<ol start="10">
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<h4>Oliver Mtukudzi, Zimbabwe</h4>
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Oliver (Tuku) Mtukudzi has 65 albums under his belt — more than Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston.
It’s a remarkable career stretching back 41 years with songs that have enlivened parties all over the world.
“I never decided to be in the music industry. It was in me. My mother said ‘you are a good singer but you will never surpass your birth cry. Your birth cry was so beautiful’,” says Mtukudzi.
Born on September 22, 1952, in Highfield, a suburb in Harare, Zimbabwe; music runs in his blood. Both his parents were musicians. They met at a choir competition and sang a duet for life. It wasn’t long before he found his voice.
“I made a three-string guitar for myself from a tin around 1969 or early 1970s with the help of a [relative]. I was always playing it. My father didn’t like it and he broke the guitar.”
It wasn’t going to stop him. He made up songs as a child and sang everywhere he could.
“One day, I decided to perform for my parents standing on the table and they enjoyed it so much I didn’t get smacked for standing on the table. My mother noticed I had been standing on the table, two or three days later. That’s how good it was,” he chuckles.
Mtukudzi followed his passion.
His Tuku Music album, featuring the smash hit Todii went gold in its first month of release in Zimbabwe.
His skill is appreciated from Angola to Zimbabwe where he sells out concerts. He has millions of views on YouTube, has starred in movies and has over 30 awards.
“I don’t understand Shona but I sing along to his music and buy his albums&#8230;. His music makes me feel alive,” says South African fan Ntuthuko Buthelezi.
There is no stopping him making the world feel alive.
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<ol start="9">
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<h4>Sarkodie, Ghana</h4>
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</ol>
Born Michael Owusu Addo, Sarkodie has racked up millions of views on YouTube for his music with his debut album and first single, Baby, among the favorites.
He started out as an underground rapper which helped him cross paths with his former manager, Duncan Williams, who helped launch his career.
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Staying true to his identity, he is a big advocate of Azonto, a Ghanaian genre that is said to have been born out of Kpanlogo, a traditional dance.
Mewu, the first single off his fourth album, Mary, sold almost 4,000 copies on the first day of its release in Ghana’s capital Accra.
His hard work does not go unnoticed. Sarkodie was the first Ghanaian to win a BET award and has the most nominations. In 2015, he was ranked the 19th “Most Influential Ghanaian” by e-TV Ghana and in 2013 and 2015, he was ranked 8th on FORBES and Channel O’s list, “Top 10 Richest/Bankable African Artists.”
His ambitions don’t end here. In 2013, he launched his clothing line Sark by Yas, launched Obidi Chief Headphones which endorses, among others, Samsung and telecommunications company, Tigo.  In 2014, he also launched the music label SarkCess to empower other African artists.
2017 promises to be an even more exciting year for Sarkodie.
<ol start="8">
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<h4>Davido, Nigeria</h4>
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</ol>
Davido has claimed a high status in just five years. The single Back When planted him firmly in the music business in 2011.
“It was people like [Nigerian music veterans] P-Square and D’Banj who made me believe that all this was possible,” he recalls.
Dami Duro, an unexpected hit, leaked online almost a year prior to its official release, became the crown jewel for his widely acclaimed 2012 debut album, Omo Baba Olowo.
He became the talk of the continent, securing not just the buy-in of African fans by the multitude, but also unanimous media acknowledgement, with accolades including two MTV Africa Music Awards and the BET Award for ‘Best African Act’. He has also worked with MTN, Guinness, Unilever and has millions of views on YouTube.
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“God has been very good and he continues to be. I am very fortunate,” he says.
Last year, he caught the eye of Sony and dissolved his lucrative co-owned HKN record label.
“I had four offers and I went with the one that was going to get my music out there. Right now everybody is trying to grab a piece of Africa. I went with the team that believed and was actually interested in my music.”
Just weeks shy of his 24th birthday, Davido gifted himself with the something money can’t buy. He released Son of Mercy, his very first internationally recorded, produced and released EP; collaborating with R&amp;B It-Girl Tinashe on How Long.
“I could have done an outright R&amp;B record but I decided to take what Tinashe does and fuse that with the culture back at home,” he says.
