The Media Online’s weekly round up of people, account and business moves in media.
This week’s BIG move: Boomtown seeks graduates for 2021 internship intake
Boomtown, the full-service agency headquartered Port Elizabeth and with offices in Johannesburg, is looking for university or college graduates from the marketing and advertising disciplines to join its 2021 internship programme.
The programme, called ‘Bayeza’, which means ‘they are coming’ in isiXhosa, is designed to empower the new generation of creatives and marketers by giving them an opportunity to learn on the job from Boomtown’s dynamic team in its Port Elizabeth agency.
After its experience with its first graphic design intern, Pola Maneli in 2012, Boomtown created and launched Bayeza ins 2013 and has since assisted 22 talented young Port Elizabethans enter the industry.
For the 2021 intake, it is looking to employ a conceptual copywriter, conceptual designer, art director, digital strategist, digital content writer, community manger and content creator, 3D renderer & animator and a communication strategist.
Successful applicants will need to be in Port Elizabeth, ready to start work on Monday 18 January 2021.
“Bayeza, welcomes all graduates to see what we see and take the opportunity to be a part of a creative, innovative and award-winning team that creates ground-breaking, rich and meaningful work,” said Boomtown CEO Glen Meier.
“The programme is an integral part of our business transformation strategy and our commitment to the industry in Port Elizabeth. As much as we take pride in being main-market specialists and having our finger on the pulse of the South African consumer, we are most proud of how this is reflected in our full time hires and in Bayeza.”
People moves
Chris Botha new president of the Audit Bureau of Circulations
The Audit Bureau of Circulations, ABC, has announced the election of Chris Botha to the position of President of the ABC. Andre van Tonder has been elected Vice President.
“The ABC wishes all its members well during these very challenging times,” it said in a notice to members.
Botha is the group managing director at Park Advertising, the holding group for The MediaShop and Meta Media.
Cape Town ECD one of Creativepool’s Creative Industry Influencers of the Year 2020
Cape Town-based Camilla Clerke, executive creative director at the human connections agency HelloFCB+, has been named as one of Creativepool’s Creative Industry Influencers of the Year for 2020.
Home to over 250 000 talented people and 20 000 of the planet’s most innovative companies, Creativepool is the hub that connects the global creative industry. Its Annual Awards is a collection of the best and brightest campaigns, brands, agencies, influencers and newcomers from across the globe.
“This year, Creativepool winners included industry powerhouses Phil Jones (Podge Events – People’s Choice), Matt Eastwood (McCann Health), Karen Blackett (WPP) and Aaisha Dadral (Crave) and there were many more equally talented creatives who were nominated, so to make the final list of Creative Industry Influencers of the Year is an honour,” said Clerke.
Clerke started her career in Johannesburg as a copywriter working on television, radio and print campaigns for clients like FNB, MTN and Wimpy, before finding her way into experimental and innovative digital agency, Hellocomputer.
Key editorial appointments at Independent Media
Independent Media has announced several key editorial appointments in KwaZulu-Natal that will take effect 1 November 2020.
Sandile Mdadane is the new editor of Sunday Tribune. Mdadane has extensive experience in the media industry and has been with the group for the past 12 years. Philani Mazibuko has been appointed editor of The Mercury. Mazibuko, who has been an integral member of The Mercury’s editorial team for over 15 years, will now helm the region’s flagship publication.
Ayanda Mdluli takes over as editor of Daily News. He recently headed up Independent’s Special Investigation Unit and now joins the corps of young editors in the group. Former acting editor of the Daily News, Zoubair Ayoob, has been appointed editor of Independent on Saturday, while Mazwi Xaba, relinquishing his post as editor of the Independent on Saturday, will assume the position of managing editor for the region.
Yogas Nair, former editor of The Mercury will be taking up a senior appointment within the wider Group, details of which will be announced shortly.
Radio Pulpit 657AM appoints new CEO
Rev. Karel Verhoef, previously chief operations officer (of Radio Pulpit 657AM, has been appointed as the new CEO of the Christian radio station. This follows the resignation of Dr Roelf Petersen from his post as executive director (ED) of the Pulpit Media Group (PMG), after 20 years of service.
Verhoef has been working at Radio Pulpit for 24 years and has extensive knowledge of the station’s operations. He is also an ordained reverend in the Dutch Reformed church.
His vision for Radio Pulpit includes:
- Being a reliable, relevant and impactful Christian media voice in SA;
- Being an agile and fast adaptable media organisation in SA in the digital era;
- Being a trustworthy corporate citizen of SA; and
- Being a reliable steward towards the donors of Radio Pulpit.
He has obtained degrees in Theology, Education and Psychology, completed a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) at Northwest University (NWU) and is a psychometrist with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA).
Tribeca’s internship programme forges on with appointment of new candidates
Tribeca Public Relations (Tribeca) has welcomed two new internship candidates during the lockdown period, ensuring its internship programme continues to help nurture and develop the skills of up-and-coming talent in the PR industry.
