Portfolio

The Kagiso Connect portfolio currently owns Jacaranda FM and East Coast Radio, the South African operation of global entertainment and lifestyle brand Time Out, and South Africa’s newest independent digital insurance brokerage, Vouch SA. Research and Insights brand SoundInsights has also established itself as a key source of audience and media intelligence in the marketing and advertising industries.

Via parent company Kagiso Media, Kagiso Connect also manages non-controlling interests in Kaya FM, OFM, Heart FM and Gagasi FM. Kagiso Media is wholly owned by Kagiso Tiso Holdings (KTH).

Kagiso Connect CEO Nick Grubb said the evolution of the name was obvious as they explored adjacencies to their established and successful radio brands.

“Calling ourselves KM Radio when we now operate across more industries was an obvious limitation,” Grubb says. “As we delved into our value proposition, it was clear that what is common to all our brands is that they forge human connections and add real value to these relationships. ‘Connect’ resonates with all our teams and stakeholders.”

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Grubb adds: “Given the legacy of the Kagiso name, and what it means to all of us that work in the group, retaining this in the new branding was always a given as we strive to entrench its ideals.”

KTH CEO and Kagiso Connect board chair Paballo Makosholo says: “Complementing the consistent performance of the radio brands in terms of audience engagement and revenues has been a focused strategy to diversify into complementary adjacencies. But all of the Kagiso Connect brands have a common thread – and that is to understand the individuals they serve, serve them excellently, and make sure they make a positive difference in their communities.”

Culture

Kagiso Media was born out of Kagiso Trust Investments in the early 1990s, as a commercial vehicle to generate sustainable, long-term financial support for the Kagiso Trust. The Trust was co-founded by Archbishop Desmond Tutu with other stalwarts like Dr Beyers Naudé, Reverend Frank Chikane, Dr Max Coleman, Dr Alan Boesak, Dr Abe Nkomo, Father Smangaliso Mkhatshwa, and Eric Molobi. To this day, it plays a substantial role in developing education and other sectors in vulnerable South African communities.

The brand evolution has officially been announced internally to coincide with the conclusion of a company-wide exercise to articulate the values that underpin the culture. Human Resources Director Wendell Smith says the two projects were closely intertwined.

“Kagiso Connect sees itself as a resource that provides market understanding and strategic guidance to its brands, but also ensures that the operating environment is such that our people can do their best work,” Smith says. “Building and maintaining a positive culture where people are inspired and supported is what Kagiso Connect must be all about.”