The Media Online’s weekly round up of people, account and business moves in media.
This week’s BIG move: M&C Saatchi Group SA to acquire full local ownership from Global PLC.
Zillah Byng-Thorne, executive chair, M&C Saatchi PLC has announced the local South African company will be acquiring the shares owned by the PLC in M&C Saatchi Abel and the Group of Companies in South Africa, comprising Connect, Levergy, Razor, Dalmatian and Black & White.
The deal is recognised as a massive vote of confidence in both the South African economy and the prospects of the highly acclaimed M&C Saatchi Group South Africa. The acquisition will also significantly accelerate the group’s transformation agenda which has been a strategic imperative for the Group from day one.
Once completed, not only will this make those South African entities entirely locally owned, it will uniquely position the M&C Saatchi Group South Africa as the biggest independent agency in the country that is still a valued affiliate of a famed global network.
“This is an extremely exciting development and evolution of the business, since founding it almost 15 years ago on the continent,” said Mike Abel, founder and executive chairman of the Africa region.
“Moving to full local ownership across our companies while remaining part of the global network is a significant win-win for the local team as well as the Group who wish to broaden its investment strategy into other global areas. This further accelerates our transformation ownership agenda – which we’ve had since day one – where B-BBEE Trust shareholding value increases by 40% in the new structure.”
Jacques Burger, Group CEO, M&C Saatchi Group South Africa continued: “Mike will remain on the global executive leadership team with his core worldwide responsibilities including the marketing portfolio and other key priority projects.”
People moves
Newzroom Afrika CEO chosen for Young Global Leaders Class of 2024
Newzroom Afrika CEO and co-founder Thabile Ngwato has been selected as one of the Young Global Leaders Class of 2024. She is one of two South Africans selected to join the group of exceptional leaders, who are chosen for their outstanding personal and professional accomplishments and potential for future success.
The Forum of Young Global Leaders (YGL) is an independent non-profit organisation bringing together a dynamic and diverse cohort of changemakers, under the age of 40, driving impact across the fields of public health, economic development, technology, sustainability, and more.
The global community includes over 1 200 members and alumni representing over 120 nationalities, who lead governments and Fortune 500 companies, are recipients of Nobel prizes and Grammy Awards, and serve as UN Goodwill Ambassadors, among others.
They are active across a range of today’s most exciting fields, from the circular economy to digital governance, and more.
The programme offers executive education courses, group expeditions and opportunities to collaborate and test ideas with a trusted peer network. The aim is to create experiences and programmes for young leaders that enhance their skills, broaden their world views and inspire solutions to pressing local and global challenges.
Jaco Lintvelt appointed as managing director of Incubeta Africa
International digital marketing partner, Incubeta, has announced the appointment of Jaco Lintvelt as the new MD of Incubeta Africa. The appointment bolsters the South African team which serves both local and global brands through its suite of data-driven services.
Lintvelt brings extensive industry insight and experience to the Incubeta team. He spent almost three years at Google as a senior sales consultant in financial services, where he cultivated strong relationships with key stakeholders in the large customer sales (LCS) client base. Prior to this, he held roles at Dentsu SSA for six years, serving as the Managing Director for Dentsu Data Labs Sub Saharan Africa and as Managing Director of iProspect.
No stranger to Incubeta, Lintvelt also worked at DQ&A (now part of Incubeta) from 2012 to 2014 as Head of Digital Sales.
“It’s an honour to re-join Incubeta, a team consistently recognised by the industry for both its innovation and ability to impact its clients’ performance. Incubeta’s growth has mirrored my own passion: partnering with clients to ignite their success,” he said. “Today’s market demands a potent blend of strategic brilliance with media and data as well as flawless execution – a balance Incubeta consistently achieves and what I will be working with the team to build on in the coming months and years.”
Popular DJ Koula returns to South Africa’s airwaves
Johannesburg’s feel-good music radio station, 919, is bringing popular former radio presenter, DJ and personality, Koula back to South Africa’s airwaves. Koula Budler started in campus radio and became a firm favourite with listeners on 5FM and then 947 back in the noughties.
