Research consultancy Scopen pledged R300 for every marketer interviewed during 2025 by its flagship research study, Agency Scope. With 300 interviews, it raised R90,000, which it has used to launch of a new bursary initiative.
Research consultancy Scopen has turned gratitude into action with the launch of a new bursary initiative linked to its flagship Agency Scope study in South Africa. Pictured: Khensani Nobanda CMO Nedbank, Omolemo Sehole bursary recipient, Johanna McDowell Scopenn Africa partner, Cesar Vacchiano CEO Scopen global (Image supplied)
Three bursaries of R30,000 each were presented to students from AAA School of Advertising, Vega School and Red & Yellow Creative School of Business at the recent Scopen Africa Decade Awards in Johannesburg.
“Agency Scope exists because marketers generously share their time and experience with us,” says César Vacchiano, president and CEO of Scopen. “We wanted to transform that generosity into something tangible for the future of the industry.”
Three students, three stories
- Jamie Lewis
Jamie Lewis (Image supplied)
Jamie Lewis is studying at the AAA School of Advertising with ambitions to become a brand manager and launch businesses of his own.
His mother’s career in the industry first opened his eyes to what was possible — and the bursary arrives at a time when his family needs it most. Lewis is fully deaf and uses cochlear implants.
He credits AAA’s smaller class environment for giving him the space to ask questions and get real support.
He has bigger ambitions beyond his own career. “In the future, I want to be a voice for deaf and hearing-impaired individuals and show that it is possible to take big steps in this industry.”
- Cebisa Deyoba
Cebisa Deyoba (Image supplied)
Cebisa Deyoba is a BCom Marketing student at Red & Yellow Creative School of Business. For Deyoba, the award is as much about belief as it is about money. “This bursary is not just financial support — it’s a vote of confidence in my potential.”
She hopes to build a career creating innovative, authentic campaigns before eventually launching her own agency and paying the support forward.
- Omolemo Sehole
Omolemo Sehole (image supplied)
Omolemo Sehole is studying towards a BA in Strategic Brand Communication at Vega School. His passion for marketing began in high school, and his first real industry experience came at seventeen when his older sister handed him the marketing reins at her beauty business — a leap of faith that shaped everything that followed. “
You have not only awarded me a bursary,” he told the room. “You have affirmed that this path was always meant for me.”
Built to last
For Johanna McDowell, Scopen’s Africa partner and CEO of the Independent Agency Search & Selection Company, the logic was straightforward.
“Agency Scope is built on the openness of the marketing community. These bursaries are our way of giving something back — not only to the marketers who share their insights, but to the young people who will shape what comes next.”
Scopen has confirmed the initiative will continue as part of every future edition of Agency Scope in South Africa, ensuring that the generosity of today’s marketers outlasts the research cycle.
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