The case for Cape Town

Mali Motsumi-Garrido, sales director at Tractor Outdoor

It’s no secret that Gauteng currently devours the bulk of the out of home (OOH) and digital out of home (DOOH) media spend pie.

At present, the chunkiest slice (66%) of media spend is allocated to Gauteng, with a few paltry crumbs (9%) directed towards the Western Cape (WC). Yet this picturesque province is hungry, with the growth of the Mother City, in particular, set to shift the share of spend in the near future.

No shade to Johannesburg: as a proud resident, I know all too well what the City of Gold has to offer, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be redirecting some of its gold to other, equally deserving regions.

Here’s why media planners and buyers need to reconsider their OOH media investment splits – and why the Western Cape currently presents such a compelling story.

The case for Cape Town

Firstly, the Western Cape is growing fast. In 2001, WC was the fifth most populous province, with 5 million people. Fast forward to 2022, and the WC has 7.4 million people, making it the third largest province after KwaZulu-Natal (12.4 million) and Gauteng (15.1 million).

According to census data, Cape Town will soon be a city of approximately five million. To prepare for this, heavy infrastructure investment has been dedicated to the city, with the 10-year spend pegged at around R120bn.

Moreover, Cape Town currently has the fastest job growth: in the last year, the city has added over 200,000 jobs, which is more than SA’s other metros combined, and the city also boasts the lowest unemployment rate in SA.

In the near term, the City of Cape Town has secured R3.5bn in financing for infrastructure investment, which forms part of the city’s plan to spend R39.5bn on infrastructure over the next three years as part of its ‘Building for Jobs’ budget. To put this in perspective, this infrastructure budget is 80% larger than the next metro, Joburg (R22bn), and 98% larger than the third biggest, eThekwini (R20bn).

WC has attracted R140bn in foreign direct investment, with the region becoming a hub for renewable energy and tech sectors. This funding brings much-needed capital and expertise to the area, providing access to global markets, talent and technology.

On the tourism front, Cape Town is once again thriving. In 2023, a record 2.8 million two-way international passengers walked through Cape Town International Arrivals’ doors. Not only did this represent a 48% growth on 2022, but it also beat the previous pre-pandemic record of 2.6 million in 2019.

Trends shaping audience behaviours

• Semigration – poor governance in certain provinces has driven consumer relocation, particularly towards the WC and Garden Route regions. Cape Town has emerged as a beacon of hope and optimism, stimulating migration from other parts of the country and fuelling demand for new homes.

• Urban lifestyle – living in downtown Cape Town is as popular as ever and Gen Z, millennials and boomers alike are attracted to the urban lifestyle the city offers. These audiences are out and about and are constantly exposed to OOH advertising.

• Community-centric developments – there is increasing demand for high-quality developments, with consumers favouring residences and workplaces that facilitate working, living and social interaction. Facilitated by the rise of remote working and digital nomad culture, new developments have the opportunity to become the beating heart of communities. For example, the V&A Waterfront creates a focal space for the mixed-use developments surrounding it. This space has contributed significantly to fostering inclusivity, connectivity, and integration within Cape Town, forming a more vibrant and accessible urban environment for all.

• Property trends – this year will also see a big focus on short-term stay offerings, including hotels and aparthotels. This trend is giving way to high-quality public spaces, shared-space alternatives, short-stay offerings and office spaces, as people move away from “public” spaces towards “belonging” places. Furthermore, Cape Town’s luxury property market is booming. Many first-time buyers are entering the market, facilitated by the semigration trend. Real estate businesses, financial institutions, and insurance companies looking to expand their reach will benefit from marketing to this new consumer base.

Cape Town’s emerging suburbs

You are likely familiar with Cape Town’s popular hotspots, such as the CBD and V&A Waterfront. While you might already be directing some of your spend towards these suburbs, it’s important to be aware of several emerging hotspots within the region, which are worthy of a slice of the OOH pie. These include:

• Durbanville – this suburb has seen rapid residential and commercial development, particularly with modern estates and gated communities. The area offers good schools, proximity to the CBD, and a growing selection of restaurants, shopping centres, and recreational spaces. The area attracts young families and middle-income professionals looking for suburban living with easy access to city amenities.

• Century City – this mixed-use development has seen rapid growth over the past few years, offering commercial, retail and residential spaces. It's close to the CBD but offers a more suburban feel with modern apartment complexes, access to Canal Walk, and a vibrant business district. It is favoured by young professionals and middle-income families seeking modern, convenient living.

• Somerset West and Strand – the Helderberg is a hotbed for development, with Somerset West and Strand leading the charge. Known for good schools, wine estates and gorgeous outdoor spaces, the area appeals to both retirees and young families looking for coastal living with strong community and lifestyle appeal.

Other emerging hotspots include Table View, Parklands, Sunningdale, Kuils River, Brackenfell, Kraaifontein, Milnerton, Bothasig, Edgemead, Stellenbosch, Stranfontein, Mitchell’s Plain, and Bloubergstrand.

What you need to keep in mind when planning your OOH strategy

When it comes to OOH, Cape Town is worthy of spend. The cultural landscape creates a vibrant theatre for brands to utilise OOH to become part of the creative narrative of the city while its favourable bylaws mean that advertisers get more exposure. The media landscape is not as cluttered as other provinces, allowing your brand’s messaging to stand out. Furthermore, tourism contributes to higher audience volumes, with a consistent influx of travellers – who tend to have spending power – serving as potential audiences.

For those looking to advertise in the Western Cape, make sure that your OOH campaign and format selection are fit for purpose. For example, short impactful messages work best on highway roadside digitals and classic sites, whereas longer format creative works best in forecourts and malls that encourage longer dwell times.

In addition, be aware of the ad length and animation requirements of sites. There are certain spaces where ad length and animation is restricted, such as roadside billboards.

Due to the dynamic nature of DOOH, brands can also be more flexible with their site selection, either employing hyper-local strategies by pre-selecting specific sites around key locations, or spreading distribution across a wide DOOH network.

The Western Cape is known for its robust bylaws, which are diligently enforced. Thus, planners must have confidence in their site selection and ensure that billboards are strictly compliant.

Finally, make sure you book in advance! Due to limited site availability and high demand, we recommend planning and booking media well in advance. This not only provides media planners with the guarantee that they will be able to deliver on campaign objectives during high-demand periods, but it also provides cost-savings through better rates.