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The South African Freelancer Conundrum: How Much Do I Charge? — A 2026 Update
Venelize de Lange from media update unpacks how South African freelancers can navigate pricing in 2026, by looking at updated benchmarks, common mistakes and practical strategies for setting sustainable rates.
The Stephen King IT Factor: Mastering Narrative Power in PR
Stephen King's memoir, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, is a treasure trove of advice that goes beyond fiction. King's insights offer a roadmap for publicists and PR agents to craft articles that resonate with audiences — and boost visibility. Emma Mendes from media update shares tips to help you elevate your PR game utilising King's wisdom.
Violence, Desensitisation and the Media's New Reality
Venelize de Lange from media update looks at the growing normalisation of violence across mainstream media, considering how long term exposure is reshaping audience sensitivity and challenging traditional approaches to ethical reporting.
Shrugging Off Tariffs: The Strategy Behind SA's Record Agricultural Exports
Venelize de Lange from media update unpacks how SA's record agricultural exports (despite declining US demand) highlight the importance of adaptive strategy, audience insight and diversified market positioning.
Balancing Global Scale and Local Insight: A Q&A With Koji Sekiguchi
What does successful brand leadership look like today? media update's Venelize de Lange chats to Koji Sekiguchi about the lessons he learnt from a global career in marketing leadership.
Redefining Attention in the Creator Economy: A Q&A With Pieter Geyser — Part One
Venelize de Lange from media update spoke with Pieter Geyser about the future of media strategy, what drives ROI and how brands can harness creator content effectively.
The Confidence Quotient: Why Brands are Betting on Self-Esteem
Confidence is the word on everyone's lips — and brands are listening. Emma Mendes from media update explores the surge in confidence-driven marketing, what drives this trend and how brands can tap into its power to connect authentically with audiences.
Tech on Trial: Redefining Responsibility in the Age of Digital Addiction
Venelize de Lange from media update unpacks Meta and Google's recent lawsuit, examining concerns about addictive platform designs and what tighter algorithm regulation could mean for audience growth strategies, ethical amplification and the future of digital publishing.
From South Africa to Europe: The Strategy Behind Mr Price's R9-Billion NKD Acquisition
Venelize de Lange from media update examines Mr Price's R9.66-billion NKD acquisition, exploring what the retailer's European expansion reveals about scaling value brands, localisation and the growing role of data-led marketing execution.
ChatGPT Enters the Ad Game: Everything Marketers Need to Know
Venelize de Lange from media update breaks down how ChatGPT is introducing advertisements, shifting from search to conversation-led brand discovery, and what this means for marketers and AI-driven marketing strategies.
Die Papier Promises a Fresh Voice for Afrikaans Readers
The contemporary news ecosystem faces an era where many media outlets are pivoting away from print operations and shifting entirely toward digital platforms. However, Novus Media (part of JSE-listed Novus Holdings) is making a daring statement to reaffirm authority in the perseverance of print media, as considered by media update's Kiara Ferreira and Venelize de Lange.
Lit.africa has released the State of South African Influencer Marketing — Q1 2026, analysing data from 20 000 registered creators across the country.
One of the most frustrating, puzzling situations digital marketers encounter is paid media campaign results that get progressively worse despite their best efforts to optimise for continuous improvement, says Tanika Corneleus, Campaign Lead for Digital Media at iqbusiness.
For many brands, periods of peak advertising demand can be both a blessing and a curse. While audiences are active and spending, marketing teams often contend with saturated channels, operational constraints and budget pressures.
Joe Public has announced that it has been voted Most Balanced Creative Agency of the Decade at the inaugural SCOPEN Africa Decade Awards, held in Johannesburg on Tuesday, 24 February.
As brands compete for attention in increasingly crowded urban environments, Outdoor Network has continued to expand its portfolio of large-format iconic billboard sites in response to advertiser demand for high-impact visibility at scale.
South Africa's fastest-growing pet retailer has flipped the script — and the camera — creating the world's first television commercial filmed entirely by pets.
Kantar, global marketing data and analytics business, has announced the appointment of Ndeye Diagne as its Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer, Middle East, Africa & Türkiye (MEA&T), effective Sunday, 1 March.
At the start of 2026, the marketing industry has entered another season of collecting data points. Penquin has advised businesses and brands to reasses their habits by observing and finding the real story beneath the statistics.
Humanz, the 360-degree AI-powered influencer marketing platform designed to help creators and brands grow together, has announced the winners of the first-ever Humanz Top 20 Awards in South Africa, a landmark initiative celebrating the country's most impactful, ethical and forward-thinking creators.
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