AVATAR South Africa

A group of specialist agencies in Johannesburg and Durban

AVATAR describes itself as an established full-service agency group, made up of specialist agencies that collaborate on traditional advertising, digital advertising, public relations, B2B consulting and media. More than 100 people work across the group, including creatives, developers, writers, strategists, account managers and producers. Its offices are in Johannesburg and Durban, with a virtual hub in Cape Town. The group calls itself wholly Black-owned and says it is out to take African creativity to the world.

The agencies inside the group

• Avatar Jozi is a born-digital, integrated agency in Johannesburg. It says its premises and its people reflect the diverse South African audiences it creates for, and that this lets it find the human insight behind its data.
• Avatar DBN in Durban is an award-winning, full-service agency that specialises in fast-moving consumer goods, retail, below-the-line activity and shopper communication.
• North Star combines data engineering, storytelling and traditional PR to build narratives across the media landscape. It describes itself as an agency built for the future.
• A media agency that is digital-first and data-driven, with return on investment as its foundation. It advises how digital, brand and communication plans fit with paid media.
• A B2B growth practice, formerly known as Resilience, that helps businesses engage customers, influence prospects, rally employees and carry out digital transformation programmes.

Clients and campaigns

Clients named on its site include Puma Energy, Bata, Isuzu, ABSA, South African Tourism, the National Lottery, Robertsons and LegalWise. It reports that Isuzu named it agency of record in Africa. Recent campaign work shown on its site includes Steers, Aromat's Miss Universe virtual dinner party, the Engen experiences programme and Yoco's Shop the Streets. Its service range also covers government and public sector communication, and branded content and youth marketing.

How it describes its approach

The group says it wants to help clients decide what comes next for their business and then help them get there by building brands and customer experiences. It describes its culture as entrepreneurial and caring, and says its people use creativity to achieve business results. Its stated purpose is to create ideas that move people, balancing science with a measure of magic.

AVATAR South Africa is a group of specialist marketing agencies that work together on advertising, digital, public relations, media and B2B growth. Its teams sit in Johannesburg and Durban, and the group says it has well over 100 people, from creatives and developers to strategists, writers and producers. It describes itself as wholly Black-owned.

What AVATAR South Africa offers

• Integrated digital agency: Avatar Jozi, a born-digital shop in Johannesburg making work for diverse South African audiences.
• Retail and shopper marketing: Avatar DBN in Durban handles FMCG, retail, below-the-line and in-store communication.
• Public relations: North Star combines data, digital marketing and traditional PR to shape brand stories across media.
• Media planning and buying: a data-led media unit that advises how brand, digital and communication plans fit with paid media.
• B2B consulting: a business-to-business growth arm, previously led by the current group chief executive.

Who it works with

The site lists brands such as Isuzu, ABSA, Bata, South African Tourism, Puma Energy, Robertsons and LegalWise, with recent campaign work for Steers, Aromat, Engen and Yoco.

Key facts

• Based in: Johannesburg and Durban, South Africa
• Team: more than 100 marketers
• Leadership: Mzamo Xala, Group Chief Executive Officer, who joined in 2019 as Chief Strategy Officer