreshed brand reflects Network X OOH’s evolution from a restless start-up spirit into an ambitious, culturally connected challenger, with a national footprint across roadside billboards, township digital screens, transit environments and commuter routes.
Network X OOH was founded by serial entrepreneurs Dimitri Tsaperas, Nicolas Tsaperas, Amz Gomez and Grant Jansen, whose instinct for building, testing and moving quickly shaped the company from its earliest days. Rather than chase only prestige placements, the business focused on environments where daily South African life is most visible: taxi ranks, township main roads, CBD corridors, taverns, retail strips and transport routes.
S3 to broadcast FIFA World Cup
The South African Broadcasting Corporation’s (SABC) Video Entertainment division has announced S3 will be the primary broadcast channel for the FIFA World Cup 2026, delivering extensive coverage of the world’s biggest sporting event to South African audiences.
In a move designed to maximise access for football fans across the country, all Bafana Bafana matches will be simulcast on both SABC1 and S3, ensuring that South Africans can unite behind the national team as they return to the FIFA World Cup for the first time since 2010.
Viewers can look forward to comprehensive tournament coverage hosted by SABC Sport presenters Andile Ncube, Vusiwe Ngcobo and Thabiso Mosia, who will guide audiences through the action with expert analysis, commentary and insights throughout the competition.
The FIFA World Cup 2026 officially gets underway on Thursday, 11 June 2026, with the Opening Ceremony and Build-Up programme broadcasting live on SABC1 and S3 from 18:30 to 21:00.
Immediately following the Opening Ceremony, South Africans will witness a historic moment as Bafana Bafana take on Mexico in the tournament’s opening match at 21:00.
Social agency team5pm opens Johannesburg office to launch innovation hub
team5pm, a social agency and part of global social-first group SAMY (1 200+ employees worldwide), opened a new office in Johannesburg in June 2026, expanding its South African presence alongside its Cape Town office established in 2022.
As demand grows for scalable social media content and influencer marketing across markets, the Johannesburg office will operate as an innovation hub building capability across data, automation, tooling and AI-enabled workflows for global clients including Unilever, L’Oréal and Barilla.
Merishia Collins, managing director, South Africa, will lead the Johannesburg office and oversee team growth and capability across both Johannesburg and Cape Town.
“Social marketing is becoming more technical, with data, AI-enabled workflows and automation increasingly central to delivery,” said Tim Knots, technology & innovation director at team5pm. “For years, creativity was the main differentiator in our industry. That’s changing. Today the strongest teams bring strategy, creativity and technical capability together, and Johannesburg is the right environment to build that alongside our Cape Town operation.”
The Johannesburg office establishes a two-hub South Africa model alongside Cape Town.
Relaunch expands (my)cards from storage utility to full loyalty experience
Ignis Labs, the technology division of South African media and innovation group Glynt, has announced the relaunch of its consumer loyalty platform under a new name. StoreMyCards is now (my)cards, an app to help South Africans get the full value from all their retail loyalty programmes.
Since Glynt acquired the app towards the end of 2025, the platform has evolved beyond simple card storage toward an easy, consumer-centred loyalty experience. With many consumers belonging to multiple loyalty programmes, cards can get lost, and rewards go unredeemed. (my)cards brings everything together in one seamless app, making it easier to access and benefit from the rewards on offer.
“StoreMyCards reflected what the product did,” says Byron Rode, co-founder and CEO of Ignis Labs. “It was a functional ‘storage’ space. (my)cards reflects a more personal relationship with loyalty, one that goes beyond storage to helping consumers manage and unlock value.”
Tribeca marks 20 years with seven new client wins in first half of 2026
AI-Powered consumer simulation platform wins top prize in national entrepreneurship programme
A South African marketing technology business that uses artificial intelligence to simulate consumer behaviour has been recognised as the top-performing enterprise in the inaugural Mr Price Foundation Bindzu Youth Fund.
Founded by entrepreneur Kamogelo Selepe, ArcaneEdge secured the programme’s top prize of R1 million after emerging as the highest-ranked business among 1 692 applicants from across the country.
Selepe is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Commerce in Information Systems at the University of Johannesburg. She founded ArcaneEdge after witnessing the challenges small businesses face in adapting to an increasingly digital economy, an experience shaped in part by seeing her mother’s education business struggle during the Covid-19 pandemic.
ArcaneEdge’s Digital Doppelgänger technology helps brands test campaigns and predict consumer responses before spending marketing budgets.
