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Provantage launch Provantage Sport - Xhanti-Lomzi Nesi appointed as managing director

19 Oct 2023

Provantage, a leader in integrated marketing solutions, has launched Provantage Sport, significantly expanding its reach into the expansive South African sports sponsorship and media arena, which is estimated to generate around R40-45 billion in annual revenue through activations, sponsorship, media rights, ticketing and hospitality locally.

L-R: Mzi Deliwe (Deputy CEO: Provantage); Jacques du Preez (CEO: Provantage); Xhanti-Lomzi Nesi (MD: Provantage Sport); Chris Hitchings (Director: Provantage Sport)

Heading up Provantage Sport as managing director is Xhanti-Lomzi Nesi, a seasoned professional with an impressive track record in sports marketing. Nesi joins Provantage Sport from SuperSport, where he served as the Head of Rugby.

As Provantage Sport enters the dynamic realm of sports marketing in South Africa, it is setting out to challenge the dominance of other major players in the industry. With a fresh perspective, Provantage Sport aims tochallenge the status quo, drive innovation and introduce several new services to the sector.

Provantage Sport brings a new level of measurement and accountability to sports sponsorships and commercial elements, benefiting both sponsors and rights holders. As a majority black-owned and Level 1 BBBEE company, Provantage Sport reiterates its commitment to transforming sport at all levels which we believe is well overdue.

Provantage is fully committed to school media and school sport, where substantial inroads have been made, highlighted by the recent successful launch of the SDC Noordvaal Cup schools rugby tournament. Provantage’s School Media division will become a subsidiary of Provantage Sport and is currently rolling out various new and exciting school media and sports properties.

Core areas of focus for Provantage Sport will include sport sponsorship sales across all major sporting codes, amplification of sponsorships through multimedia channels (including owned media), perimeter stadium advertising, licensing, social media content generation, and activations.

“Our entry into the sport marketing segment makes a lot of strategic sense.Our unique approach and entrepreneurial nature positions us for growth in a largely untransformed and undisrupted sport marketing sector," says Jacques du Preez, Provantage CEO. "We will leverage our scale and our relationships with our media agency partners and direct clients to develop new and unique sport media and sponsorship opportunities that will add significant value for all stakeholders. We know that consumers have a strong emotional connection and high affinity with sport, making this segment particularly attractive for us.

"We are extremely excited to be extending our integrated range of media and marketing service offerings and thrilled that Nesi will head up the division. He has a proven track record, and we have no doubt that he will be very successful in leading our new Sport Division and in transforming the industry."

Nesi is equally excited at the opportunity that lies ahead: “We believe in the power of South African sport to connect with more South Africans. For all of us, sport is so much more than just entertainment. It is a vehicle that unites us all, as has been evident in the 2023 Rugby World Cup,” he explained.

“We are committed to achieving growth in untapped centres of the market and in creating a new status quo that will set the standard for the industry. As a sports lover myself, I am very excited to be embarking on this unique challenge with Provantage Sport.”

Provantage has also launched Ant Lion, a specialist digital content agency that will support Provantage Sport and Provantage School Media with specialist content generation and social media amplification services.

Provantage Sport is already in discussions with various rights holders and brands and will announce specific new sponsorship properties in the near future.

Hoërskool Garsfontein: Winners of the SDC Noordvaal Cup 2023 (Cup Division)

Provantage is one of the largest and most innovative end-to-end integrated marketing solutions and media businesses in Africa, extended over multiple key consumer touchpoints and covering a range of environments and audience segments. Operating across the MEA region, Provantage offers a comprehensive range of products, services, and integrated solutions, including brand activation, in-store and trade media services, field sales and compliance auditing, transit media, mall media, billboards, street furniture, golf course media and airport advertising. The company is a Black-owned, B-BBEE level 1 contributor, and proud member of the ACI, DPAA, OAAA, WOOHO, OMC and POPAI.