As Head of Marketing for Spotify Sub-Saharan Africa, Star Kachisa leads work across some of the most culturally layered markets in the world. She’s clear that the job isn’t to ‘make movies’, but to make work that earns attention, drives behaviour, and actually sells product. Spoiler alert: it’s also really good work. So we sat down with Star to find out how that work gets made, and what really matters along the way.
Composer and music supervisor Markus Wormstorm launched Biblo in 2012 to solve a familiar industry frustration. Directors and editors were stuck choosing between generic library music or culturally relevant tracks that couldn’t be licensed. Biblo emerged as a third option - access to contemporary African sound, built to move seamlessly from offline edit to final delivery.
In this Q&A, Giant Films’ director Paul Ward unpacks his process, his approach to storytelling, and how to navigate brand involvement without letting it overpower the human story. In a one-on-one conversation, we dig into the making of ‘The Philipstown WireCar Grand Prix’, a deeply moving, beautifully considered film that stays grounded while still feeling ambitious in scale and imagination.
New offices, new faces, and now a big-name new addition to the team. Colourist Kyle Stroebel has taken up residency at Mushroom Media Cape Town, adding serious weight to their talent offering and giving Cape Town a new reason to be on everyone’s shortlist for both commercial and long-form work.
They’re here for the spark, the wild idea, the impossible challenge, the moment a project makes your pulse skip. And in just one year, the industry has figured it out: if you’re going to flirt with something unexpected, you call Fling. Fresh from a Loeries haul that includes one Gold, two Silvers, three Bronzes and a Craft Certificate and armed with a cheeky new, unmistakably Fling website, Darling Fling is officially impossible to miss.
Ten years into building JOE*, Founder and Director, Dan Mace, has just finished editing a video that tries to make sense of it all. The highs, the lows, the ambition, the missteps, the learning. At the same time, his latest work for Checkers, created with 99c, has landed, giving the industry a clear example of where that decade of experimentation has led…spoiler… viral hit after viral hit, that’s where!
We all know the feeling when a piece of work drops and you think, “Damn, I wish I did that.” Instead of pretending we’re above it, we decided to lean in and turn those envy tingles into something worth celebrating. So we gathered some of South Africa’s sharpest creative minds, handed them some of the best work agencies have released over the last few months, and asked them to pick the pieces they wish they did. Here’s to giving credit where it’s due and maybe inspiring a little healthy jealousy along the way.
Thirteen years is a long time in advertising. It’s even longer in production. Which is why Spitfire’s teenage birthday lands with real weight: a fresh reel, a wall of awards, a new generation of women coming up through the ranks, and some of its strongest creative years to date.
Before the local industry had even seen a frame, Robin de Jager’s new film ‘Lil_ith’ was already making noise internationally. It premiered at the Oscar- and BAFTA-qualifying Odense International Film Festival and QFest St. Louis, a rare feat for a South African indie, especially one made entirely by bootstrap grit and obsessive care. Combine that with his growing commercial portfolio and the production backing of Triple Story Content, and it’s exactly why Robin should be on your director radar.
Eyeforce has launched a new showreel and website, marking a refreshed chapter for the production company. The reel pulls together some of their latest work, a reminder of the adventure, authenticity, sport and craft the team has become known for. It also arrives alongside the announcement of photographer Alex Kibble joining the roster.
Your Girlfriend director Morgan Dingle has officially broken the seal, weaving Al-generated footage into the closing moments of his new Tropika ad. We chatted to him about the process.
After two decades in big agencies, leading creative work for brands like Coca-Cola, Nando’s, and USAID, and collecting a trail of Loeries, Pendorings, One Show and D&AD awards along the way, Suhana Gordhan did something unexpected. Trading the machinery of big agencies for something more intimate and intentional, she launched a creative consultancy, LoveSong. In this conversation, she shares the honest reality of starting from scratch and learning your worth. If you've ever thought about going independent, this one's for you.
When two creatives from Retroviral, Koketso Masisi and Kgothatso Maditse, looked around the industry, they saw brilliant women of colour doing groundbreaking work, but too often, those voices weren’t in the rooms where change was being shaped. So they built their own. That’s the spirit behind Ko.Kreate’s ‘Women Shaping 2025’ event this November, a gathering that celebrates women redefining the industry.
When four South African respected jury presidents sit down together, you listen. Between them, they’ve presided over Cannes Lions, Loeries, Dubai Lynx, and the IAB Bookmark Awards - shaping what the world calls “award-winning work.” At this year’s IDIDTHAT HOUSE, inside the Nedbank Loft at Loeries Fringe 2025, this powerhouse panel brought together Fran Luckin (CCO, VML South Africa), Khensani Nobanda (Group Executive: Marketing & Corporate Affairs, Nedbank Group), Kabelo Moshapalo (CCO, Ogilvy), and Xolisa Dyeshana (CCO, Joe Public).
Budgets are shrinking. Deadlines are gasping for air. And AI? It’s not knocking on production’s door, it’s already moved in, rearranged the furniture, and started editing the showreel. At this year’s IDIDTHAT HOUSE (Loeries Fringe), inside the Nedbank Loft, we hosted Future Proof: a brutally honest panel asking the question everyone in production is quietly panicking about. What will it take for a South African production company to still exist, and thrive, in 2027?
When agencies start building their own production arms (think Prodigious, Hogarth and beyond) it raises the question everyone in the industry’s been whispering: what happens to South Africa’s independent production companies? Are in-house models the sleek, efficient future of advertising… or are they quietly dismantling the craft that made our work world-class?
Ever wondered what really happens when your script lands in a marketer’s inbox? What makes them sit up, what makes them stall, and what sends your big idea straight to the bin? At this year’s IDIDTHAT HOUSE, inside the Nedbank Loft at Loeries Fringe 2025, we flipped the script and put the marketers in the hot seat. Moderated and joined by Tebogo Motsepe (Executive Head: Marketing Strategy, Nedbank), the panel pulled zero punches as Grant Macpherson (CMO, KFC South Africa), Bridget Harpur (Head of Marketing, Volkswagen Group Africa), and Star Kachisa (Head of Marketing, Spotify Sub-Saharan Africa) revealed how ideas really get judged behind closed doors.
For two unforgettable days, IDIDTHAT HOUSE turned into the ultimate hangout space at Loeries Fringe. Production companies, agencies, and brands came together to talk shop, eat toasties, share drinks, and dance it all out.
(See all this pics) Day 2, 10 October, IDIDTHAT HOUSE was back in full swing. We kicked things off with brekkie rolls, Bloody Marys, and coffee strong enough to power another round of inspiring panel chats, with POPCO keeping everyone cool in between. Then came the IDIDTHAT HOUSE Party. An exclusive party for those who got the nod from our incredible production partners, and wow, did you show up. Massive love to everyone who joined us, laughed with us, and made it one for the books. We had the absolute best time with you.
(See all the pics) Day 1 at IDIDTHAT HOUSE was everything we dreamed of, old friends, new faces, industry-shaping panel chats, and big laughs. This is why we love this industry. Thank you to all our Brand Partners, Production Partners and guests for making this Loeries Fringe such a success. See you next year!