Singularity relaunches executive programme for a new era of leadership
Singularity South Africa has announced the relaunch of its flagship Executive Programme, introducing a restructured, four-phase format designed to support top business leaders as they navigate translating emerging technology into measurable organisational outcomes.
Developed as a 12-month journey, the programme responds to a growing disconnect within organisations where experimentation is widespread, but meaningful implementation remains limited. While technologies such as AI are evolving at top speed, many leadership teams are still grappling with uncertainty around value, governance and its place in long-term strategy.
Shayne Mann, co-CEO of Singularity South Africa, explains that the shift reflects what organisations are experiencing on the ground: “These technologies are already reshaping how organisations operate, yet many leaders are still searching for clarity on how to leverage them. This programme is designed to move beyond theory and give executives the confidence to make informed, high-stakes decisions in an environment that is constantly evolving.”
vida e caffè marks 25 years with a landmark opening
vida e caffè has opened its 400th store at The Exchange, 15 Lower Long Street, Cape Town, marking a significant milestone in the brand’s journey from a single café on Kloof Street in 2001 to one of Africa’s leading coffee brands.
Located just minutes from where the first vida e caffè store opened nearly 25 years ago, the new location reflects innovation and entrepreneurial spirit, shaped by the collective efforts of franchise partners, team members, suppliers, strategic partners and customers.
From its beginnings as a single neighbourhood coffee shop, vida e caffè has grown into a premium coffee and brand operating across South Africa, Ghana, Mauritius, Zambia, Eswatini, Botswana, Namibia and Angola.
Darren Levy, CEO of vida e caffè, says: “Reaching 400 stores is a proud moment for us but what makes it truly special is an opportunity to recognize the people who made it possible. This achievement belongs to the thousands of individuals who have contributed to our success over the past 25 years — from franchise partners and store teams to suppliers, strategic partners and loyal customers.”
Campaign moves
Satrix wants to know: How far would you go for a business you own?
Three years ago, Satrix introduced South Africa to a different kind of investor, one who doesn’t just check their portfolio, but notices the fingerprints on the glass of a supermarket they invest in, the wobble in the chair, the menu item that shouldn’t exist. The point wasn’t that these people were obsessive; it was that ownership changes your relationship to a place.
The 2026 campaign follows that thread and builds on it.
Two new digital films are set in the kind of unremarkable everyday moment most of us pass through without registering. In the first, a Gen Z investor steps into a busy kitchen and watches a stone-faced chef finalise his art. She notices that the plating is missing a little something. And while he does not look like someone who takes notes, she steps in and fixes it anyway, because her investment in this franchise makes the restaurant partly hers.
The second follows a man about to board a flight. The air hostess begins the announcements, and then, as seems to happen at the most inconvenient times, hiccups arrive, and she can’t get through a sentence. He takes over the PA without hesitation, delivering the full briefing to a room of strangers. Because the flight experience matters to him in a way that goes beyond wanting to board on time.
Making moves
Instagram introduces Grid Reordering, giving creators and businesses more control over profile storytelling
Instagram rolled out the ability to rearrange posts on your profile grid for the first time yesterday, giving creators more flexibility and creative control over how their profile appears and what people see first when they land on their page.
Whether you’re highlighting a new era, resurfacing older content, refreshing your aesthetic, or showcasing key projects/work, “Grid Reordering” makes it easier to shape your profile around what feels most relevant to you right now.
For South African creators and small businesses, where Instagram often plays the role of a digital storefront, portfolio, and discovery tool, this kind of control over profile presentation can make a real difference in how audiences engage with content.
How it works: Using the feature is simple — just long-press on a post from your Instagram profile, tap “Reorder grid,” and drag posts into any order you’d like. Pinned posts and reels will remain fixed at the top of the grid.
Notice of the 2026 Safrea Annual General Meeting
Official notice of the annual general meeting is hereby given. All members and freelancers in the Communications and Media field are invited to join Exco and the various Regcos for an online Zoom meeting.
DATE: 24 June 2026, 17h30.
ZOOM LINK: Safrea Admin is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: Safrea ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 2026
Time: Jun 24, 2026 05:30 PM Johannesburg
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86905808233?pwd=J3D5OWsXMqhHRZljGV6cRS0zKyrh4a.1
Meeting ID: 869 0580 8233
Passcode: 117908
We Ran Out of Wall
Solid Gold Podcast’s Wall of Fame, the downstairs display of cover art from most of the podcasts it has had the privilege to work on, got so full there was nowhere left to stick up the next ones.
So the team took the whole lot down and started over.
This time we placed them closer together, to make room for all the shows still to come.
It filled up faster than we expected – thanks to you!
