The Media Online’s weekly round up of people, account and business moves in media.
This week’s BIG move: Avatar Media Agency welcomes Donald Mokgale as its new MD
Avatar Media Agency has announced the appointment of Donald Mokgale as its managing director.
Mokgale brings a wealth of knowledge, passion, and expertise in this new role, having been in the media industry for 16 years. His impressive track record speaks for itself, having worked at various global agencies over the years including Dentsu South Africa as group business director where he was responsible for building a sustainable new business pipeline for the company, driving new innovative initiatives and rebuilding dentsu Location Services.
M&N executive chairman and founder of Avatar, Zibusiso Mkhwanazi, said, “Our media businesses including Avatar Media Agency have showed phenomenal growth due to new business in the last year. In our continued drive to further grow media operations within M&N, we’ve brought in Donald to spearhead the growth of Avatar Media Agency and champion our differentiators within a competitive industry.”
People moves
Levergy appoints new managing director
Levergy, an M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment group company and part of the M&C Saatchi Group South Africa, has appointed Melissa Daniels as its new managing director. The appointment comes as a part of Levergy’s continued growth and position as one of the top-performing agencies in the global M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment network.
Daniels will be tasked with entrenching Levergy’s reputation as South Africa’s leading passion marketing agency – a position backed by three agency awards in late 2022 including Financial Mail AdFocus Specialist Agency of the Year; Hollard Sport Industry Awards Agency of the Year and recipient of the coveted Zinthatu Award at the Assegai Awards.
“Melissa has a thorough knowledge of what shapes the communication and media industry and is well-versed in Africa’s constantly evolving digital world so her insights, experience and ability to tap into culture makes her a natural and inspiring leader,” said Levergy founder and CEO Struan Campbell.
Daniels is a seasoned professional and is well-versed in the business and the importance of creating, managing, and maintaining relationships with its clients.
McCann Joburg Showcases Its Industry Experts On The Move
McCann Joburg has announced the appointment of three remarkable individuals to roles in renowned industry events. This trio showcases McCann’s unwavering commitment to fostering and nurturing the finest talent within the advertising and marketing industry.
Loyiso Twala, a visionary creative genius with an impeccable track record, has been handpicked as a judge at the prestigious Cannes Lions Awards. Those with a festival pass can also catch him share more of his insights along with other panellists from Inside The Jury Room on Tuesday 20t June, from 12:15-13:00, live from the Cannes stage.
Zetu Damane, a dynamic strategist and force in the industry, has been selected as a judge at The IAB Bookmark Awards, the pinnacle of recognition for excellence in digital creativity and innovation in South Africa. Damane’s deep understanding of the ever-evolving digital landscape and her keen eye for ground breaking campaigns make her a perfect fit for this distinguished role.
Thandeka Gilbert, an exceptional thinker and creative powerhouse, has been invited to join the SAB/ABInBev Brainstrust Committee. Gilbert’s inclusion in this sought after committee further highlights her expertise and reputation as a multi-award-winning thought leader in the industry. McCann Joburg is honoured to have Thandeka as part of the Brainstrust Committee for AB InBev, Cannes Lions’ Creative Marketer of the Year.
Business moves
Wavemaker’s Audience Solutions delivers personalised, data-driven insight
In early 2023, international media house Wavemaker announced the launch of its data solutions team: Wavemaker Data and Analytics. The new offering comprises five pillars, the first of which is Audience Solutions.
In a media-saturated world, personalisation matters. Increasingly, consumers expect to receive content that is specifically targeted to their needs. Brands understand this and have made creating ever-more tailored content a critical priority. The best way to do this, of course, is through Wavemaker’s Audience Solutions offering.
“We need to move beyond demographics,” said Nadine Vermeulen, Wavemaker’s Audience Solutions lead. “We need to delve into consumers’ mindsets, identify their pain points and passion points, and understand how they consume and interact with media touchpoints. Only with this insight can we ensure we speak to consumers throughout their purchase journey, while minimising the risk of alienation.”