Twelve years after leaving South Africa, she will be hosting the Stateside Connection every Saturday between 1pm – 3pm on 91.9FM and streaming on 919.co.za. The first show was broadcast on April 6, and listeners were thrilled.
In case you’re wondering, Koula is not moving back from Texas, where she has lived since 2012. Instead, she’ll be broadcasting live from her home in Fort Worth between 6am and 8am local time. As a mother of not one, but two sets of twins, Koula is used to very busy weekends. “6-8am means I can do the show without it conflicting with all the sports, birthday parties, etc that happen throughout the rest of the day.”
It was 919 station manager Caren du Preez who persuaded Koula to get behind a mic again. “Once a Joburger, always a Joburger, no matter where in the world you are,” she explains. After du Preez put out feelers, the stars aligned for Koula, who was keen to do live radio again. This meant working with 919’s technical team, headed by Matabataba Radebe, to work out the challenges of linking Texas to 919’s studio in Illovo, Sandton.
“I’m more than ecstatic to be working with Koula again,” says du Preez. “She is an amazing talent and she’s always just been nothing but real! Koula has always been a massive driver of local music and has a great relationship with local musicians, which is great for our overall strategy.”
DJ Sabby Hosts another Year of METRO FM Breakfast
Award-winning radio, TV and media personality DJ Sabby, born Sabelo Mtshali, continues his reign as the Best Breakfast radio show host on Metro FM’s ‘Best Mornings’.
With the 2024 radio year in full swing, Best Mornings continues to steal the hearts of millions of South African listeners as it currently sits as the number one weekday show on the mega station. The Best Mornings airs weekdays from 6am to 9am and boasts an incredible reputation with numerous award nominations, exclusive interviews with notable names, broadcasts outside South Africa and engaging conversations while seeking solutions to issues across a variety of age groups.
“I believe we had a great run with the first year of the show. We really connected with the listener and our offering was well received. I am truly honoured to serve the country for yet another year. We have a great plan to elevate the current experience of the show and have the country look forward to a new day with their daily dose of #BestMornings,” said DJ Sabby.
Envision Brand announces actress Angel Pooe as WomenCan ambassador
Envision Brand, an integrated communications agency has appointed actress and entrepreneur Angel Pooe as its WomenCan ambassador.
WomenCan is an innovative women empowered platform dedicated to promoting women’s talents across various fields. The platform focuses on forging deep connections with women and highlights the accomplishments and experiences of women by showcasing the diverse capabilities of what WomenCan achieve, whether in the workplace, business or at home.
“We are delighted to welcome Angel Pooe in her new role as a WomenCan ambassador to support our work of unleashing the potential of women and fostering an environment for them to thrive through support, education and empowerment initiatives. She is uniquely qualified to communicate, inspire and connect with diverse women as embodies the values of empowerment, philanthropy, and authenticity,” said Tumi Mthembu CEO and founder of Envision Brand.
As an ambassador, Pooe will dedicate her support in putting a spotlight on women by facilitating skills development workshops, masterclasses and empowerment events and as well as bringing unheard women’s stories front and centre.
Business moves
RAPT Creative’s new investment drives a cutting-edge media framework
RAPT Creative, already a wavemaker in the South African marketing world, is embarking on an ambitious journey to revolutionise the traditional agency model.
The agency’s latest venture seamlessly blends media planning and buying with its already established integrated advertising offering, which spans above-the-line and below-the-line through digital and social to events, on-the-ground activations, shopper marketing and PR.
This sets a new industry standard for integrated marketing solutions under one roof, being from one agency – not a group.
The agency’s Founder and CEO, Garreth van Vuuren, admits this is a nod to how things were in advertising’s golden age and a glimpse at where things are going in the future. He champions a vision where operational excellence meets creative innovation and freedom.
“By offering a full spectrum of expert services — for truly integrated creative services — underpinned by custom-built AI and sophisticated customer analytics tools, RAPT Creative is poised to transform client expectations of agency partnerships,” he said.
“Our goal has always been to create a nexus of strategy, creativity, and technology, delivering not just campaigns, but deep, engaging experiences. Media is the final piece of the puzzle.
