One person’s trash, is another person’s treasure

One might think that the life of a billboard skin ends once the campaign comes to an end, but not when they are on a Mamela site. In fact, that is only the beginning of its upcycling journey. Did you know that PVC is an incredible material that can be repurposed to aid the communities we operate in. From waterproofing and insulating, to providing rural towns with lining for dams and even aiding in job creation…billboards do it all!

A brilliant example of this is shwe.co.za, an NGO dedicated to creating jobs and reducing landfill waste by using our donated billboard skins as lining for their beautiful bags. Coupled with traditional shweshwe fabric they have created an incredible product line which includes laptop sleeves, clutches, totes and cosmetic bags, to mention a few. They are also dedicated to upskilling and uplifting the lives of women in township communities, which is something that really speaks to Mamela’s purpose – to improve the lives of those we touch. But it doesn’t stop there! We then continue the empowerment ecosystem by purchasing these stunning creations (and you can too) and gifting them back to the very clients and suppliers who were a part of the original campaign.

Damlinings is another NGO repurposing the donated billboard skins. They use it… well, as lining for dams in rural communities due to the material’s excellent waterproofing abilities. But wait, there’s more. Need linings for animal shelters? Got you covered! Need hardy material for durable schoolbags? In the bag! The sky’s the limit… When you donate a billboard skin.

But sustainability in OOH does not end there.

Township wall murals and spaza shops are infrastructure owned by community members that have been turned into canvasses for advertising purposes. Research shows that 25% of township residents spend more than 50% of their salary within the township, sustaining the economic ecosystem and proving “local is lekker”. In keeping with this trend, the monthly rental of these masterpieces goes to the township resident who owns the wall or spaza. This means that in addition to advertising, the brand is also supporting a local business and becoming entrenched in the community. In many cases, the local artists doing the artwork are often from the communities in which they operate.

Data is an incredibly valuable resource to township residents and in South Africa it’s expensive. So, why not turn branded walls and spazas into free-to-consumer Wi-Fi hotspots? Well, don’t mind if we do. We give brands the opportunity to sponsor free data while having users opt-in to their CRM programme. The spaza owner wins through free data and increased dwell time, the community has a way to do schoolwork, handle business online and stay connected. Everyone wins!

Wi-Fi enabled branded wall murals and spazas mean that resources and money are circulated within the township, contributing towards sustaining the township economy.

“…Oh the places you'll go!”

Mamela Media  5 Dec 2023

Mamela’s billboards are found in all major townships across South Africa, predominantly at busy commuter and shopping nodes and at the main entrances/exits into the townships. Where possible, we use flighters that are residents of those townships, once again, keeping it local.

The success of sustainability rests on every stakeholder within the ecosystem winning.

We would like to encourage other OOH media owners to join us on our mission to create sustainable ecosystems within the communities we serve.