Who We Are
AVATAR is an established and successful full-service marketing agency with digital at the core owned by Zibusiso Mkhwanazi and Veli Ngubane.
AVATAR unites a professional team of over 80 marketers in two cities which consists of creatives, developers, writers, strategists, account managers, producers and many others. We create ideas which impact some of the world’s most recognised brands including H&M, Caltex, SKYY Vodka and South African Airways to disruptive challenger brands like us.”
We help our customers of all shapes and sizes decide what’s next for their business, and then we take them there by helping them build great brands and engaging customer experiences.
WHY DO WE EXIST?
In this constantly evolving digital world, the connection between people and brands is constantly evolving.
Today’s customers demand more from brands than ever before. They expect memorable engagements from the brands in their lives, rewarding those that deliver and punishing those that don’t. This is why we think todays companies need a special kind of agency to partner with them. One that understands that the big idea coupled with great content in relevant marketing channels will make their brands desirable wherever, whenever and however people choose to engage with them.
SO WHAT MAKES US SPECIAL?
We are really cool people to work with.
Our Clients
Johannesburg
Cape Town
Testimonials
AVATAR has perfected the art of integrating traditional and digital thinking, in my years of working with them on my International brands I have found that they are a World class agency.
AVATAR have remained at the cutting edge of digital and technology related solutions for all our campaigns; their “can-do” attitude towards assignments and the direct involvement by owners and directors is a refreshing difference in today’s advertising world.
AVATAR has been crucial to the uptake for the South African Airways social check in tool. It has been widely acclaimed from India to the US and back to SA. The tool has been featured on Huffington Post, Forbes India Magazine and other publications. The concept was simple, powerful and it resonated with the passengers who have tried the tool. AVATAR took extra steps to ensure our message was reaching the right audiences the right number of times and that our budget was well spent. Well done AVATARS.
AVATAR won the pitch with their enthusiasm and innovative campaign ideas
Founders
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.”
Management
Mthunzi is a forward-thinking adman, entrepreneur and marketing extraordinaire, with profound continental experience in this ever-changing world of advertising. He has a passion for creating unique experiences and advertising, making his approach to business truly distinct.
Heather helps business increase productivity and reduces costs through aligning people and systems to company strategy. She specialises in the business management, integrated solutions and streamlining of client/agency operational processes including planning, risk and compliance.
Heather has extensive experience in advertising, having operated at a global level, coordinating & streamlining production output for 53 markets around the world.
AVASTARS
