Influencer Marketing Hub sets itself apart from conventional review platforms through the involvement of Influencer Marketing experts such as Werner Geyser, Djanan Kasumovic, Camille Kennedy, Dave Eagle, and other notable industry figures. This expert team brings a profound understanding of the Influencer Marketing landscape, assessing tools and platforms with an insider’s perspective on capabilities, experience, and industry acumen. Unlike user-generated review platforms, Influencer Marketing Hub’s evaluations are rooted in extensive firsthand experience and direct interactions with the tools and platforms in question. This ensures that the reviews are not only trustworthy but also deeply informed. High-caliber brands like Have You Heard Marketing, The SALT, and R-Squared Agency undergo rigorous monthly evaluations, highlighting the platform’s commitment to identifying and showcasing top-tier solutions in Influencer Marketing and beyond.
Influencer Marketing Hub has consistently been recognized by leading media outlets for our authoritative data, findings, and insights within the Influencer Marketing landscape. Our platform is frequently cited as a trusted source of information, demonstrating the value and impact of our work in shaping industry standards and practices.
Influencer Marketing Hub employs an expert-driven methodology to evaluate Influencer Marketing agencies, ensuring that our recommendations are both reliable and comprehensive. This approach is designed to help businesses and individuals find the best agencies to meet their specific Influencer Marketing needs. Here’s how we assess the various agencies like Have You Heard Marketing, The SALT, and R-Squared Agency:
Influencer marketing is now becoming a popular trend in South Africa. South African consumers take as large an interest in online trends as their counterparts in the United States and Europe. So it is no surprise that South African brands have started to market this way. This is particularly evident in popular online niches that target younger generations, such as fashion, health, and fitness.
Unsurprisingly this has been partly fueled by the rise of the South African influencer. There are quite a few local experts who have now made a name for themselves online. Well-known South African influencers include Trevor Stuurman - street-style photographer, blogger and stylist, Nadia Jafta - fashion and travel blogger, and clothing designer, and Caralishious - health blogger, fitness enthusiast, wellness coach, and founder of the Caralishious brand.
South African marketing agencies now recognize the benefits of offering influencer marketing amongst their services. Here are four influencer marketing agencies based in South Africa.
Have You Heard Marketing was launched in 2008 as South Africa’s first specialist word-of-mouth agency. They recognize that the power of influence shapes everything they do. They see themselves as being part of conversation shaping consumers’ lives. They believe they are fundamentally non-traditional. The agency was founded by Ryan McFadyen and Jason Stewart, who were nominated by Fast Company Magazine as being among the 50 most creative business leaders within South Africa in 2016. They built their team based on passion and innovative spirit, as much as experience and incredible talent. Have You Heard Marketing was recognized by Fast Company Magazine Global in 2015 as one of South Africa’s 10 most innovative companies. They are listed amongst the top 100 companies in the world. They have expanded offshore and now also have a presence in the UAE and UK, as well as their South African home base. Have You Heard Marketing offers a range of services to clients, including: Their primary research tool is a platform that allows brands to tap into the lives of key individuals who drive trends and influences, both in online and offline spaces. Have You Heard Marketing believes they have unlimited access to an unrivaled network of influencers. These influencers are heavily involved in content creation and production. They create real-time, immediate content that’s relevant to consumers, and creates impact and scale. Have You Heard Marketing’s client roster includes Marriott, Distell, Sanofi, DHL, Tiger Brands, Nativa, Roche, and many other well-known companies. The SALT views that as a marketing agency, they are not the main ingredient in a company’s marketing recipe. But without them, the dish is incomplete. They create engagement and bottom line results about their clients using influencer marketing, including word of mouth conversations, social media engagement and networking outreach. They consider themselves influencer driven marketing experts. The SALT has built a database containing more than 80 000 registered potential brand advocates. Each influencer has completed a 60-question entry form that covers lifestyle, daily activities, brand consumption habits, shopping habits, as well as family life and travel habits. The SALT filters this data to ensure that the influencers: They ensure that their clients get to choose individuals that fit the brand’s personal identity. The SALT becomes involved at various stage of the influencer marketing process: They can boast well-known brands as clients. These include Suzuki, Philips, Gumtree, Doritos, African Bank, and Nandos. R-Squared Agency is Cape Town-based Influencer Marketing agency that truly epitomizes what influencer means. A finalist in the IMA Top 5 Global Boutique Influencer Marketing Agency awards and headed by a CEO listed as one of the Top 50 Global Industry Players, Chairman of the IAB SA Digital Influencer Marketing Committee and a member of the IAB France and IAB Europe committees, R-Squared Agency is a major force in this fast-growing industry. Their success comes from their dedication to living the influencer spirit of authentic engagement, real stories and the personal touch with every client – all underpinned by a solid, process-driven business model. R-Squared Agency do not use a portfolio of influencers but rather source the perfect influencer from around the world for each and every campaign. As CEO Stéphane Rogovsky explains: “Influencer Marketing is an intimate and personal conversation between an influencer and their audience. You don’t force the voice, you find the right one to create a genuine human connection. That is how you create true influence.” If you’re seeking an authentic way to connect with your audience, People Have Influence is South Africa’s first specialized influencer marketing agency, and they’re