Davido has collaborated with Young Thug, Future, Trey Songz and Rae Sremmurd, and has toured the world.
No doubt, there is more to come.
<ol start="7">
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<h4>WizKid, Nigeria</h4>
</li>
</ol>
WizKid is arguably currently the uncrowned king of African music.
Grammy Award-winning artist, Alicia Keys and husband Swizz Beatz, danced to his songs Ojuelegba and Caro, with Keys posting a video on her Instagram account with the caption, “This song makes me happy” and Kylie Jenner posted a video of herself dancing to Wizkid’s music on snapchat.
The Nigerian singer and songwriter is spreading the Afrobeat sound to the world. He co-wrote and co-produced One Dance, Drake’s Hot 100-topping hit, has signed a multi-album worldwide deal with Sony Music International and is a Pepsi ambassador.
WizKid, born Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun, made his mark with Holla At Your Boy in 2010 and has since won many awards, among them the BET Award for Best International Act Africa in 2012 and MTV Europe Music Award for Best Worldwide Act.
His rise to fame started with singing in church at the age of 11 before collaborating with M.I in the award-winning Fast Money Fast Cars in 2009.
He now hangs out with Akon and Chris Brown and has worked with Rihanna, French Montana, Trey Songz, Tinie Tempah and Wale.
<ol start="6">
<li>
<h4>Jidenna, Nigerian-America</h4>
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</ol>
By the age of 10, Jidenna Theodore Mobisson knew he wanted to do music but was afraid to tell his father who wanted him to be an engineer. It was just as well that his name means embracing the father.
“Luckily after a few years he came around and said ‘just make sure you are an inventor, innovator in your field and you treat your work like a science’,” he says.
It took years to make the dream a reality. He connected with singer and Wonderland record label founder, Janelle Monáe. With her help, two years ago, he produced the smash hit Classic Man with over 56 million views on YouTube; followed by a remix with Kendrick Lamar.
He never forgot his roots.
“As my father would tell the story, I was conceived in Nigeria and then they went to the US for me to be born there so I could have a blue passport,” he says with a chuckle.
At a few weeks old, his parents took him back to Enugu,  Nigeria, where he spent the next six years of his life before moving back to the US.
Life in the US was tough.
“My accent was a lot thicker than it is now and I was teased a lot… Even though Jidenna is my first name, like many African children in the US, I tried to abbreviate it, make it shorter and make it more of a English sounding name,” he says.
By the time he went to university, he made sure everyone knew him as Jidenna.
Last year, he released his debut album, The Chief, which he promoted, first, in Lagos and Johannesburg.
“I am a Naija boy… I want more publishing and royalties to be available to artists in Africa in the music industry so there can be more money and more job opportunities.”
Jidenna has also been working with former US First Lady, Michelle Obama, on her education initiative, does speaking gigs, private shows and was in the HBO series Insecure.
He leaves us with food for thought.
“I hope we don’t chase the American dream but create our own African dream.”
He is dreaming hard.
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<ol start="5">
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<h4> Tinashe, Zimbabwe-American</h4>
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</ol>
Twenty-four-year-old Tinashe Kachingwe sang before she could talk. Her Zimbabwean father Michael, and mother Aimie, from Denmark, have always helped.
Tinashe was a child model by the age of three, made her first appearance in 2000 in the film Cora Unashamed and her voice starred in the cartoon feature film The Polar Express alongside Oscar winning actor, Tom Hanks.
Her debut album, Aquarius, drew a tidal wave of acclaim especially with the #1 multi-platinum single 2 On featuring Schoolboy Q.
Her graceful twists and turns and magical voice have earned her respect among the who’s who of the industry. She has collaborated with the likes of Nick Jonas, Future, Chance The Rapper, A$AP Rocky, Calvin Harris, Usher, Chris Brown and Britney Spears. Her voice has also earned opening spots on tours with Nicki Minaj, Katy Perry and Maroon 5. She also wrote That’s My Girl for Fifth Harmony, was announced as Pepsi’s newest Sound Drop artist and her Britney Spears collaboration, Slumber Party, reached the #1 position on Billboard’s Dance Club Songs chart.