Samkelo Ntombela joins the company as a PR intern and works on a wide range of accounts, including Vuma, Webfleet, Eaton, and Red Bull Energy Drink® SA. Portia Mbuli has joined Tribeca’s dedicated content development team and will be providing content support across the company’s client portfolio.
“With people development being a cornerstone of Tribeca’s values, we’re pleased that we’ve been able to continue accepting candidates into the 2020 internship programme and, despite the pandemic, afford workplace learners insight into every aspect of a strategic public relations agency,” said Nicky James, director, Tribeca.
“While our interns joined us under relatively challenging circumstances, with all teams working and communicating remotely with one another over the past few months, Portia and Samkelo have adjusted well in tackling the range of tasks for their teams’ clients.”
Brent Lindeque and Mark Sham team up to bring even more good news!
Suits and Sneakers Founder Mark Sham has teamed up with South Africa’s Good Things Guy Brent Lindeque to bring bigger and better vodcasts that share good news about ordinary South Africans doing extraordinary things.
The video interviews will be recorded in the Suits & Sneakers studios and will feature guests Mark Sham, Mandy Weiner, Joe Black, Catherine Constantinides, ProVerb and more.
“Mark Sham and I have a long and innovative history but more importantly, we have shared values of spreading happiness which makes this partnership all the more special,” says Brent.
The Good Things Guy vodcasts will be shared weekly on all GTG digital platforms and the team is also open to hearing about other inspiring candidates to interview. “We’re looking to feature South Africans who are doing truly good things that have the potential to change not only their immediate community but our country,” said Lindeque. “Good news is honestly all around us, if you just know where to look.”
Sham, who has recently launched a series of Happiness workshops added: “I’ve always wanted to help people and believe that informal learning can change the world. It’s been a great journey so far but like Brent I’m very purpose driven and my goal is to be as happy as possible. I also truly believe that 2020 is the year to spread happiness. We’re very excited to watch this interview series evolve and grow.”
Cellulant Names Faith Nkatha Gitonga as Country Manager For Kenya
Fintech company Cellulant has announced the appointment of Faith Nkatha Gitonga as country manager, Kenya.
A highly accomplished leader with a proven track record of driving digital transformation, Nkatha joins Cellulant to lead it’s Kenya operations and scale its payments ecosystem in the country.
She joins Cellulant from Oracle Corporation where she was leading their digital transformation efforts for the public sector.
“We are excited that Faith has accepted to join our leadership team and confident that she will lead Cellulant Kenya’s next chapter of growth and success”, said Ken Njoroge, co-founder & CEO, Cellulant. “We have all been impressed by her strong track record of digital transformation and vast experience in the Fintech space.”
Faith has over 10 years of experience with a strong performance history of value-adding contribution, strategic partnerships and digitalisation for some of Kenya’s premier consumer-facing banks.
Business moves
Castle Lite and Bathu unbox one of a kind collab
When Castle Lite and Bathu were looking to come together and create something extraordinary, the courtship wasn’t a long one. Both brands are very much in touch with culture and at the forefront of setting trends. So, it made perfect sense for them to come together and share their platforms with one another.
Castle Lite is the biggest premium beer brand in Africa, not only serving extra cold beer across the continent, but also setting trends in experiences, brand innovation and culture. Bathu, on the other hand, is an innovative shoe design brand that wants to use its creative work to tell the untold South African township story to the world.
And it is here where they intersect; rooted in their innovative and ground-breaking DNA, are two brands who do experiential very well, and this lets them tell a story that transcends borders.
“Castle Lite and Bathu are like-minded brands with many parallels. The consumer is at the centre of both these brands, and with that in mind, ideas brought to life are meaningful and culture shaping. It was a privilege to partner with Bathu and use our platform to tell the story of a very successful South African product. Like Castle Lite, Bathu is bold and authentic, unlocking a space for consumers to step out, have fun and look good doing it,” said Castle Lite Brand Director, Silke Bucker.
New community launched to train and develop FinTech marketing professionals
FinTech B2B Marketing (FinTech Marketing), a global community of specialist B2B marketers from the financial and technology industry, has officially launched its online community.
This platform enables its members to build a network of marketing professionals, share insights and discuss best practices. Members will also be able to train and develop marketing careers through tailored training and mentoring programmes for the FinTech sector.
The community is driven by a peer-powered network and is directed by an advisory board comprised of global market leaders and experts, including academics, researchers and practitioners from global banks and fintech companies such as Wealth Dynamix and Firebrand Research, among others.
“The role of a FinTech marketer is very different from a traditional B2B marketing role for two reasons. Firstly, the fast-paced nature of the FinTech landscape and, secondly, the highly regulated environment, which add a huge level of complexity to a marketer’s role when trying to sell financial and technology products and services,” said Payal Raina, founder of FinTech Marketing.
