The co-founders of MotionAds, Jon Berkowitz and Elan Band, have been named joint recipients of the Eric Ellerine Entrepreneur Award, sponsored by Investec, in recognition of their remarkable contribution to community upliftment and innovation within South Africa’s evolving gig economy.
Jon Berkowitz and Elan Band receive the Eric Ellerine Entrepreneur Award. Image supplied
MotionAds is South Africa’s homegrown delivery-bike advertising platform. They successfully connect brands directly with consumers while delivering supplementary income to local drivers.
Since launching in 2019, MotionAds has paid out over R21 million to independent drivers by transforming everyday motorcycles into mobile billboards.
“Winning this award is a deeply meaningful milestone for us. It affirms that purpose and performance can coexist, that building a business with a social heartbeat can still deliver exceptional results. For MotionAds, this recognition brings greater visibility to the movement we’ve been building since 2019: turning delivery bikes into a force for good by creating brand visibility for advertisers, and income support for delivery drivers,” says Jon Berkowitz, co-founder of MotionAds.
“The award recognises a business model in which innovation has been leveraged to uplift people, not just profits. It validates years of hard work from our team and the thousands of delivery drivers who power our campaigns daily. It shines a light on a future in which business and society move forward at the same time.”
In South Africa, gig-economy workers, including delivery drivers, face significant challenges. Research by the Labour Research Service (LRS) in 2023 found that platform‐based workers often contend with low and irregular income, a lack of traditional employment safeguards, and heightened risk of financial stress.
One study highlighted that many delivery and e-hailing drivers reported working over 80 hours a week just to make ends meet.
Meanwhile, in 2025 a study estimated that South Africa already had around 1.3 million registered gig-economy workers across more than 90 platforms.
By contrast, the MotionAds model provides a structured supplement to income and positions driver-earnings as a measurable outcome, creating a rare intersection in which brand ROI supports social upliftment.
The income from these brand placements aims to help increase driver net earnings by approximately 10% at minimum.
Elan Band, co-founder of MotionAds, confirms that over the next year the business will expand into smaller territories where they don’t yet operate, and will be introducing a driver app that will better connect brands, riders, and the communities they service: “The platform will feature smarter behavioural rewards, as well as improved campaign tracking and measurement data for clients. The app, which is already in development, will also include a number of value-added services and benefits for drivers, including insurance options and other financial support tools.”
“These advancements have all been designed to help drivers earn and grow, turning their micro-enterprises on two wheels into more sustainable livelihoods. As we continue to expand, our vision remains clear: to redefine what mobility means in Africa.”
From the early days of three branded bikes to a nationwide fleet, MotionAds has grown through a bootstrapped approach by consistently reinvesting every rand of early revenue into technology, innovation and scaling.
Major campaigns with blue-chip brands including Vodacom, Heineken, Nedbank, Pick n Pay and PepsiCo underscore that this is not simply a social enterprise; it is a business built to win in the advertising industry while simultaneously driving economic inclusion.
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