This is a solid foundation for her dream to be an R&amp;B star. Tinashe has taken her career to the next level featuring on the hit comedy Two and a Half Men and will play herself in a multi-episode storyline, on the Fox drama series, Empire, alongside Taraji P Henson and Terrence Howard.
Where there is talent, there is opportunity and money.
<div id="attachment_5603" style="width: 253px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-5603" class="size-medium wp-image-5603" src="/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/GettyImages-501051350-243x300.jpg" alt="" width="243" height="300" />Tinashe attends the Z100&#8217;s iHeartRadio Jingle Ball 2015 at Madison Square Garden on December 11, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Jim Spellman/WireImage)</div>
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Tinashe is a brand ambassador for various multinational brands and has relationships with the likes of Alexander Wang, Ralph Lauren and MAC Cosmetics.
That’s not all.
She is the face and owner of her own lifestyle brand, Svu Svu, was honoured as one of 2015’s ELLE Women in Music and was hand-picked by Janet Jackson to perform a tribute to her at the 2015 BET Awards.
Money pours in for Tinashe and she is only 24.
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<ol start="4">
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<h4>Don Jazzy, Nigeria</h4>
</li>
</ol>
Like many artists, Don Jazzy, real name Michael Collins Ajereh, started playing music as a child in church before moving to the UK to pursue his career.
“I worked as a security guard in the UK, and after a while I realized I could make some money playing the bass guitar. A friend of mine helped me and took me with their band to play at restaurants and different venues,” he says.
At the time, he would make £150 or £200 for playing for about five hours in London.
“The band got popular that I could make £500 per gig. I grew to the point that I played at a wedding for the President’s daughter at the time.”
This steered him to music production.
Two years later, with then partner D’banj, he decided to move back to Nigeria to make Afrobeats.
“We worked on the album in the UK, so that when we got home we would have something to present. As soon as we got home people accepted us and loved the music.”
It was upward movement from then on. Don Jazzy is a multi-award winning artist, was MTN brand ambassador and is running a successful record label which is home to stars like Dr.SID and Tiwa Savage, is in real estate and launched Flobyt, a company that provides free Wi-Fi in Nigeria.
“With Flobyt we make money from advertising because the people watch like a 10-second video before logging on.”
There is no turning back for Don Jazzy.
<ol start="3">
<li>
<h4>Hugh Masekela, South Africa</h4>
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</ol>
Born in Witbank, east of Johannesburg, Hugh Masekela is committed to restoring African heritage. This world-renowned flugelhornist, trumpeter, bandleader, composer and singer has released more than 43 albums and performed with Marvin Gaye, Dizzy Gillespie, The Byrds, Fela Kuti, Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder and Miriam Makeba.
“The music I make, I don’t call it my music. It is based on my township and indigenous rural roots in South Africa. That’s what brought me fame all over the world,” he says.
At the age of 14, he got his first trumpet and developed his signature sound in the late 1950s, melding jazz with African music.
His first album, Trumpet Africaine, was released in 1962.
In the ensuing decades, he became an international star and an outspoken political voice with songs such as Stimela, with over a million YouTube views, Soweto Blues and Bring Him Back Home (Nelson Mandela), which became an anti-apartheid anthem.
His music did not whither with the apartheid government.
In 2010, he opened the FIFA World Cup Kick-Off Concert; South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma honored him with the highest order in the country given for achievements in arts, culture, literature, music, journalism, and sports, and the US Virgin Islands proclaimed ‘Hugh Masekela Day’, not long after he joined U2 on stage during the Johannesburg leg of their world tour.
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Masekela, who also owns a studio and record label, has numerous awards, honorary doctorates and was nominated for a Grammy for his 2010 album Jabulani in the best world music category, alongside Jay-Z, Kanye West, Frank Ocean and Mumford &amp; Sons. He is insurance company Assupol’s brand ambassador since 2012
Masekela maintains a busy international tour schedule as his fan base around the world continues to grow. He shows no signs of slowing down. Between April and November, he will perform in London, South Africa and three shows in the US for up to $125 to admit one. His music is also sold online for about $10, and reports claim it would cost about $20,000 for a live performance from the star.
Accolades, sold out concerts and smash hits are Masekela’s way of life.