Integer\Hotspot SA secures exclusive rights for SoPost invisible sampling platform
Integer\Hotspot SA, a through-the-line marketing agency and a member of the Matrix Group, has announced its exclusive partnership agreement with SoPost that will enable local clients to benefit from SoPost’s digital sampling platform.
The SoPost sampling platform and its visualisation tool, Campaign Manager, aims to be the most powerful product sampling platform in the world and will enable local brands to get their products into the right consumers’ hands as well as collecting valuable data and insight.
Integer\Hotspot SA said synergies influenced its partnership with SoPost. Both companies are interested in delivering to touchpoints that create connections and accelerate transactions.
The agency has become synonymous with result-driven communication solutions that bring brands to life. In contrast, SoPost has become one of the UK’s fastest-growing technology companies, partnering with more than 200 brands across markets in the UK, North America and Europe.
Making moves
SANEF intervention gets more sports journalists access to rugby matches
The South African National Editors’ Forum (SANEF) has reported that SA Rugby is to increase the number of journalists in stadiums to cover live matches. It follows the organisation’s intervention to increase access to rugby matches for journalists. It sent letters to request the Ministries of Sports, Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) and Health asking them to adjust and review present regulations.
SA Rugby has told SANEF that it will now, “allow greater media access at local rugby matches for the remainder of the season or until such a time as there are further changes in the regulations”.
SA Rugby has undertaken to allow one reporter and one photographer per media house to attend matches. SANEF trusts that this gesture will address our members’ concerns.
Absa Lionesses Xpo to showcase game-changing women entrepreneurs on virtual platform
The Absa Lionesses Xpo has been developed to showcase a diverse array of products and services from over 100 of South Africa’s exciting women-owned businesses on a sophisticated virtual platform that will be launched with a dynamic, interactive event on Thursday, 29 October. Lionesses of Africa is a Public Benefit Corporation that empowers leading female entrepreneurs of Africa, referred to as ‘Lionesses’ to create game-changing impact for the continent.
The innovative Absa Lionesses Xpo is designed to connect corporate buyers and decision-makers with successful women-owned businesses on a user-friendly and professional platform that will deliver high-level exhibition features and benefits, including live access to the Lioness exhibitors.
The Absa Lionesses Xpo will open with presentation sessions in a virtual auditorium setting by Melanie Hawken, Lionesses of Africa founder and CEO, senior executives from Absa as the impact partner and various Lionesses.
Absa’s Tina Playne said Absa had long been wholly committed to harnessing the power of women entrepreneurs because of their innate ability to unlock economic growth. “One of our key strategies is to engage, empower and serve entrepreneurs – women in particular. Against this background, Absa firmly believes that our partnership with Lionesses of Africa is the right fit. The Xpo provides a real demonstration of the Lionesses’ remarkable range of products and services, whilst delivering on our promise that ‘we do more so you can’.”
To register your interest in attending, go to http://www.lionessesofafrica.com/lionesses-xpo.
hoola celebrates rapid growth with a new look
hoola Modern Agency has grown rapidly over the last four years, and to celebrate, the company has unveiled a new look for their brand.
The digital advertising and design agency, previously known as BrandIt, has been partnering with clients in the Eastern- and Western Cape, and are now diving into the KwaZulu-Natal market.
From being one of the only digital agencies in PE in 2016, to building a thriving modern agency from the ground up, hoola CEO Danie Brink said the time had come to freshen up on how they presented themselves to the market.
“The vision was always to start locally, move into the national space over four to five years, and then into the international market in 10 years. Things change very quickly, so if you’re not reinventing and repositioning yourself in a way to remain relevant, the consequence is that you become redundant quite quickly,” Brink said.
Mazars rebrand marks key milestones
Mazars, the international tax, audit and advisory firm with operations in South Africa, today unveils its new global brand identity in more than 90 countries and territories, marking a key milestone in the firm’s evolution. The rebrand reflects Mazars’ aspiration to bring choice and a different perspective to the audit, tax and advisory market, and reaffirms its commitment to building a fair, prosperous and sustainable world.
For the Diary
Independent Media’s editors speak up for Media Freedom
This week marks the 43rd anniversary of Black Wednesday, a particularly dark day on the journalistic calendar when the apartheid regime silenced media titles, such as The World, Weekend World, and their editor, Percy Qoboza, along with a number of journalists and 19 black consciousness organisations.
Independent Media is hosting a webinar on Friday, 23 Oct (11H00-12H00) – Who Governs the 4th Estate? – a focus on ethics and credibility, which will be moderated by Advocate Robin Sewlal, Associate Director: Journalism, Durban University of Technology. Panellists for this session will be the Press Ombudsman, Pippa Green, along with Zingisa Mkhuma, Editor, Sunday Independent and Mazwai Xaba, Independent Media’s Managing Editor, Kwa-Zulu Natal. To register please click here: https://event.webinarjam.com/register/129/lpm1ybn5