How to Start an Advertising Agency in South Africa

It's essential to demonstrate to customers that you know what you're doing and that you can take their branding and advertising needs into your own hands. Expanding your knowledge is never a bad idea. There are many resources available to learn more about the world of advertising.

An agency MD with more than five years of management experience can expect to earn a minimum of R$150,000 a month in Joburg and around R$130,000 in Cape Town. A doctor with two to five years of experience will earn between R$90,000 and R$150,000 per month in Joburg and between R$90,000 and R$150,000 in Cape Town. A quick search on Just Go, Co, ZA for digital marketing jobs will show that there is a great earning potential with men earning up to and sometimes more than R$60,000 a month with three to five years of experience.

In many cases, agencies can become national or multinational companies with offices in only one or a few cities because they offer services rather than physical products. We recommend that agencies have their own office so that customers can meet, computers to work on projects, an Internet connection to access the web, and a printer so that you can print marketing materials on the spot.

The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) is the regulator of South Africa's communications, broadcasting and postal services industry. It is useful to have experience or knowledge of how this industry works before founding an advertising agency in South Africa. Current expenses for an advertising agency include renting an office (if the agency has one), computer costs, Internet access fees, and employee salaries.

Opening, building and operating your own advertising agency will require a lot of work and dedication, but with the right preparation, you can definitely succeed in the field. Founded in 1996 as one of South Africa's first digitally capable marketing service providers, Hero is an independent and capable one-stop service agency comprising nine specialized services divisions.

If you are looking to cater to a specific market, make sure you specialize in an advertising medium that suits your needs and also your budgets. Ideally, agencies should have an office to meet with clients, computers to work on projects, an Internet connection, and a printer to print any physical advertising material.

Agencies charge an hourly rate for time spent managing an account, creating ads, booking media, and purchasing services such as photography, video production or market research. The initial costs of starting an advertising agency are minimal since they provide services rather than products.

Since advertising agencies offer services rather than products, the start-up costs of an agency are minimal. Advertising agencies can be very profitable; earnings are largely influenced by the size of the agency and the different niches that the agency serves.

Esther Woodcock
Esther Woodcock

Esther has been in Marketing field for 15 years