<ol start="2">
<li>
<h4>black coffee, South Africa</h4>
</li>
</ol>
Black Coffee, real name Nkosinathi Maphumulo, has not only raised the bar for South African house music, but has put it on the world map.
The multi-award-winning artist was born in South Africa’s house music province, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), raised in the Eastern Cape province, where struggle stalwart Nelson Mandela hailed from, before moving back to KZN to study music. It was worth it.
In 2003, he was chosen as one of two South African participants in the Red Bull Music Academy steering him into the South African DJ scene. He never looked back.
The DJ founded Soulistic Music, a leading management and record company, and introduced himself to the world through a self-titled album.
The year 2008 marked a very fruitful year in Black Coffee’s career. Soulistic Music signed releases from Culoe De Song, Tumelo and Zakes Bantwini, all achieving gold and platinum sales.
Black Coffee took his career a step further to collaborating with international artists. He worked with Alicia Keys on a remix of In Common, released a Superman remix with Drake and even R&amp;B superstars Usher and John Legend want to do songs with him.
One of his Pieces of Me album favorites, We Dance Again became part of a worldwide dance challenge with people taking videos of themselves dancing outside a car.
“This new Black Coffee album is crazy,” said rapper Swizz Beatz on his Instagram jamming to the album.
His work has been recognized all over the world. Last year, he was the first South African to win a BET Award. He also won three South African Music Awards and a DJ Award for Best Deep House, and does sold-out tours.
When in the US, Black Coffee hangs with P Diddy. He has earned the seat at the high table.
<ol>
<li>
<h4>Akon, Senegalese-American</h4>
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With over 35 million albums sold worldwide, numerous awards, five Grammy Award nominations, 45 Billboard Hot 100 songs under his belt and over 51 million likes on his Facebook page, Akon is not only bankable but also unstoppable.
He has had chart-dominating singles like Smack That and Lonely, he’s made more than 300 guest appearances for the likes of Michael Jackson, Lady Gaga, Gwen Stefani, Lil Wayne, R. Kelly and Eminem. That’s not all.
The singer and producer was not only listed by the Guinness Book of World Records as the #1 selling artist for master ringtones in the world, but also became the first solo artist in history to lock down both the number one and number two spots on the Billboard Hot 100.
The Senegalese-American isn’t showing signs of slowing down. With a new album on deck for 2017, he has set his sights on breaking into Hollywood and is already well on his way to making his mark landing his first major movie in indie action thriller American Heist, a remake of the 1959 Steve McQueen movie The Great St. Louis Bank Robbery.
He is also a friend of corporates, cashing in on the Pepsi soccer ad campaign and was in FORBES’ Celebrity 100 list in 2010.
His unquestionable musical talent aside, Akon is a formidable entrepreneur and humanitarian.
He owns two thriving record labels which helped jumpstart the careers of both Lady Gaga and T-Pain and is founder of Konvict clothing.
With a heart even bigger than his resume, Akon also created The Konfidence Foundation, a youth charity organization, and in February 2014, he launched a partnership to bring solar energy to half a billion African households with the Akon Lighting Africa and, most recently, Akon Lighting Asia projects.

Top 10 most bankable artists in Africa

Walk around any major city in Africa and you’ll see billboards. They’re hard to miss. Apparently, they also make the perfect outdoor sleeping bags.
“The wind can blow as much as it wants, and it can rain, it’s no problem. I can sleep at night, and in the day I can work,” 31-year-old Zota Atiwa, or ‘Alvis’ as he calls himself, says to FORBES AFRICA in the city center of Cape Town, South Africa.
The man behind the idea of making sleeping bags from billboards is 32-year-old Capetonian Oliver Brain. Today, he is handing out bags, exactly as when he started the company, Street Sleeper, two years ago.
After five years abroad, Brain brought back an engineering degree from Oxford University, experience in strategy consulting, and a determination to find a sustainable business model for a social business.
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Today, Street Sleeper has distributed more than 6,000 sleeping bags, made from billboards, to homeless people in the city, says Suzette Little, Councillor and Mayoral Committee Member in Cape Town.
Street Sleeper is not a charity, it is a social business, says Brain.
“We don´t rely on donations. We provide a product, and that enables us to do what we do.”
According to Rachida Justo, Professor of Entrepreneurship Management at IE Business School in Madrid, Street Sleeper is part of a global trend of upcycling, or turning a used product into a different product.
