The Media Online’s weekly round-up of media business moves all in one place.
This week’s BIG move
Matrix Group launches Matrix Consultancy
Matrix Communications Group, the Pan-African integrated marketing and communications group, today announced the launch of its new consultancy practice — a bold step that positions the group at the forefront of strategic business transformation.
The consultancy is built and designed to serve organisations navigating an increasingly complex operating environment, from digital economy disruption and AI adoption to sustainability mandates and agile transformation.
Unlike traditional consultancies that operate in functional silos, Matrix Group’s consultancy integrates four pillars: resonance )understanding what truly moves people), creative blueprint (designing solutions that are both visionary and executable), precision mapping (using data to identify exactly where to act) and market dynamics (translating sectoral shifts into competitive advantage).
“Growth without coherence is just activity. What we are launching is not another advisory firm. It is a fundamentally different way of working, one that connects people, data, human insights, strategy and technology into one cohesive, forward-looking plan. Businesses deserve partners who can see the whole picture and provide effective solutions,” said Kgaugelo Maphai, group CEO, Matrix Group
People moves
Halo doubles down on Cape Town with appointment of Alex Goldberg as ECD
Independent creative agency Halo has appointed Alex Goldberg as Executive Creative Director in Cape Town, as it looks to grow and deepen its presence in one of South Africa’s most vibrant creative hubs.
Ranked the number one Creative Director in Africa and the Middle East at the 2024 One Show Awards, Goldberg joins the agency after a career that has taken him from London to Lagos and seen him work on brands including Volkswagen, Audi, Guinness, KFC, AB InBev and Disney.
The appointment reflects Halo’s long-held belief in the city’s potential.
“Cape Town is an incredible creative city with loads of great talent,” says Dean Oelschig, founder and chief creative officer of Halo. “For us not to have a meaningful presence there would be a missed opportunity.”
While Halo already has an established team in Cape Town, Oelschig believes the city has an even bigger role to play in the agency’s future.
He elaborates further: “This isn’t just another hire, there is more strategic intent behind this as we look to double down in Cape Town. We’ve got clients in Cape Town, we’ve got opportunities in Cape Town, and we see the opportunity to create a bigger team and presence there. Alex is going to lead that creatively and build a team people want to be part of.”
WOO launches search for new chief executive officer
The World Out of Home Organization has launched an immediate search for a new Chief Executive Officer to lead the day-to-day operations of the global industry body.
WOO President Tom Goddard made the announcement during his opening address to delegates at the Annual Congress at the Park Lane Hilton in London — the same speech in which he set out a global Out of Home industry in robust health, with global revenues of US$54bn.
The appointment will allow Goddard to step into a more ambassadorial role, freeing him to focus on member engagement and external advocacy at a moment when WOO is expanding its work across effectiveness, audience measurement and adtech connectivity.
The search is being coordinated by Jeremy Male, Chair of the WOO Nominations Committee. Goddard invited delegates to direct any questions, suggestions or expressions of interest to Jeremy directly on jeremy@worldooh.org or to raise them with any member of the WOO Board.
Business moves
Meta Media lands Hollard FieldSky
Meta Media, a full-service media agency has taken the art of outdoor advertising to a new level with Hollard FieldSky, a first-of-its-kind installation close to OR Tambo International Airport.
The 400m² ground installation turns the idea of uncertainty into something visible at scale, positioning Hollard as one of the first brands to greet visitors arriving in Johannesburg.
“Insurance exists to manage risk in uncertain environments. Airports are one of the clearest real-world expressions of that. It’s an environment where travel, business, and logistics converge under constant movement and unpredictability. Placing a large-scale installation in a high-visibility zone, especially one seen by arriving planes, ensures the brand is embedded right at the moment people enter the environment where awareness of risk, planning, and protection is most relevant,” says Kevin Levy, media strategist at Meta Media.
The Hollard FieldSky was done with WayOut Media, who played a pivotal role in bringing this first-of-its-kind innovation to life. Speaking on the partnership, Dester Fox at WayOut Media said, “This is part of our mission to provide our clients with unique and effective services using our in-house solutions to deliver business and client results.Our team went above and beyond to ensure the project’s success, a true testament to collaboration and creative commitment.”
Tractor strengthens roadside digital network with new sites
Tractor Outdoor has expanded its digital footprint with the addition of several new sites across Cape Town and Johannesburg, further strengthening its national network while reinforcing its dominance in the Western Cape.
With the latest additions, Tractor will now operate 32 digital roadside sites across the Mother City, giving advertisers access to greater reach and more comprehensive coverage in key commuter, retail and lifestyle corridors.