Using proprietary research and first, second and third-party data connections, Audience Solutions segments audiences to provide clients with detailed and actionable insight into their consumers.
Not every need can be addressed using cookie-cutter solutions. In these instances, the Wavemaker team create, deploy and implement bespoke alternatives to ensure that decisions are made using sound, reliable and actionable data.
Vermeulen, with the support of Kholofelo Makgopa, is establishing Wavemaker Audience Solutions as the bridge that connects where Wavemaker’s clients currently stand to where they need to be. “Our goal,” Nadine says, “is to ensure our clients always stay ahead of the curve.”
Tractor’s power-backed DOOH solutions show advertisers light at the end of the loadshedding tunnel
Out of home media – specifically digital out of home (DOOH) media – has seen thousands of screens across the country go dark when loadshedding kicks in. In response, one of South Africa’s leading media owners, Tractor Outdoor, has designed a new power-backed solution to keep screens on, meeting the needs of its advertisers.
Mali Motsumi-Garrido, sales director at Tractor Outdoor, explained that Tractor is rolling out this solution in a two-phased approach, commencing at the end of June.
“Our first step is to deliver full battery-powered back-up of the network so that our screens can still operate when loadshedding strikes. This solution is ‘solar-ready’, enabling solar technologies to be integrated in phase two.”
Motsumi-Garrido said that the second phase will entail the full-scale roll-out of solar-powered solutions, integrated into key sites. “These will be connected to solar energy as well as other alternative energy sources where available.
“Not only will this allow us to continue to deliver our clients’ campaigns without interruption but it will also take us one step closer to our sustainability goals,” she explains, adding that Tractor aims to become net zero in the near future.
“We know that this is an audacious task, but we’ve never been content with maintaining the status quo. Our vision has always been to push boundaries in our quest to drive fundamental change for good, and we view loadshedding not as a problem, but as a catalyst for change.”
South Africa’s ongoing energy crisis has impacted all types of electronic media, and the media industry has once again had to pivot – that pandemic buzzword – to retain audiences.
InTouch and GTP partner to democratise access to card credentials
GTP, a specialised provider of prepaid and virtual card processing solutions, and InTouch, a leading pan-African fintech, have joined forces in a strategic partnership to democratise access to card credentials for millions of consumers across Africa.
This collaboration aims to bridge the gap between digital payment platforms and card-based transactions, giving InTouch customers access to cross-border transactions through Visa credentials.
By partnering with GTP, an MFS Africa company, InTouch aims to democratise access to card credentials for its African customers across its 13 markets. This collaboration will enable users of InTouch’s innovative digital platform which aggregates over 400 services through its API` to seamlessly link their digital wallets to card credentials, enhancing their access to the global digital economy.
Human8 secures strategic partnership with Japan-based SevenSeas
Human8 (previously known as InSites Consulting), the new human-driven consultancy, has announced a strategic community partnership with Japan-based SevenSeas Marketing Research, the local reference for customer-centric intelligence. The partnership supports Human8’s global ambitions, with a clear focus on helping SevenSeas to successfully bring communities to its clients in Japan.
Sage announced as platinum sponsor for Township Economies Conference & Expo
The Township Economies Conference & Expo, an event focused on fostering economic growth and resilience in township economies, is pleased to announce Sage, the leader in accounting, financial, HR, and payroll technology for small and mid-sized businesses, as the Platinum Sponsor for their upcoming event.
This symposium, scheduled to take place on the 20th -21st of June 2023 at Emperor’s Palace, Johannesburg, will serve as a significant gathering for industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and stakeholders in the township economy sector. The collaboration brings immense value and expertise to the conference, further solidifying the event’s status as a premier platform for knowledge exchange and networking within this dynamic industry.
Growthpoint and Squash South Africa renew sponsorship agreement
Growthpoint Properties, the largest South African-based REIT, and Squash South Africa, the governing body for squash in the country, are pleased to announce the renewal of their sponsorship agreement for 2023.
