BY: JOHANNA MCDOWELL 25 years ago, there were very few - if any - black owned and run agencies. Probably the only one at that time was Herdbuoys. They represented the start of a new era in South Africa where black advertising professionals were taken far more seriously than in previous times. Today in 2017 the Independent Agency Search & Selection company has identified more than 100 black owned entrepreneurial agencies across the full spectrum of 13 marketing communications disciplines. This is in addition to those agencies that have transformed in the past few years through BEE and various black ownership trusts and...

The Creative Counsel (TCC) has launched an incubator programme to support black businesses in the marketing and advertising industry. In the first phase of the project, TCC will take five startup businesses under its wing, which will be supported and mentored by the agency’s management team. “We have opened applications for black startups in media, marketing, digital, mobile and activations. We have no interest in taking any equity in the businesses but are passionate about supporting them with the infrastructure and administrative and accounting processes to succeed,” says TCC’s group co-CEO Ran Neu-Ner. “We believe successful black-owned businesses are the true measure...

Marketing agency value management company, AdOps's Angelika Kempe is teaming up with Nolundi Magqaza, a senior procurement consultant in an initiative to connect 100% black-owned advertising, communications and marketing agencies with corporate clients. Senior procurement consultant, Nolundi Magqaza and founder of AdOps, Angelika Kempe. Fresh and innovative agencies Through the 100% initiative, the pair aim to build a list of 100 black economic empowerment agencies spanning a range of disciplines by the end of September. The aim is to raise the profile of the many talented emerging agencies in South Africa among the country’s major brands and put the agencies in touch with corporate...