Social media agency team5pm, part of global social-first group SAMY, opened a new office in Johannesburg this month, expanding its South African operations beyond the Cape Town location it established in 2022.

The Johannesburg office will function as an innovation hub focused on data, automation, tooling, and AI-enabled workflows for global clients, including Unilever, L’Oréal, and Barilla. Merishia Collins, Managing Director for South Africa, will lead the new location and oversee team growth across both offices.

“Johannesburg is a long-term investment for our growth, building more of our global delivery and innovation from South Africa,” said Jelmer Wind, co-founder and CEO of team5pm. “We’ve seen exceptional talent and ambition here, and this second hub lets us scale that strength for clients across markets.”

Talent and Technology Rationale

team5pm selected Johannesburg based on its technical talent pool and growing technology sector. According to StartupBlink data cited in the announcement, Johannesburg ranked as South Africa’s fastest-rising startup hub with 42.4% growth in 2025 and is home to 34.2% of the country’s software developers.

Tim Knots, Technology and Innovation Director at team5pm, noted a broader shift in social marketing. “Social marketing is becoming more technical, with data, AI-enabled workflows, and automation increasingly central to delivery,” Knots said. “For years, creativity was the main differentiator in our industry. That’s changing. Today, the strongest teams bring strategy, creativity, and technical capability together, and Johannesburg is the right environment to build that alongside our Cape Town operation.”

The office launched with eight roles, five already filled, with recruitment underway for three additional positions. The hub will support both South African operations and international teams across the broader SAMY network.

The two South African offices will operate as a connected team through cross-office project structures designed to support capability-building, knowledge-sharing, and consistent delivery across clients.

SAMY acquired team5pm in October 2025. The Madrid-headquartered group operates 20 offices across 55 markets with more than 1,200 employees globally. Bridgepoint Group, a British private equity firm, holds a majority stake in SAMY. 

team5pm specializes in Influencer Marketing, YouTube and TikTok content, and social search engine optimization.

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