Maggie Ireri named MD of TransAfrica Media

Maggie Ireri, the former managing director of research firm Ipsos Synovate, has been appointed the head of East African business for a South African media and sports marketing firm.

Ms Ireri, who quit the pollster this month, will from October 1 take up the role of managing director at TransAfrica Media (TAM) East Africa, a company that specialises in promotion of sports events, teams and acquisition of broadcast rights.

TAM East Africa is a wholly-owned subsidiary of TransAfrica Media, a Johannesburg-based company with an annual turnover of Sh490.9 million ($5.5 million).

Ms Ireri, 38, will be expected to set up the Kenyan unit and recruit new clients locally and from the region to drive growth.
“We will provide creative, strategic solutions that allow brands and rights holders alike to take advantage of the growing opportunities within the East African sports industry,” said Ms Ireri in an interview.

Stake

“I am delighted to be joining this pioneering communications group,” she added.

TransAfrica Media plans to expand its regional footprints to Uganda and Tanzania in the near term.

TAM East Africa is eyeing Kenya’s multi-billion shilling sports marketing industry where blue-chip firms such as East African Breweries Limited, Safaricom and Standard Chartered Bank splurge billions to sponsor major sports tourneys.

Recent sports sponsorship deals captured by the Business Daily top Sh2.5 billion, reflecting the lucrative nature of the industry dominated by athletics, football and rugby, with secondary disciplines such as cricket, volleyball, swimming and basketball.

The entry of TransAfrica Media into the Kenyan market puts the South African firm in a head-to-head battle with local firms such as Keino Sports Marketing, Icon Sports Marketing Ltd, Executive Sports Connect and Extreme Sports.

Ms Ireri said TAM East Africa has already bagged Athletics Kenya (AK) and the Kenya Rugby Union (KRU) as clients, two sports associations that run lucrative leagues.

TAM East Africa is working with AK to create a new commercial and marketing strategy for the athletics governing body across sponsorship and media rights structuring, negotiation and sales, commercialisation of existing events, as well the creation of new events.

The firm is also advising AK on Kenya’s bid to host the 2017 World Youth Championships.

TransAfrica Media was founded in 2000 by Kelvin Watt, a South African sports marking mogul with more than two decades experience in the sports sponsorship industry.

TransAfrica Capital acquired a 44 per cent stake in the same year.

TransAfrica Capital is a South African-based private equity fund with interests in media and communications, real estate, logistics, agribusiness and retail.

The media company has three subsidiaries – Frontiers Sport and Entertainment, Repucom and Kaelo Engage – which engage in experiential sports marketing campaigns, music concerts as well as SMS and MMS promotional campaigns.