The Loeries Africa Committee: Denford Mangora

How many people does your agency employ?
Denford Mangora: We currently employ 46 people.

What have been your highlights or most relevant take outs of the recent Loeries Africa Roadshow being held in your region?
Mangora: The highlight was that our agency's own modus operandi was vindicated by the case studies shown. Specifically, advertising agencies need to be in the business of providing solutions, not providing advertising. So, we had examples of how ad agencies in internationally are now more than creators of print, dado and TV ads.

The industry, according to what the Loeries Roadshow revealed to us, now needs to ensure that when clients present a challenge, we respond by thinking beyond traditional media. Live brand experiences, animating and bringing to life the intrinsics of a brand, product or service are now proven to be impactful and to carry much more weight with the market. People want things that are done differently.

It was also revealing that none of the case studies are unique to Europe or the First World, it is just that the industry on our continent, the people working in it, need to shift their mentality and think outside press, radio and television.

Denford Mangora

What major clients and types or products does your agency work on?
Mangora: We handle the largest brands in most market segments. For example, our agency handles Toyota in Zimbabwe, which is the largest car company in the country, Old Mutual, which is the largest Financial Services Group in Zimbabwe, Seedco, the largest seed company on the African continent, Unilever, the largest in the FMCG sector in the country etc. For Delta Beverages (SABMiller Zimbabwe), we handle its largest beer by volume, Chibuku, in addition to a dairy-based fruit drink and yoghurt. We also have the largest platinum miner in the country, Zimplats, Nando's, NICOZDiamond (the largest short-term insurer in Zimbabwe), amongst many others.

Has your agency or you personally had any major highlights in the past few years that you would like to share?
Mangora: We were delighted to be voted Africa Ad Agency of The Year by AdReview of South Africa last year. In addition to that, our executive creative director, Ashley Mhonda, was invited by the New York Festivals to be a judge on the Grand Jury, becoming the first Zimbabwean to judge there and also the first black African within an African Agency to become a judge at New York. In addition to this our Agency was also voted by Toyota Japan last year as the Agency doing the best work for Toyota on the African continent. Western Union appointed us to do Diaspora Consultancy work for them in several key African markets, as well as the United Kingdom and Australia. Just this year, a campaign that we created for SABMiller (Delta) on one of its brands, won Gold in an internal SABMiller award for Asia and Africa.

What inspires you at the moment?
Mangora: Africa inspires me. The ingenuity of our people, the never-say-die attitude, the wide open spaces that mirror the limitless possibilities within our continent. I also continue to be inspired by the giants from Africa who have made an impact on the world stage, people like Graham Warsop, to whose Jupiter Drawing Room brand we are affiliated, showed what is possible when someone in Africa refuses to be limited by the "Third World" label.

My own country, Zimbabwe, is also a huge inspiration, having weathered the worst economically, the country has come out stronger with recovery being very evident in everything around us. Although there is still work to be done, the spirit of never giving up hope that characterises our people is a source of not only inspiration, but also strength and motivation.

The Loeries Africa Roadshow's last stop will be in Accra on 16 April.