“The approach shakes up the industry status quo with a model that is more unified and streamlined, speeding up the process from brief to execution while elevating and freeing creativity to lead to an overall more effective and efficient outcome,” he explains.
Critical to the success of RAPT Creative’s model is the ability to deliver the media component, but the crucial barrier to entry to the media space for small and medium-sized businesses has always been access to large amounts of capital to ‘underwrite’ the media buying.
Van Vuuren has this covered. He has secured the necessary investment into the agency giving it access to a facility that will allow it to onboard the largest media accounts in the country on 30- to 60-day payment terms.
WOO Future Leaders gears up for Hong Kong Global congress
The World Out of Home Organization is showcasing its second Future Leaders Delegate Initiative at the 2024 Global Congress in Hong Kong, to be held on June 5-7. The Future Leaders initiative was launched at the Lisbon Global Congress in 2023 with ten successful applicants.
WOO members, national associations and sponsors are invited to nominate a Future Leaders delegate (aged under 35, only 1 per organisation, per territory) who will receive a full Congress pass and 3 nights’ accommodation in the Congress hotel for the inclusive and discounted price of €500. Sponsoring companies will need to cover travel and expenses.
WOO will also welcome sponsorship offers for Future Leaders. If any company is interested, please contact mark@worldooh.org to discuss.
ISUZU Motors South Africa renews partnership with the Nelson Mandela University’s Govan Mbeki Mathematics Development Centre
ISUZU Motors South Africa (ISUZU) has renewed its partnership with Nelson Mandela University’s Govan Mbeki Mathematics Development Centre (GMMDC) aimed at assisting disadvantaged schools in improving their Mathematics and Physical Science results. The new partnership is set to run from 2024 to 2026.
ISUZU has joined hands with GMMDC to provide innovative teaching and learning tools to three Gqeberha schools: KwaZakhele, Newell, and Sophakama High Schools. Through this collaboration, the programme aims to empower Mathematics and Physical Sciences teachers with the latest tools and mobile learning support platforms, including the GammaTutor mobile teaching device and curriculum aligned MobiTutorZA software. These customised resources enable effective teaching and learning at schools without requiring an internet connection.
Lebogang Makoloi, ISUZU’s Corporate and Public Affairs Executive, said: “Mathematics and Physical Sciences are critical subjects for graduates seeking employment in the automotive industry, and we are proud to partner with GMMDC on this project.”
Making moves
Yellowwood looks forward to the 20th Anniversary of GenNext
Founded in 2004, the GenNext study remains the industry’s most comprehensive survey of consumer behaviour and brand preference among young people. The survey aims to demystify the behaviours and preferences of 8 to 30-year-olds across the country and over the years, the GenNext research has become the youth barometer for brands in South Africa. With its historical inception attributed to HDI Youth Marketeers, the study is now an integral part of strategy consultancy company, Yellowwood, since its acquisition of HDI in 2021.
Yellowwood Managing Director, Refilwe Maluleke comments “Our focus on unlocking brand-led growth in a country where 15 – 34-year-olds constitute over 60% of the population and the capabilities of our data strategy team decided to acquire an easy one. Over the years we have enhanced the study to better understand the drivers of youth behaviour and include a segmentation of South African youth which has added significant value to our clients in their fight to win with this segment.”
A substantial part of GenNext’s success can be attributed to the Sunday Times Coolest Brands Awards in Partnership with Sunday Times that are hosted annually to celebrate the brands top ranked in the Brand Preference Survey. Sunday Times GenNext Coolest Brands enters its 20th year of recognising the brands that are truly resonating with the youth.
In the past 20 years, the research teams behind this monumental platform have worked hard to innovate and revitalise the categories and methodologies in conducting the research to ensure the integrity of information and data reflecting the young people of the country. With this prioritised over the years, brands have accessed insights that have helped them understand young people and be dynamic in the work they do, with and for them.
To enquire about Yellowwood and the GenNext research, email Ntombi Mkhwanazi at ntombi.mkhwanazi@ywood.co.za or info@ywood.co.za
