Agency

South African Influencers Graduate From Dentsu’s School Of Influence Program

Published on August 20, 2025

Eight emerging South African creators have graduated from the dentsu School of Influence, joining peers from Kenya and Spain. The six-month course, now in its second year, is designed to equip Gen Z influencers with the tools to turn creative passion into sustainable business within the creator economy.

According to Media Update, the 2025 cohort participated in three hackathons to develop influencer strategies for real-world brands during the program, which provides 1,000 learning hours across seven modules covering content creation, platform mastery, financial management, brand partnerships, personal branding, and ethics.

“In South Africa, where youth unemployment remains one of the country’s biggest challenges, the creator economy offers a new kind of opportunity,” said Emma Odendaal, EMEA Head of Influence at dentsu.

The program aligns with the South African Content Creator Charter launched by the Interactive Advertising Bureau South Africa in October 2024, which establishes guidelines for ethical partnerships between marketers and content creators. Dentsu was among the first agencies to adopt the charter.

Industry data from Statista projects that influencer advertising in South Africa will surpass $30 million in 2025, underscoring the sector’s accelerating growth.

Impact from the Training Program

The inaugural 2024 class demonstrated tangible results, with participants achieving follower growth of up to 11.5% and engagement rates of 10.4%, exceeding the Creator IQ industry benchmark of 0.97%.

“The highlight of the program has been the insights I have gained into the agency side of influencer marketing, from brainstorming ideas to pitching briefs,” said 2025 graduate Azola Fihla.

Brands supporting the initiative have found value beyond talent development. Kimberley Moyo, Digital & Social Content Executive at Heineken, a program sponsor, said: “This year, we saw the students come up with some impressive concepts, one of which we could look to incorporate into future campaigns. As a supporting brand, it was also valuable to gain firsthand insights into the Gen Z market.”

Dentsu has expanded its influence operations in South Africa, recently appointing Lebogang Moerane as Head of Social & Influence to co-lead Dentsu Influence alongside Vicki Steenkamp.