Dentsu and Telkom partner to launch Merkury: Redefining consumer engagement across South Africa

A scalable solution to reshape advertising

For South African brands, effective consumer targeting has often been limited by reliance on broad strategies with minimal personalisation. In response, dentsu developed Merkury to provide the precision and scalability brands need to connect authentically with South Africans - and, eventually, audiences across the continent. Merkury enables brands to engage real people, free from artificial interference or bot traffic, while maximising relevance and impact.

Through MerkuryID, brands gain access to a privacy-compliant audience pool, making over 20 million verified profiles available for hyper-targeted marketing. Dentsu’s collaboration with Telkom ensures that Merkury combines unparalleled reach with genuine human engagement, setting a new standard for targeted, data-driven marketing.

Dawn Rowlands, CEO of dentsu Africa, highlights Merkury’s impact: “Merkury is more than a platform; it’s the start of a new era for South African brands. With Telkom’s collaboration, we’re delivering authentic reach on a scale this market has not seen before. Merkury connects brands to consumers in a way that’s precise, compliant, and impactful. This is what true marketing innovation looks like.”

How merkury works: Real reach, real results

• True consumer connections: Merkury’s precision-based targeting allows brands to engage real, verified people, eliminating artificial traffic and ensuring every campaign reaches its intended audience.

• All-in-one platform: Built on dentsu’s three suites - Enterprise, Media, and Creativity-Merkury provides brands with end-to-end capabilities for audience insight, campaign creation, and media performance, all in a single integrated platform.

• Scalable, privacy-first solution: Merkury respects user privacy, complying fully with South African data regulations. Its scalable design ensures it can meet both local needs and, as it grows, can reach new audiences across the African continent.

Paul Stemmet, head of Dentsu Data, adds: “By partnering with Telkom, we’re offering South African brands a data-rich, highly precise tool for consumer engagement. Merkury bridges the gap between brands and real people, using insights that genuinely optimise reach and media spend in real time.”

Randall Abrahams, managing executive: Digital Solutions at Telkom, commented: “This partnership represents an incredible opportunity to redefine consumer engagement across South Africa. A highly experienced partner like Dentsu is essential in delivering the real value we aim to bring to audiences."

Transforming advertising in South Africa and beyond

With Merkury, dentsu and Telkom aren’t just improving marketing; they’re setting a new benchmark for consumer engagement. As Merkury launches across South Africa, it lays the foundation for brands to connect meaningfully with consumers here and soon, across Africa.

Reimagine consumer engagement. Join the Merkury movement.