Arena partners with Sebenza to connect commuters and advertisers

Arena Holdings, one of Africa’s leading English-language news publishers and media companies, has entered an exclusive media sales partnership with innovative content and Wi-Fi platform Sebenza, which gives commuters in taxis across SA access to free Wi-Fi en route.

The media house is home to some of SA’s most prominent publications including  The Herald, Sunday Times, Business Day, Financial Mail, Sowetan, Daily Dispatch and TimesLIVE. 

Pule Molebeledi, Arena Holding’s acting CEO, says the strategic collaboration with Sebenza will allow brands and businesses to engage with commuters across SA and establish meaningful connections through targeted advertising on the Sebenza platform. 

“We are thrilled to join forces with Sebenza. Our shared vision of connecting people and enabling thriving economies aligns perfectly.

“As a media company, we understand the power of engaging content and advertising,” he says. 

Commuters in SA spend an average of 87 minutes a day travelling to and from their destinations.

This time is largely unproductive and has remained untapped by advertisers — until now.

When a commuter boards a Sebenza taxi, they can quickly and easily log in to the Sebenza platform with their smartphone using their cellphone number.

They can then gain free Wi-Fi access by earning and collecting Sebenza Bucks, an exclusive virtual currency, with every promotional video they watch, survey they fill out on the platform, and many more incentivised actions. 

This platform allows users to enjoy content without the burden of high data costs. 

For advertisers, this presents numerous opportunities to connect with an engaged audience, abantu bakho, as Sebenza’s smart placement algorithm displays ads of all shapes, sizes and formats where they are most appropriate — from banners to videos, surveys and pop-ups.

From the bustling streets of Joburg to the vibrant townships of Cape Town, East London, Durban, Gqeberha, Pietermaritzburg, Bloemfontein, Polokwane and more, the localised and targeted advertising hits all the right stops.

Sebenza is on course to reach 35-million active monthly users in 50,000 vehicles by 2026, which means underserved communities will soon have access to this innovative platform nationwide, allowing advertisers to expand their audience. 

Advertising on the Sebenza platform via Arena Holdings is an exciting opportunity for brands and producers to showcase their offerings and build a strong community presence directly with commuters.

Email the Arena Holdings sales team at adsebenza@arena.africa to book a 30-minute consultation and find how you can use Sebenza to revolutionise your business’s advertising strategy and maximise brand visibility and engagement.