Change voices
Coca-Cola’s Marketing on “Mashesha” and other South African Brands
Township marketing has become one of the most important strategies for brands in South Africa today. Townships are not just places where people live; they are spaces where culture is created, shared, and constantly evolving. From music and fashion to language and everyday behaviour, townships influence what becomes popular across the country. Brands that fail to recognise this often struggle to connect with their audience, while those that understand it can build meaningful and lasting relationships.
Growing concern on the use of AI generated graphics
AI-generated graphics are becoming more common on social media and in marketing. Many people use these tools because they are fast and easy. However, not everyone supports this trend. In South Africa, many creatives and audiences are raising concerns about AI graphics, especially when it comes to authenticity and fairness.
One of the biggest issues is that AI graphics often do not feel authentic. In South Africa, storytelling is deeply connected to culture, identity, and lived experience. When an image is created by AI, it does not come from real emotions or personal stories.
Understanding South Africa’s shift to short-form video
Short-form video has rapidly transformed how people create and consume content in South Africa, driven by platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts. With millions of users accessing social media primarily through mobile devices, quick, engaging videos under 60 seconds have become the preferred format. With this shift, South African creators and brands have adapted by producing relatable, mobile-first, vertical content that resonates with local audiences. As a result, short-form video is not only reshaping storytelling but also creating new opportunities in the creative industry, from influencer marketing to educational “edutainment” content.
Should South Africa lift social media restrictions for under-16s?
South Africa ranks among the countries with the highest daily internet use in the world, reflecting how deeply digital technology has become part of everyday life. However, this growing connectivity also raises concerns about the impact of excessive online activity on young people. As children spend more time on social media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat, experts are warning about risks including cyberbullying, harmful content and declining mental wellbeing. With countries like Australia introducing a ban on social media for children under 16, the debate is now growing over whether South Africa should introduce similar measures or focus on stronger digital education and online safety protections.
Beating the algorithm with multimedia storytelling
The power of strategic podcasting
South African organisations are increasingly using podcasts to reach audiences, build trust, and shape public conversations. Because people can listen while commuting, exercising, or working, podcasts make it easier to connect with audiences regularly and share messages clearly. Frayintermedia approaches podcasting as the starting point of a broader content strategy rather than the final product. Each episode becomes a rich source of insight, narrative, and messaging that can be thoughtfully adapted into multiple formats designed to extend reach, reinforce key messages, and engage different audiences.
Call for Entries: 2025 Sanlam Group Financial Journalism Awards
For more than five decades, the Sanlam Group Financial Journalism Awards have recognised the journalists who shape Africa’s understanding of business, markets and the economy. As the awards mark 51 years in 2026, entries are once again open, inviting reporters and storytellers from across the continent to submit work that reflects excellence, integrity and impact in financial journalism.
The power of visual storytelling
Visual storytelling is a powerful tool that brings stories to life by combining imagery, emotion, and movement to create meaningful connections. Through digital media, people are able to explore new places, experience different cultures, and see the world through someone else’s lens. From personal journeys to travel stories like those shared by South African creator Popi Sibiya, visual storytelling shows how real experiences can inspire, connect, and shape the way we understand the world around us.
AI misuse deepens grief after fatal school crash
This week, a heavy cloud fell over South Africa as a normal school day ended in tragedy. Fourteen young lives were lost when a taxi and a truck collided, leaving families and communities shattered. As the nation mourned, grief was deepened by the spread of a fake AI-generated image falsely claiming to show the victims. Instead of bringing comfort, the misuse of technology caused further pain, reminding us that in moments of loss, truth, respect, and compassion must always come before clicks and attention.
16 DAYS OF ACTIVISM AGAINST GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE
The 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence highlights the urgent need to address violence and discrimination against women and girls worldwide, calling on journalists to create gender-sensitive newsrooms and report GBV with accuracy, dignity, and context. Despite alarming UN Women statistics,including that one in three women experiences GBV and that most deepfake content targets women, the media often treats cases as isolated incidents, reinforcing harmful stereotypes and ignoring systemic causes. Researchers and experts, including Elsje-Marie Jordaan and Professor Rachel Jewkes, emphasise that ethical reporting can help shift public attitudes, hold perpetrators accountable, and support survivors.
The Purple movement takes over South Africa
The recent Women For Change campaign is a powerful example of online activism in action. In response to the alarming rise in Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) in South Africa, the movement launched a national call for GBVF to be declared a national disaster. Within a week, South Africans turned their social media profiles purple in solidarity, and more than one million people signed the petition urging the government to act. As part of its commitment to this cause, the fray group will provide free training to civil society organisations addressing GBVF and to journalists reporting on the issue, while also sharing advocacy resources to strengthen public engagement.
The hidden pollution of the digital age
In today’s digital world, content creation connects people and shapes ideas across the globe. Yet behind every captivating video and online campaign lies an unseen cost; the environmental toll of digital production. From high-energy data centres and AI systems to the rise of electronic waste, the digital industry contributes to pollution and climate change. As technology grows, the media sector faces a key challenge: creating meaningful stories while protecting the planet. Sustainable practices like local filming, energy-saving methods, and eco-friendly materials can help reduce this impact. When creativity meets environmental responsibility, digital media can become a powerful tool for positive change and a greener future.
From boardrooms to zoom rooms
COVID-19 redefined how people meet, work, and communicate. What began as a global crisis soon became a turning point for connection and collaboration, pushing the world into digital spaces that reshaped everyday life. Virtual meetings and hybrid events replaced traditional gatherings, offering flexibility and inclusion like never before. In the workplace, hybrid models emerged as a new norm, blending the freedom of remote work with the collaboration of office life.
Progress driving advocacy and brand building
The importance of diverse voices in shaping stories
Stories have power. They influence how we see the World, our beliefs, and even the choices made by leaders. However, if only a few groups get to tell the story, it becomes incomplete and often unfair. For this reason, many voices should be represented in media, films, and other ways of storytelling.
From traditional media to algorithms
Is technology making our lives easier or are we becoming lazy?
The ever evolving technology has reshaped how we live, work and connect. Everything that we could do before can now be done by a simple click. “Technology has become an integral part of our lives. From the moment we wake up to the time we go to bed, we use technology in some way or another” said knbbs-sharer.
Storytelling in the digital era: Building connection beyond the scroll
The art of storytelling remains an important tool for creativity, while also serving as a pathway for teaching and learning, especially in the digital era. Forbes notes that people are naturally drawn to stories because they evoke emotions, build empathy, and make information easier to relate to. When a brand tells a story, it forms a deeper connection with its audience, building trust, belonging, and loyalty.
After Racial Change, a Gender Wall: Reuters Institute Fellowship Paper
South Africa’s newsrooms no longer look like they did under apartheid. By 2018, women made up 49% of staff across media houses, with big players such as Media24 (57%), Tiso Blackstar (54%), and the SABC (50%) reporting female-dominated workforces. The transformation by race has also been significant: black journalists now form the majority in most newsrooms.
Recognising Linda Sowden: Half-Day Hours, Full-Time Impact
At frayintermedia, some of our most powerful work happens quietly behind the scenes, driven by dedicated individuals whose commitment makes the entire machine run smoothly. One of those people is Linda Sowden, our go-to expert in administration and tender applications, who has been part of the frayintermedia family for nearly five years.
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