The Audience & Advertising Summit 2025 officially opened today at Green Park, Johannesburg, with a powerful address from Nonku Mkhize, Executive: Editorial and Product Development, BMA, who underscored the need for collaboration, innovation, and inclusivity in shaping Africa’s media and advertising future.
In her opening remarks, Ms. Mkhize emphasised the need to rethink traditional media and advertising models to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving digital economy. “Africa stands at the threshold of a new media economy. Our challenge—and our opportunity—is to embrace innovation without losing the trust, transparency, and local context that make our markets unique,” she said. “This Summit is about ensuring that our industry leads with agility, creativity, and a shared vision for sustainable growth.”
The Summit’s first panel set the tone for the day, bringing together:
- Isla Prentis, Managing Director, The Marketing Intelligence Hub
- Lorraine Landon, Head of Advertising Products and Solutions, Google
- Nicole Capper, General Manager, Humanz Africa
The discussion unpacked how AI and blockchain technologies are poised to transform Africa’s advertising and media landscape, with panellists emphasising both the opportunities and the risks. From programmatic advertising to content verification, the panel stressed the importance of balancing innovation and consumer trust.
Lorraine Landon, Head of Advertising Products and Solutions at Google, noted: “AI and blockchain aren’t just buzzwords — they are reshaping how we understand, measure, and connect with audiences. Africa has the chance to leapfrog legacy systems and build innovative and uniquely relevant solutions to our markets.”
Audience Measurement and Data Currency—A session examining the future of pan-African measurement standards sparked debate on transparency and accountability. Many delegates recognised the commercial potential of a unified currency but noted the need for alignment with local market realities.
Advertising in a Hybrid Media Environment – Brand leaders unpacked how audiences consume content across broadcast, digital, and on-demand platforms, and how advertisers can build trust while maximising ROI in a fragmented landscape.
Innovation Spotlights—Technology showcases demonstrated how AI-driven analytics and blockchain applications are already being piloted across the continent to enhance targeting, reduce fraud, and improve consumer trust.
Survey findings presented during the sessions reinforced that while African audiences remain cautious about paying for premium, ad-free content, they strongly prefer ad-supported freemium models. This highlights clear opportunities for advertisers to scale their reach while delivering meaningful engagement.
The Audience & Advertising Summit is Africa’s leading platform for dialogue and innovation at the intersection of broadcasting, content, advertising, and technology.
To view the highlights from the event, please click here.