As part of the agreement, Squash SA is able to host the Growthpoint SA Nationals in the iconic the V&A Waterfront, with the event set to return to the venue in August 2023.
Growthpoint also provides financial support for the Growthpoint Interprovincial as well as a development programme titled the Growthpoint Superstars which supports various initiatives across the country aimed at promoting the sport and developing talent in South Africa.
The renewed sponsorship agreement will enable Squash South Africa to expand the Growthpoint Superstars programme to all nine provinces in 2023.
Cloud23 Reports 80% Growth in SA market, reinforces commitment to cultivate local talent
Cloud23, an enterprise software management firm launched in Delaware, USA, in 2021 by globally recognised technology executive Ram Ramakrishnan, reports significant growth and influence in the southern African market since its 2022 expansion.
In the past year, Cloud23 saw an 80% surge in its African customer base, expanding its global workforce to 135 employees and contractors. Its growth in the region extends in South Africa and to Botswana, Uganda, Zimbabwe, and Mauritius.
Cloud23 mainly helps financial services organisations to manage and optimise their operations through Salesforce and AWS platforms. The expansion of the Salesforce economy in South Africa has been instrumental to Cloud23’s regional development.
Among its growing client list are notable firms such as the Standard Bank Group and Stanbic.
Making moves
BankerX joins forces with Irvine Partners to turbocharge award-winning employee wellness programme
Communications advisory firm Irvine Partners has joined forces with disruptive technology company BankerX as it looks to further bolster its award-winning employee wellness programme.
BankerX, led by investment banker Koshiek Karan, disrupts traditional approaches to financial wellness through media, technology, artificial intelligence and psychology. Its collaboration with Irvine Partners will see it take the communication advisory’s employees through an intensive multi-week programme leveraging internationally accredited Certified Financial Planners to equip them with real world bespoke financial management tools harnessing AI, the psychology of money & their personality profiles in real time gamified simulation environments which dynamically evolve based on participant feedback.
Irvine Partners is the first exclusive partner to access this groundbreaking programme, which also takes regional nuances and personal realities against the backdrop of current markets into account. That’s particularly important for a company with offices in six cities across five countries.
Envision Racing and Cartoon Network EMEA join forces to help kids become Climate Champions!
Envision Racing, the leading Formula E race team and Cartoon Network EMEA, Warner Bros. Discovery’s number one animated series network, have announced a new partnership to engage children and young people in the Race Against Climate Change™.
Cartoon Network EMEA will work alongside Envision Racing to create awareness of the global issue of electric waste through joint marketing campaigns, promotions, and gamification. This comes as annual electronic waste production is on track to reach a staggering 75 million tonnes by 2030[1] and includes items such as mobile phones, laptops, MP3 players, plugs and batteries.
Opportunities for participation include the Recover-E-Waste to Race competition, where kids can learn how to design and build a mini–Formula E race car using e-waste, with prize winners being showcased at the London Formula E-Prix on 29 July.
Since its launch in June 2021, more than 1.5 million challenges have been accepted worldwide and this number continues to grow daily.
BCX attains a new B-BBEE status
BCX has announced that it has attained a Level 1 B-BBEE Contributor Status moving up from the previous year’s result.
“In 2021, BCX was certified as a Level 2 B-BBEE contributor and set an ambitious goal of reaching B-BBEE Level 1 recognition status by 2023. Today, we are proud to have achieved a Level 1 B-BBEE contributor status and consider it to be a positive step in our transformation journey,” said Jonas Bogoshi, CEO at BCX.
To have achieved its Level 1 B-BBEE contributor status, BCX has deliberately improved upon most of the elements on the B-BBEE scorecard. To this end, the scorecard was driven as a strategic and operational imperative.
BCX has shown improved metrics across most elements of the scorecard. Specifically, in its procurement recognition level, which increased from 125% to 135% and achieved full points for Enterprise, Supplier and Social- Economic Development.
