Taweni Gondwe Xaba appointed to John Brown Media board

"Since John Brown launched in South Africa in 2007 to publish Pick n Pay's Fresh Living magazine, we have grown to 50 full-time staff, with offices in both Cape Town and Johannesburg. We've won publishing contracts for Edgars Club, Discovery and Spur, as well as launched a fully-fledged digital division. Attracting and retaining the best talent to service our growing blue-chip client base is a core focus and we believe Taweni's wealth of media experience and passion is the perfect fit for John Brown. We look forward to Taweni providing insight, challenging us and adding to what is already a company with fantastic energy," commented Lani Carstens, MD of John Brown Media South Africa.

Although the John Brown head office is in the UK, John Brown Media South Africa is staffed and run by a talented local team. As a non-executive board member of the South African operation, Taweni will provide strategic input into the growth and development of John Brown Media and assist with the mentoring and training of local editorial creative talent.

"I see this as a wonderful opportunity to contribute more to the South African media industry and after a four-year break, my passion for magazines remains strong. There are few places in the world that offer the opportunity to be creative in the way South Africa does and as custom publishers, John Brown Media certainly pushes the creative envelope for measurable results. The team in place is strong and has a proven track record of delivering exceptional products and results for clients. It was an easy invitation to accept!" Taweni commented.

"My personal passion in media has always been about looking for opportunities in unlikely spaces and I believe there are substantial custom publishing opportunities still untapped locally and in the broader African continent. My mandate is also to scout for these," Taweni concluded.

With offices in Cape Town, Johannesburg, London, Shanghai and Hong Kong, John Brown Media offers clients innovative content solutions across multiple platforms, helping brands create a dialogue with customers, which results in a commercial transaction and greater brand engagement.

Editorial contact:
Nikki Versfeld
021 425 7111 / 082 853 9740