making waves. Their approach centers on leveraging the undeniable power of peer recommendations, which 92% of consumers trust over traditional advertising. They don’t just facilitate influencer-brand partnerships; they craft bespoke influencer campaigns that align perfectly with your brand goals, ensuring maximum authenticity and measurable results. Whether it’s creating a killer campaign idea, hosting an influencer-driven event, or delivering product drops, they’ve got the expertise and tools to make your brand shine. For instance, their collaboration with Total Sports and Adidas to launch the Adizero Boston 12 exemplifies their strategic prowess. They partnered with Caitlin Hood, a charismatic influencer whose energy and drive embody the spirit of performance and progress. The campaign’s goal was to highlight not just the product but also the mindset of perseverance, which Caitlin communicated beautifully. By curating high-quality content and driving authentic storytelling, People Have Influence created a visually compelling narrative that resonated deeply with fitness enthusiasts, ultimately enhancing brand visibility and engagement. The agency’s influence isn’t confined to digital campaigns. Their CEO Philippa McCann and team recently attended the 2024 Woman & Home Beauty Awards, a prestigious event celebrating the best beauty products of the year. The event revealed top beauty products and showcased the latest Woman & Home Magazine issue, a best-seller that features every winning product and where to purchase them. Philippa’s personal excitement about brands like Mycro Keratin, Skin Creamery, and Lelive Africa underscores the agency’s deep connection to emerging trends and quality products. What sets People Have Influence apart is their ability to create tailored concepts through detailed profiling and vetting of influencers, ensuring a perfect match. They guarantee that no influencer on your campaign has recently worked with competing brands, enhancing trust and engagement. With their proprietary software and real-time reporting dashboard, you can track reach, impressions, and engagement every step of the way, ensuring transparency and measurable ROI. Brand Influence, another leading South Africa-based agency, specializes in nano and micro-influencer collaborations. They create digital communities that connect your brand with audiences authentically. By leveraging genuine storytelling and trade exchanges instead of paid partnerships, Brand Influence ensures influencers share honest consumer opinions, aligning your brand with real, trustworthy conversations. Brand Influence’s approach is rooted in community-driven strategies that bring brands to the forefront of social conversations. Their Avon Hydramatic Lipstick campaign, which united 1,000 nano and micro-influencers, exemplifies their ability to generate buzz and engagement on an impressive scale. This campaign not only won Gold at the Shop Awards for Digital Campaigns but also redefined how product launches can create lasting impact. Similarly, their #DrinkPrimeWithCheckers campaign, which earned a nomination at the 2024 Bookmark Awards for Best Use of User-Generated Content, highlights the agency’s talent for crafting campaigns that resonate deeply with audiences while maximizing social proof. With over 15 years of experience and a database of 250,000+ influencers, Brand Influence offers full-service campaign management, from crafting bespoke influencer strategies to real-time performance reporting. Their work with major brands like GSK, Colgate, and Unilever consistently surpasses KPIs, as seen in their collaborations with Checkers and Prime Energy. Both campaigns garnered recognition at the Bookmark Awards, including a nomination for Best Social Communities, proving that Brand Influence knows how to foster engaged, loyal audiences while driving significant ROI. Their dedication to delivering value doesn’t stop at results. The agency’s innovative platforms—Beauty Bulletin, Brand Advisor, and Service Insider—connect brands with niche communities, facilitating a dynamic exchange of ideas and content. With a proven track record of award-winning campaigns and a team that prioritizes seamless execution, Brand Influence is the go-to partner for brands seeking authentic, scalable, and results-driven influencer marketing. Style ID Africa is redefining influencer marketing in Africa by blending innovation, authenticity, and niche targeting. With over 15 years of experience, this agency specializes in creating tailored influencer campaigns across diverse categories, including lifestyle, beauty, fitness, and technology. Their proprietary tools and data-driven strategies ensure your brand reaches the right audience with impactful storytelling, driving conversions and enhancing brand credibility. Led by Tami Ruschin, a visionary with extensive experience in brand development and advertising, Style ID leverages first-party data and trend analysis to craft agile, cost-effective campaigns. Their innovative approach, coupled with real-time reporting and strategic alignment, offers brands unparalleled transparency and measurable ROI. From creator vetting and auditing to audience credibility checks and content moderation, their end-to-end solutions are designed to deliver results. This dynamic strategy positions Style ID as a trailblazer in the influencer marketing space, helping brands like Foschini, Takealot, and Asus achieve standout campaigns. Recently, Style ID launched its influencer community platform, a game-changer for creators looking to connect, collaborate, and grow. This vibrant space offers access to exclusive groups, educational resources, and industry insights, providing social media influencers with the tools needed to navigate the ever-evolving digital landscape. With a growing database of over one million influencers across 12 countries, Style ID supports campaigns that consistently outperform expectations. Whether it’s scaling niche communities, driving lower-funnel conversions, or boosting brand visibility through campaigns like #UAHeatGear for UnderArmor, Style ID Africa is your ultimate influencer marketing hub. 1. Have You Heard Marketing
2. The SALT
3. R-Squared Agency
Campaigns for some of the biggest brands and agencies across the world are proof that the R-Squared Agency approach is making meaningful change for agencies and brands, and shows what can be achieved when you have a team that is agile and passionate about everything they do.
4. People Have Influence
5. Brand Influence
6. Style ID
