Repo rate hike is but one step amid broader policy tightening

[Arthur Kamp] Amid waning liquidity, higher funding costs, rand weakness and rising inflation South Africa needs a decisive policy response. The 50bp hike in the Reserve Bank's...

Relying on imports to feed the nation

[Sindy Peters] The ongoing El Niño has resulted in far below-average rainfall and very high temperatures in Southern Africa, adversely affecting agriculture in the region...

#DesignMonth: Louis Minnaar, creative maverick

[Ruth Cooper] Chances are that you have encountered Louis Minnaar's outstanding work at one time or another, be it a music video or flyer for your favourite band or a catchy ad for a well-loved brand.

When Twitter met South Africa - a match made in a train smash

[Stephen Grootes] Western Cape Premier Helen Zille has suggested that Twitter in South Africa has become less of a force for good for national debate, and more of a force for evil...

Thoughts on directing the new Hippo.co.za TVCs

[Glen Bosman] It was a huge privilege and a massive challenge for me, as part of the Catapult.tv team, to be offered a shot at directing the New Hippo "comparison don'ts" campaign...

Challenging the new normal

[Christian von Selle] The times of high single digit growth in emerging market seem to be over. At least for now. Major economies are slowing down, commodity prices are decreasing...

Virgin 'Activism': A moving fitness campaign

[Leigh Andrews] When your marketing and advertising teams gel well, you get campaign magic. The well-timed Virgin Active 'Get off your ass' campaign is proof of this, particularly its gif-based social media aspect...

[BizTrends 2016] Paving the way for auto innovation

[Jeff Nemeth] The automotive industry is undergoing a fundamental change which is being driven by cost factors, political and economic conditions, population and traffic congestion, and environmental concerns...

[BizTrends 2016] Media trends 2016

[Brendan Seery] In the late 1990s, Bill Gates wrote a book predicting where technology would take humankind in the following decade. Just under 20 years later, few of his predictions have come true...

How to stop visitors in their tracks and take a bow on your website

[Gordon Barker] Website content as we are all aware is the critical aspect to SEO (search engine optimisation), but what is the next big thing on the web? No, it's not social media - it is your own website...

Shaun Duvet chats Ultra

[Ruth Cooper] With the 'ultra' EDM bunnies trembling in anticipation for the forthcoming Ultra South Africa, we thought it best to get in touch with DJ Shaun Duvet, the man behind the marketing scene, to find out what this year's party-goers will be flipping their lids for.

Disappearing brands

[Neil Hart] The world does not long for more advertising. Recently Instagram tested its first advert in the app's photo feed. The comments that followed were entertaining, ranging from "I'm leaving Instagram" to "there goes the neighbourhood"...

Nine habits you need for social media success

[Amanda Patterson] If you are trying to create more awareness for yourself, your product, or your business, you should be creating an online presence. Many people try and then give up...

[NewsMaker] Nitesh Matai - GM at Nu Metro Cinemas

[Louise Burgers] Nu Metro Cinemas has a new general manager in Nitesh Matai, who was promoted from marketing executive in December...

[Secrets of Success] Gloo@Ogilvy - A merger for future growth

[Ann Nurock] In November last year, Gloo@Ogilvy was named Digital Agency of the Year at the Financial Mail Annual AdFocus Awards...