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...

by MarkLives (@marklives) What are the expectations for the marketing and advertising industry in 2018? We emailed a panel of key industry executives for their take on the macro environment, budgets, changes in messaging, movement in the industry and any consumer and communication trends they’ll be looking out for. Mpange Chapeshamano, MD of Avatar Joburg, and Mthunzi Plaatjie, MD of Avatar Cape Town, respond. Mpange Chapeshamano & Mthunzi Plaatjie Previously managing director of Africa Red Advertising, reporting to the CEO of Ogilvy South Africa and overseeing of the network of agencies in 18 markets in Africa, Mpange Chapeshamano(Twitter/Instagram) has come from a heavy client-service background . He brings...

by Herman Manson (@marklives) Monalisa Zwambila owns and manages what is probably South Africa’s largest independent, black-woman-owned advertising agency. Over the last decade, R\VERBED (Riverbed) has emerged as a medium-sized agency with revenue well above R50m and 40 employees, placing the agency in league with similar-sized agencies, such as Grey Africa, Saatchi & Saatchi and Net#work BBDO.  Year-on-year revenue growth in 2015 stood at 26%, 13% in 2016 and is projected to hit 35% in 2017, pushing it into to the R70m–R100m revenue tier. Zwambila studied accounting but her passion had always been music. She was a member of jazz band Basadi and music allowed her to access her...

Ad agency Black has undergone a strategic rebrand and repositioning as Black Africa Group — a creative business partner focused upon creating brand value and exponential growth. The agency is entering its 11th year as an independent agency, employees 35 people and has offices in Johannesburg, Port Louis (Mauritius), Nairobi (Kenya) and Kampala (Uganda). It enjoys Level 1 BEE status, revenue sits between R30–R40m and clients include Absa, Barclays Africa, Life HealthCare, Bonitas, the JSE, MultiChoice, Kenya Airways and a host of other brands. Executive director, Veejay Archary, launched Black, Brand Strategy & Design out of the design component of Herdbuoys McCann-Erickson, of which...

Agencies need practice in order to optimise their sales pitch to potential clients and this opportunity was offered to eight black-owned agencies last month. Agencies were deliberately selected for their BEE structures (preferably 100 % black-owned), along with their variety of services. Attendees On the day, the following agencies were in attendance: BWD Advertising: full-service advertising Purple Room: PR The Plum Factory: social and digital eNitiate: social and digital Glasshouse Communication Management: PR and corporate governance [note: Glasshouse is a subsidiary of Mazole Holdings] Avatar PR: PR and publicity Harambee: activations South Africa and Africa DAVID: full-service advertising From marketers and procurement, we...

By Jeremy Maggs The way most brands engage with black consumers is wrong, says a top PR man, who argues that agencies should invest more time in getting to understand their market and audience and less time in getting to know their clients Bonnke Shipalana. Picture: Thobeka Zazi Ndabula   A prominent public relations practitioner has hit out at the brand communications industry, claiming few agencies really understand black people. In a frank discussion with the FM, Bonnke Shipalana, CEO of The Communications Firm, says: "The majority of South Africans were born in an era where their voices were restrained by the apartheid system. Unfortunately, after...

  The marketing and advertising industries are transforming. So why are so many black professionals disgruntled with the rate of progress? And is the quality of most of the work specifically directed at a black audiences still sub-par? We emailed a panel of key industry executives for their take. Next up is Ahmed Tilly of FCB Africa. Ahmed Tilly Ahmed Tilly (@AhmedTilly) has been in the business of ideas for just over 20 years. Recently appointed joint CCO at FCB Africa, he was runner-up Most Admired Creative Leader in South Africa and joint Most Admired Creative Leader in Jozi in 2016, according to our MarkLives Agency Leaders’ Most Admired poll. Tilly, who left the...