“Everything related to upcycling is something that fits fantastically to our time, given the issues that we have with garbage, plastic and environmental issues. The upcycling is becoming a trend,” she says.
A bag costs R150 ($11), which funds the production and distribution in Cape Town.
“If you want to gift to another place, you pay for the shipment,” says Brain.
Earlier this year, Street Sleeper received some unusual help.
“We got an advertising grant from Google in the amount of $10,000 a month, which is great for connecting to an international audience,” says Brain.
The international connection is going well. Right now, an international shipment of bags is on its way to New York.
“Just in time for the cold east-coast winter in America,” says Brain.
The billboards have all the characteristics perfect for outdoor sleeping bags.
“They are made of PVC, polyvinyl chloride, a sort of plastic. It’s perfect because it is water and windproof, thin enough to act like a fabric, and highly wear resistant, and you can sew it,” says Brain.
So far, Street Sleeper has used approximately 24,000 square meters, or 12 tons, of material that was destined for a landfill.
While Brain started out sewing the bags himself, he now leaves that to the head of production, Oled Borris, a Burundian refugee. Borris learned to sew in Burundi at the age of 12, but after quitting a government job which led to incarceration, he had to flee the country.
“I can relate to the people we give the bags to, because in a way I am homeless too,” he says.
The company is growing and moving to a bigger location. In addition to Borris, Street Sleeper has so far employed eight disadvantaged people.
Down the road from the current workshop, we meet 39-year old Helga, one of only 21% of female homeless people in Cape Town.
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Helga is distressed; her bag was stolen while she was asleep.
“Now sometimes I get wet,” she says.
Brain presents her with a new bag and her eyes water.
“I am going to cut this up on the one side, so it can be used as a blanket for me and my husband,” she says.
As Street Sleeper has supplied most of Cape Town’s homeless with sleeping bags, the company is now branching out.
“We’ve been sending bags all over the country,” says Brain. “We’ve realized that in all major cities, Johannesburg, Durban, Pretoria, and even New York, there are a lot of likeminded people, so we want to help them get started.”
New York is not a one-off; in Stockholm, Edinburgh and Dublin, people have received Street Sleeper bags.
“We’re not afraid of letting go of control,” says Brain.
That seems to work, 90% of the bags are picked up by buyers and distributed autonomously, freeing up time for Brain to develop new products.
“We want to branch out and use the same material to make everyday stuff, like beach bags and raincoats,” says Brain.
A smart move, according to Justo, who says that being a social business is not enough to lure customers.
“We’re not there yet, where upcycled products are prioritized. There are still necessary conditions that need to be fulfilled, you need design, convenience and price,” she says.
“You need to take a very honest look at what you do, whether it’s functional or not. We’re very proud of the fact that we’re profitable,” says Brain.
The young entrepreneur has plenty of goals with his business, stretching far beyond the borders of South Africa.
”Every city has these problems, and every city has advertising billboards, so there is a market and supply everywhere.”

No More Pain From Wind And Rain

<h3>Bonang Matheba, 28 
Media entrepreneur</h3>
She beams down from billboards in South Africa, is a presenter on two premier TV lifestyle shows, was voted the most stylish and sexiest celebrity in the country, travels the world rubbing shoulders with the rich and famous but if fate hadn’t intervened, Matheba would be teaching pre-school children English. That was her dream, even with a distinction in matric.
“I am a Cancerian, I am a nurturer at heart. I love children and I just wanted to work with them but the wind blew me in a different direction and I’m really grateful, now I can’t imagine my life doing anything else.”
Matheba grew up in Mafikeng, in the North West province, surrounded by a family of academics. Her mother, a business executive, a stepfather lawyer and her professor father, were initially concerned when she didn’t follow the academic route but eventually made peace with her choice when they saw her focus and passion.
“I used to sing and dance and I loved being the center of attention from the age of seven or eight. I got attention from everyone, including my aunts and uncles, because I was the only child and grandchild for the longest time.”
At age 15, destiny would see her enrolling for a television presenting course. She was ushered into the world of television through SABC2’s Manhattan Fantasy but it was the music show Live on SABC1, with seven million viewers, that launched her career. She became a regular voice on YFM radio, and is now on MetroFM. Her popularity and exposure would soar to such heights that she became the first face of Revlon outside the United States.