The expansion includes the launch of a brand-new digital site along the high-traffic R27 corridor in Sunningdale, as well as two new Tygervalley digital sites expected to go live in the coming weeks.
For Tractor, its Cape Town growth story is of special significance. While Gauteng might still lead South Africa’s overall outdoor media landscape, the Western Cape is increasingly becoming one of the country’s most sought-after regions for premium DOOH advertising, says Steve Duck, Chief Revenue Officer: Media at Tractor Outdoor.
“Cape Town offers a very different media environment to other major South African metros. You have an audience drawn to a very specific lifestyle, strong economic activity, significantly less roadside clutter and stricter bylaws, which creates exceptional opportunities for brands wanting to cut through the noise. Over the past couple of years, we’ve seen demand consistently increase from advertisers looking for premium digital exposure in the Western Cape, and these new sites form part of our ongoing investment in the region.”
MultiChoice Talent Factory Original Movie arrives on Mzansi Magic this June
Mzansi Magic is set to premiere the first two of four MultiChoice Talent Factory (MTF) Original Movies, with Nolwazi and Siyaya making their debut on the channel this June. Nolwazi premiered on Sunday.
Siyaya premieres on Sunday, 28 June. Directed by Sluphiwe Kumkanii Mfihlo and Amukelani Ngobeni, the film follows a group of strangers whose lives intersect during a single taxi ride, challenging their perspectives and reminding them that even the briefest encounters can leave a lasting impact.
As the first two of four MTF Original Movies coming to Mzansi Magic this year, Nolwazi and Siyaya reflect the calibre of stories emerging from the MultiChoice Talent Factory, with graduates continuing to shape the future of African film and television through authentic, locally rooted storytelling.
AAA unveils new brand positioning: Where the Best Get Better
AAA School of Advertising has launched a refreshed brand positioning, Where the Best Get Better, underpinned by a guiding principle that has grounded the institution for decades: AAA is where legends are born.
The positioning reflects both the school’s heritage and its future direction. For generations, AAA has helped develop many of the creative minds who have gone on to shape South Africa’s advertising, marketing, communications, and design industries. Today, it continues to evolve alongside a rapidly changing realm while remaining committed to developing talent that can thrive in the working world.
Clea Dias, group marketing director at AAA School of Advertising, said this new positioning reflects the institution’s belief that exceptional creative talent cannot be mass-produced: “Talent may be inherent, but it is cultivated through mentorship, challenge, industry exposure, and personal attention. At AAA, we believe every student deserves to be seen, supported, and developed as an individual.”
New report reveals South African businesses don’t have a software problem. They have a judgement problem
South African businesses have become highly effective at producing software quickly. What remains far less clear is why this increased engineering velocity is failing to translate into commercial growth for many companies.
That is the central finding of the 2026 State of Product Development Report, released this month by Cape Town-based digital product consultancy Specno. The report outlines the 10 capabilities now defining how scaling product teams turn digital products into revenue, and names the widening performance gap between companies that ship features and those that actually compound revenue growth.
“The market has become very good at measuring output,” says Joshua Harvey, CEO at Specno. “What many businesses still struggle to measure is whether the systems underneath that output are mature enough to sustain growth effectively over time. The bar for turning product into revenue has risen sharply in the last 24 months. Capital is harder to raise. Compounding it is harder still. The gap between teams that compound their gains and those that stall continues to widen with each passing quarter.”
The report introduces what Specno calls the Product-to-Revenue Capability Stack, a three-layer model covering Product Decisioning, Delivery Velocity and Revenue Conversion. The report identifies 10 core capabilities that consistently distinguish high-performing, compounding product teams from those that stall, regardless of industry, business model, or stage of growth.
WPP named first launch partner to pilot Meta’s newest creative solution, integrated within WPP Open
WPP today announced it is expanding its long-standing partnership with Meta. WPP will become the first advertising partner to pilot Meta’s new creative solution, built to navigate creative strategy and optimisation, currently in testing, for brands to analyse and suggest improvements for creative performance. It will be integrated directly into WPP Open, WPP’s pioneering agentic marketing platform.
The partnership addresses a critical need for advertisers. In Q1 for 2026, global ad impressions across Meta increased by 19%. With more than 3.5 billion people using at least one of Meta’s apps every day, the ability to optimise ad creatives for this ecosystem is paramount to driving client growth.
