The first digital Powa Towa has been activated in Kempton Park in Ekurhuleni, ahead of the roll-out of a network of these structures across the country. Bloemfontein, Soweto, the province of KwaZulu-Natal, Rustenburg, Port Elizabeth and Nelspruit are the next centres to receive them.

Dual format advertising

Digital Powa Towas measure 12m in height, and aim to offer advertisers the opportunity to brand 152 m2 of high impact space in selected commuter traffic flow areas.

According to Transit Ads, with growing transport development taking place in the country, large internodal commuter hubs are being created where various modes of transport converge and disperse. These hubs include retail and banking and strive to be a captive environment for targeting consumers when they are most open to advertising messaging, and when they are most prone to retail activity.

Within this environment, digital Powa Towas aim to offer a media opportunity that delivers cost-effective impact and exposure to a large commuter audience — "an audience that is extremely brand, product and price-savvy."

"With our Powa Towas, the client has complete ownership of the screen and the concept is a combination of static and digital within the commuter space," says Shamy Naidu, Transit Ads executive.

"The static element helps with brand affinity and awareness, whilst the digital screen allows for content, product and price, education opportunities etc. So, the focus is on branding performing a dual role and also introducing new and innovative ways to increase our digital footprint in the commuter space," Naidu adds

SA commuter snapshot

According to the most recent National Household Travel Survey conducted by Statistics SA, roughly 66% of South Africa’s commuting population makes use of public transport, including travelling by taxi, bus and train. Approximately 68% of that public transport segment use taxis and have an average daily dwell time of 44 minutes.

"Further, in total, South Africa has a total public transport commuter base — excluding the Gautrain and air travel — in excess of 21 million, and that number looks set to increase, thanks to increasing urbanisation," says the team at Transit Ads.

Urbanisation

According to research conducted by Transit Ads, the world’s urban population is expected to increase by two-thirds by 2050. Here, the brand provides more numbers and facts to note of:

  • 90% of this urban growth will take place in Africa and Asia
  • 20% of the world’s urban population will be living in African cities
  • South Africa’s urban population is growing larger and younger
  • 70% of South Africa’s population will be living in an urban area by 2030

"Transit media also offers specific geographical focus, targets economically-active consumers, is situated in captive environments with long dwell times, produces repetitive audiences, is an incredibly cost-effective above-the-line alternative and guarantees exposure — with no channel hopping," says Naidu. "That’s a compelling proposition."

"Lastly, consider this number: approximately four million taxi trips to work are made every day in South Africa, with more than half of those taking place in Gauteng.
Whilst the commuter environment is expected to evolve and develop, as the needs of the population change, what won’t diminish is the attractiveness of this environment, its dynamism, and the key elements listed above, making for a sure bet for brands and advertisers," concludes Naidu. 

For more information, visit www.transitads.co.za. You can also follow Transit Ads on Twitter or on LinkedIn.