None of this came easy for a woman with over a million followers on Twitter and over half a million on Instagram. She was turned down at least 25 times on auditions before her first break. Live rejected her six times, YFM ignored seven of her demos and Metro four.
“Top Billing as well, I went through an audition after an audition after an audition. You know with me I’m very resilient. There’s always a voice at the back of my mind that says push, push. People say no to me so many times but I’ve learnt that they are not rejecting me as a human being, it’s just that at that particular time I’m not what they are looking for,” says Matheba.
She also runs Bonang Matheba Entertainment (a production company) and has a lingerie line with Woolworths.
“Entertainment has a very short life span. For me, longevity has always been a very big part of it. The only way you do it is by expanding [your business] because, let’s face it, I won’t look like this for the rest of my life and I understood that from a very young age.”
The year 2016 for Queen B, as she’s known, is about giving back. She is sponsoring a young lady who wants to study her master’s. In September, she will be taking girls from across the country to a seven-day motivation camp.
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IMG_5883

Caution: Millennials At Work

Before that first cup of coffee and the morning newspaper; you’ve probably checked your smartphone, taken your tablet from the bedside table and logged on. More and more brands are using social media as an inexpensive marketing tool. So, which brands are leading the pack in Africa?
Our methodology considered African brands and international brands operating in Africa. They had to be present on: Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Initial data from socialbakers.com—a social media and digital analytics company—was compared with howwemadeitinafrica.com and africantoptwitterusers.com. The list was compiled on November 8.
The following indicators were considered, according to a percentage ratio: Facebook likes; the number of people ‘talking about’ the brand, which was also considered as a percentage of Facebook likes; Twitter followers and tweets and the number of YouTube views and subscribers.
Facebook likes are accumulated on an ongoing basis, whereas ‘talking about’ illustrates user-engagement, over a month, without any long-term following. In short, the ‘talking about’ as a percentage of Facebook likes category resolved the temporal discrepancy.
In 2011, Portland Communications and Tweetminster analyzed more than 11.5 million geo-located tweets, unearthing that Africa’s wealthiest countries dominate social media. South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, Egypt and Morocco make up the top five in order of Twitter activity.
FORBES AFRICA found that although South Africa dominates Twitter activity; Northern Africa is the continental leader, in terms of brands with the greatest social media footprint. Seven of the top 20 brands are located in Egypt; four are located in South Africa and Morocco; three in West Africa and one in both Algeria and Kenya.
Social media was used extensively during the Arab Spring uprising, which erupted in December 2010. The fact that social media usage remains high in Egypt and Morocco and could be the lasting legacy of this historic moment in world and online history.
The telecommunications sector—be they manufacturers or service providers—has latched onto the internet capabilities of most mobile devices; 57% of tweets from Africa, are sent from a mobile phone, according to Portland Communications.
“…Telecommunications are intricately connected to the daily life experience of today’s consumer. Almost everything we do is supplemented by our mobile phones in some way… For this reason, consumers are always looking to get the best value from their telecommunications providers and they’re interested in what these companies have to say,” says Catherine Scott, social media manager at Quirk.
Twelve of the brands on the list were from the telecommunications sector; two from media and finance; one from retail and the food and beverage sector. Surprisingly, the fourth leading brand is a non-governmental organization—One Campaign, which works towards eliminating poverty in Africa.
The question remains: is customer engagement with these brands based on compelling content; mass-media marketing or the opportunity to voice discontent?
The brand with the highest number of Facebook likes and user-engagement by means of the ‘talking about’ category was Vodafone Egypt with 2,071,890 and 153,115 respectively. It also has the highest ‘talking about as a percentage of Facebook likes’ ranking, at 49%. Al-masry Al-youm, an Egyptian media channel, has the highest number of Twitter followers—979,455; yet Safaricom of Kenya had the greatest number of tweets—148,208. Tahrir Channel, of Egypt, has the greatest number of YouTube subscribers (97,782) and views (25,527,629).
Many a dinner table may speculate if social media can kill the mainstream media advertising star; the list indicates such a possibility.
