Diverse minds collaborating to create perspective
A network of entrepreneurs shaping brands,
transforming South Africa and building Africa
M&N Brands is a South African born and African inspired marketing services holding company with a kaleidoscope of investments in leading advertising and communication agencies.
With over 400 talented people in our network of agencies, we provide the best in creativity, technology and innovation to some of the world’s most recognisable brands. We are specialists in advertising, digital marketing, production and media planning.
Zibusiso Mkhwanazi is the founder and Group CEO of M&N Brands, a holding company with diversified investments in leading advertising, media and communication businesses.
M&N Brands, owns Avatar JHB, Avatar CPT, Avatar PR, Mela Events, Bozza and AMA a full-service media agency. The group also has M&N Entertainment, a content hub that has already made its first acquisition through the purchase of Zkhiphani.com. The holding company is involved in the Esihlahleni Women’s Empowerment, an NPC dedicated to empowering lives of women from disadvantaged areas.
Zibusiso has more than 20 awards and accolades to his name, including being selected as one of the World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leaders and a finalist at the Ernest and Young World Entrepreneur Awards.
He is also the founder of David’s League, a mentorship programme that balances issues of spirituality and business, and has seen over 500 small business through its doors.
A strategist turned creative, Veli has not only co-founded Avatar, but also inspired a new agency offering, YGK, and is part of M&N Brands, a holding company with diversified investments in leading advertising, media and communication businesses.
Veli serves as Advisory Board Chairman at the Red & Yellow School, sits on the IAB’s Transformation & Education Council, is a DMA Board Member and has judged the Loeries, Apex, Bookmarks, Pendorings and AdFocus Awards.
He was also named in this year’s Mail & Guardian Top 200 South Africans. Veli holds a BSocSci (Politics, Economics & Law) from UCT and a postgraduate Marketing & Advertising diploma from the Red & Yellow School.
A born entrepreneur taking advantage of the two very economies he was exposed to, Veli is also a brand man (his experience includes BMW, Apple and Investec), deeply committed to disrupting and challenging the advertising industry, “Just being black is not enough; we need black- owned and managed agencies to be world class.”
Constantly learning, constantly innovating, 35-year-old Veli has also learnt the pitfalls of success, “I have learnt that one must define what success means to oneself, as there is a great danger with conforming to the one society creates.”
We seek to be value-adding partners
We are 100% black youth owned with an associated broad-based women’s empowerment NPC, which helps women with bursaries and micro funding. This ensures that our associated agencies and clients get maximum points while making a difference to the broader community.
We have a network director who ensures that various agencies work seamlessly and that the work also commercially viable for both agency and client.
We seek to share the value that we build with the entire network over the long term. This means that everybody is committed to one another while maintaining their individual cultures that made them great in the first place.
For Africans, By Africans
As a client
With M&N Brands, clients no longer need to work with just one agency. Since all agencies have their strengths and weaknesses, the client is able to tap into the strong points of numerous agencies and receive the best work possible.
We are also taking away the headache of dealing with agencies fighting for territory and budget from the client.
Clients will work alongside a group of specialist agencies – who share a common vision and leadership – with a continent-wide presence packaged for specific requirements. We can do this because we have shareholding on multiple agencies in the same disciplines.
As an associated agency
- Access to a network of strategic and creative talent across the M&N associated companies
- Access to group pitches and a backing from holding company resources
- Cost savings from shared finance, HR and IT however with access to highly skilled and experienced back office resources to assist existing teams
- Our deal structure has the benefit of both black and broad-based women empowerment
- Access to competing business from other groups
- Merger opportunities to bolster service offering and market relevance
- We have a strong balance sheet and hence the ability to raise large amounts of capital and the ability to include employees in any transaction
- Access to partnerships with like-minded agencies in five different African countries
Kopano ke matla
Avatar wins Caltex South Africa
This is the second major account win announced by the agency this year, following hot on the heels of the the integrated agency business win for global fashion retailer, H&M, in South Africa. read more…
M&N Brands buys Mela Events
M&N Brands has acquired events agency, Mela Events, increasing the group’s consolidated revenue to over R150m. For Enelra Booth and Tiziana Tucci of Mela Events (established in 2006), this is the next evolution of their business, allowing it to offer clients integrated solutions which have all the touchpoints, from digital to social to media. read more…
M&N Brands, a 100% black-owned marketing and communications holding group, has announced its latest acquisition, Loerie Gold-winning eventing shop, Mela Events. read more…
#Prisms2018: The inconvenient truth about PR
Legal trumps public relations nearly every time. Class action suit anyone? Bringing in the muscle after the fact is just spoiling for a fight that will leave at least one side bloodied and bruised. read more…
Podcast: Keri-Ann Stanton On South Africa’s PR Evolution
South African PR industry veteran Keri-Ann Stanton joins the Echo Chamber following the Holmes Report’s third African Innovation Summit in Johannesburg last week. read more…
AVATAR buys shares into M&C Saatchi SA
AVATAR Investment Holdings (AIH) and M&C Saatchi Abel have announced a share deal that will see each of the agencies acquire a minority stake in each other’s operations.
read more…
M&N Brands launches content hub, acquires youth mag
Loosely translated, Zkhiphani means ‘what’s happening’ and was established a decade ago by Andile Mathobela, Ally Fathana and Bonga Mpungose; today, the online magazine employs nine people and covers celeb news, music, trends and social happenings. The founders will retain a minority stake in the business. read more…
M&N Brands obtains Mela Events
The acquisition increases M&N Brands’ consolidated revenue to over R150m and opens up the eventing space for Mela Events. read more
We’re transforming the milky way
At the Ad Focus awards late last year, Zibusiso Mkhwanazi, the chief executive of Avatar Investment Holdings, stood on the stage with a glass of milk in his hand. read more…
Fast Company SA February 2018 – Issue 33
New African holding company to challenge global networks
Zibusiso Mkhwanazi and Veli Ngubane have rebranded their agency holding company to M&N Brands. This puts distance between their 80%-owned, fast-growing agency group… read more…
Contact
Keep In Touch
Alternatively, give us a call on the number below, or visit our offices
Tel: +27 11 268 5223
51 Glenhove Rd Melrose Estate, Johannesburg 2196, South Africa