This planned integration enables WPP teams to turn campaign performance data into a clear creative playbook with AI, allowing marketers to move beyond guesswork, easily identify high-performing creative, generate new concepts and validate them with robust testing. Agency teams can seamlessly diagnose, generate and scale winning creative for the world’s biggest brands without adding new workflows.
BBC World Service brings Future of Journalism Festival to Nairobi
On Thursday 9 July and Friday 10 July, the BBC World Service will host the BBC Future of Journalism Festival in Nairobi, a free, two-day event bringing together BBC journalists, media leaders, and emerging voices from across Africa and beyond.
Open to students, aspiring journalists, and those interested in storytelling, the festival will offer a mix of panel sessions, practical workshops, networking opportunities, and a live podcast recording.
Attendees will gain insight into the forces shaping modern journalism — from solutions-focused reporting and investigative storytelling to the growing influence of artificial intelligence, podcasting, and social media.
The festival will be hosted by Myra Anubi, presenter of the BBC World Service’s People Fixing The World radio programme and podcast.
Throughout the festival, participants will have opportunities to engage with speakers during dedicated networking sessions.
The festival will conclude with a live recording of People Fixing The World, giving attendees a behind-the-scenes look at how global podcast journalism is produced.
Acer Africa partners with Syntech to supercharge Nitro gaming footprint across South Africa
Acer Africa has officially announced a strategic distribution partnership with Syntech, a leading distributor of premier technology and gaming peripherals in South Africa. The agreement will see Syntech take the reins in driving the growth, local availability, and retail market share of Acer’s highly acclaimed Nitro gaming brand.
By leveraging Syntech’s deep-rooted logistics infrastructure, robust reseller network, and dedicated focus on the gaming ecosystem, the partnership represents a major operational step forward for Acer Africa. The collaboration is designed to make high-performance gaming hardware more accessible to casual players, esports enthusiasts, and student creators across the region.
Campaign moves
Samsung brings ‘Awesome Intelligence’ to life with bold new Galaxy A Series local film
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. recently unveiled the new Galaxy A57 5G and Galaxy A37 5G, the latest editions of its popular Galaxy A series, bringing powerful mobile AI (artificial intelligence) innovations and enriched Awesome Intelligence to more users around the world.
As part of celebrating the launch locally, Samsung South Africa is turning the spotlight on one of the devices’ standout features: the powerful camera, with which you’ll never miss the shot. In collaboration with one of Mzansi’s leading film production companies, Samsung has produced a dynamic new film that captures how South Africans are using AI-powered photography to tell their stories in fresh, expressive ways.
Making moves
Temba Bavuma Foundation widens access to quality education through St David’s partnership
As the Temba Bavuma Foundation reaches its tenth anniversary, it has deepened its commitment to one of its founding pillars: giving boys and girls from disadvantaged backgrounds access to quality education.
That commitment took shape in Alexandra through the Foundation’s partnership with St David’s Marist Inanda Alexandra Campus and Empowered Futures.
The Future Founders Challenge: Soap-to-Startup Build a Business in a Box was co-designed by the Temba Bavuma Foundation and Empowered Futures, and launched at the school as a youth entrepreneurship and financial literacy activation delivered as part of Youth Month. The programme brought together 46 Grade 10 learners for a morning of practical business and financial skills, but it is the partnership itself that speaks to the heart of the Foundation’s work.
One of the Foundation’s core objectives has always been to open the door to the kind of education that changes the trajectory of a young person’s life. The St David’s Alexandra Campus model brings that vision to life. It allows learners to remain rooted in their own community while accessing the standard of education and opportunity that was historically out of reach.
Engen Xtreme accelerates customer engagement at Zwartkops Regional Extreme Festival
Engen Xtreme reinforced its commitment to motorsport and customer engagement at the Regional Extreme Festival hosted at Zwartkops Raceway on Saturday, 13 June, where the brand welcomed customers and partners to an exclusive hospitality experience overlooking the action-packed circuit.
The Regional Extreme Festival provided the ideal setting to connect directly with customers in an environment that celebrates performance, precision and passion.
Set against the backdrop of one of Gauteng’s most iconic race venues, the event showcased a full day of regional racing action, including the much-anticipated Zwartkops 200, attracting local competitors, motorsport enthusiasts and provincial racing talent.
Engen hosted customers in the VIP hospitality suite above the pits, offering premium race viewing alongside a curated hospitality experience complete with lounge furnishings, catering and a dedicated coffee station. The activation created a relaxed but high-energy environment for guests to immerse themselves in the excitement of race day while experiencing the Engen Xtreme brand first-hand.
