A journey to work starts long before someone passes a billboard. It begins at the front door, runs along a pavement and often includes a taxi, bus or train before the final walk to the workplace. For Out Of Home (OOH) advertisers, understanding that journey is essential to developing effective sites and commercially relevant campaigns.
This National Transport Month, Kena Outdoor is looking at how the routes that carry people to work, services and shops also shape the way brands reach them.
Walking, driving and taxis carry nearly three in four workers
Statistics South Africa’s General Household Survey 2024, summarised in its October 2025 transport analysis, shows that walking, private cars and taxis together account for nearly three in four workers. These are national patterns, but they matter locally: for OOH planning, pedestrian environments deserve as much attention as road traffic.
As a member of the Out of Home Measurement Council (OMC), Kena Outdoor can support the planning and evaluation of participating inventory with industry-recognised, site-level audience estimates.
In practice, format and creative should respond to the setting. A roadside message must land within a brief viewing window, while a placement in a commuter precinct has to account for walking routes, waiting areas, sightlines and surrounding retail activity.
Development starts with the journey
A sound site assessment looks beyond available space. It weighs direction of travel, visibility, pedestrian access, surrounding activity and the demands of installing and maintaining a structure, while keeping access clear and never obscuring transport information or road signs.
Mixed-use precincts that bring housing, retail and transport together can give underused spaces a more active role in community life. For Kena, the question is how these precincts reshape walking routes, access points and nearby commerce, and therefore which locations suit which campaign roles.
“A location becomes more useful to an advertiser when we understand the journey around it: where people are coming from, how they pass the site and where they are heading. Development turns those observations into decisions about position, format and visibility.” - Daniel Loti, head of development and Infrastructure, Kena Outdoor
Rail, municipalities and station renewal
Kena’s advertising lease agreements with transport agencies such as the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) give advertisers access to a large and diverse commuter audience.
At the same time, Prasa and municipalities are renewing station infrastructure, from safer pedestrian walkways and better lighting to integrated bus and taxi interchanges. This helps rail become the backbone of connected, sustainable public transport. Safer, more efficient commuting also supports local economies by improving access to jobs, schools and services.
For brands, the opportunities range from station takeovers and digital billboards to in-train advertising, turning the daily commute into a point of contact. Advertising revenue in turn supports Prasa’s reinvestment in rail infrastructure, service improvements and passenger safety: brands gain reach, and commuters gain a better travel experience.
Looking ahead
By working with municipalities, developers, media owners like Kena, Prasa is building a rail network that is safer, more modern and more sustainable. That work strengthens the transport sector’s contribution to South Africa’s economic recovery and makes public transport a platform for growth as well as a service.
As stations, interchanges and surrounding precincts are renewed, opportunities and partnerships like these become stronger places for brands to meet commuters. The partnerships formed continue to help carry South Africa towards a more connected, inclusive and prosperous future.
Advertisers and agencies who want to reach commuters where they travel can contact Kena Outdoor at moc.roodtuoanek@snoitarepo.