Is the success of social media due to the vision of early adopters; its capability to mobilize social causes or the work of smart agencies, be they advertising or strategic? Could social media mean the death of the billboard? Take a look at the numbers.

#IsTheBillboardDead?

Out-of-home advertising, such as billboards, is big business worldwide and is growing each day. The figure sits at $26.4 billion—an increase of 8.3%—in 2011 alone. Pinto saw a gap in the market when he watched thousands of unbranded delivery trucks sitting in traffic: why not use their perfectly unmarked platforms as a moving billboard?
Most trucks have Global Positioning Systems (GPS) that track their routes and location, which is the perfect tool for targeting local and national consumers.
“We have GPS units in all our advertising trucks so we know where they are at any time. Every month we produce an operational report that provides details of all the travel times of the advertisement on the truck.”
Pinto said that the advantage of this medium is that companies can choose which areas they wish to target such as the East Rand specifically or a road such as the M1 between Johannesburg and Pretoria or the whole city. Advertisers can choose the area they want to target and later move the same signage to another area, which allows them to monitor any change in consumer behavior. He points out that South African retailer Woolworths has taken advantage of their national distribution to brand themselves.
In South Africa, billboards dominate the outdoor advertising landscape. Primedia Outdoor, a leading South African media group, owns 15,000 advertising panels across the country and claims that motorists and commuters spend around 30-45 minutes daily, in weekday traffic and weekly peak hour traffic volume is as high as 277,726 commuters. This is a large market.
Pinto researched the outdoor advertising market in countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom and discovered a gap for the African advertising landscape.
Securing the rights to prime spots for billboard advertising is expensive. But trucks on the road are already using the routes and he believes that commuters will be drawn to an eye-catching billboard on the move.
“We have a large, varied fleet available, so whether the customer needs a print space of six meters wide or 15 meters wide we have three different size options for them to choose from,” he says.
“They are billboards without a fixed steel infrastructure and are very cost effective at about a third of the traditional cost of fixed billboard advertising,” says Pinto.
While street pole advertising can also be effective, Pinto said that it is becoming another piece of “street furniture” that is severely cluttered.
The concept doesn’t add to a carbon footprint as the trucks he uses are already on the road for commercial carriers.
“Given that trucks are already on the move, one may as well make use of them. They go everywhere,” he says.
He lists the advantages of truck-side advertising after conducting market research:
<ul>
<li>85% more reach and 20% more frequency than conventional media</li>
<li>91% of people report that they notice fleet branding</li>
<li>52% successfully record the adverts</li>
</ul>
Although the business is just getting off the ground—it was launched on September 1—advertising agencies have expressed interest and he has signed a number of business agreements with them and trucking logistics companies. For the trucking companies, it is another source of revenue and means little down time as the boards can be fitted within a few hours.
The key to managing the operation is the ease of construction and safety features. It takes two to three hours to fit the trucks with the tension frame that holds the signage.
“A truck can travel at 160 kilometers an hour with an 18 meter panel and it won’t come off,” says Pinto.
These can be fitted over the weekend when most trucks are not being used. It takes only an hour to switch one panel for another on a fitted truck. The panels are manufactured by local printers. The advantage is that the panels can be removed and displayed at different locations or routes depending on the needs of the campaign. The client also retains ownership of the panel as opposed to painted signs on trucks.
As for the threat from social media platforms, Pinto believes that the way to go is to integrate OOM advertising with social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter to enhance the product offering rather than seeing them as competitors.
“We plan to work with those platforms. Their success is our success.”
He has agreements with companies in Johannesburg and Cape Town but says that within a year he will be offering the service in three cities using at least 100 trucks. Pinto admits that starting a new venture is difficult.
“Starting anything is really difficult but if you believe in your product, and you can get another 100 people to also believe in it, then success will come.”
Although born in Johannesburg of Portuguese decent, Pinto speaks with an American accent and has visited 22 countries after studying business management and philosophy at the University of Pretoria.
“I guess I just watched too much TV when I was young,” he says.
He is a firm believer in global entrepreneur Richard Branson and is an enthusiastic member of his Centre of Entrepreneurship in Johannesburg. He quotes Branson as saying: “Do good, have fun and the money will come.”

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