Sanlam appoints strategic partners for relevance, not cosmetic change. The Sanlam Group has appointed Omnicom Advertising South Africa, WPP (led by Landor in London and supported by sister agency Design Bridge and Partners in South Africa) and Kantar as new strategic partners. 29 Oct 2026 The Sanlam Group has appointed Omnicom Advertising South Africa, WPP (led by Landor in London and supported by sister agency Design Bridge and Partners in South Africa) and Kantar as new strategic partners. Pictued: Charl Bassil, group chief brand and marketing officer for the Sanlam Group (Image supplied) The financial services group is positioning itself for significant growth across emerging markets in Africa, Asia and other selected growth markets. Together, the partners bring global expertise in client insight, strategic design and creativity, delivered through strong local capabilities and market understanding across the markets in which Sanlam operates and aligned with the Group's commitment to transformation. The next phase. Over its more than a century-long history, the Sanlam Group has grown into a broad financial services business spanning life, savings, general insurance and investments. The next phase is about making that breadth easier to access and experience, reducing the complexity of navigating products, businesses and client channels. The brand reinvigoration supports the Group's purpose of empowering customers and communities to live with confidence by promoting financial inclusion, transformation and sustainable growth. It is designed to create a more consistent experience for the individuals, businesses and intermediaries Sanlam serves. 23 Oct 2026 A brand experience that reflects reality. "Clients don't think in products, channels or organisational structures. They think about their needs and the outcomes they want to achieve," says Charl Bassil as group chief brand and marketing officer. "Our responsibility is to build a brand experience that reflects that reality."We are bringing together some of the best expertise in the world because we believe these disciplines work best when they are connected," says Bassil. "Better insight leads to better decisions. Better design creates better experiences. Better creativity helps us build stronger connections with the people we serve." Appointed partners. Together, the appointed partners bring global expertise in client insight, strategic design and creativity, delivered through strong local capabilities and market understanding across the markets in which Sanlam operates and aligned with the Group's commitment to transformation. * Omnicom Advertising will serve as Sanlam's strategic creative partner, bringing deep expertise in building integrated brands across Africa, Asia and other growth markets. Through its global network of agency brands, Omnicom brings together creative, media, data and technology capabilities to help organisations build stronger brands and grow across diverse markets. Luca Callarelli, group CEO, Omnicom Advertising South Africa, says, "Sanlam is a brand we have admired from a distance for many years, not only for its remarkable legacy as a business, but for its ambition and capacity for brilliant thinking and creative work. "To be entrusted with helping shape the next chapter of such an iconic South African brand is both an enormous privilege and an incredibly exciting opportunity for all of us at Omnicom Advertising. "The chemistry between our teams was tangible from our very first meeting, and it became clear very early on that we share a fundamental belief in the immense value of genuine partnerships. "That alignment makes this opportunity all the more exciting, and we genuinely cannot wait to begin this journey together, creating work that is worthy of both Sanlam's extraordinary heritage and its ambitions for the future." * Kantar will help the Group deepen its understanding of client needs and measure brand performance through research, analytics and client insight. Brian Reid, managing director, Kantar South Africa says, "The opportunity to work alongside Sanlam as it writes the next chapter of its remarkable South African story is not something we take for granted. "As Sanlam builds a simpler, more connected brand experience across the breadth of its offer, Kantar is incredibly proud to bring our intelligence for brand growth, turning a deep understanding of people and brand performance into confident decisions that will help shape the Sanlam of the future." * WPP will lead strategic design, drawing on the expertise of Landor in London and sister agency Design Bridge and Partners in South Africa, to help create a design system that works consistently across physical and digital environments. Chris Moody, global ECD at Landor, a WPP company, says, "Sanlam is an iconic South African-born institution, and we're incredibly proud of this partnership. "We look forward to building on its legacy and bringing fresh energy to the brand, helping it connect more meaningfully with its clients and colleagues as it moves into an exciting next chapter." Relevance, not cosmetic change. The agency appointments follow the arrival of Bassil as group chief brand and marketing officer earlier this year. A South African marketer with extensive international experience, Bassil has held senior brand leadership roles at some of the world's most recognised organisations, including serving as the BBC's inaugural chief brand officer, global chief marketing officer of Absolut Vodka and general manager of Carling Black Label at SABMiller in South Africa. "Sanlam has built a remarkable business over many years, but customer expectations are changing rapidly," says Bassil. "As we continue to grow in South Africa and across emerging markets, and as we expand our capabilities, it is critical that the experience of engaging with Sanlam becomes simpler, more connected and relevant." Bassil is clear that the aim is relevance, not cosmetic change. "This is not about changing how the brand looks. "It is about ensuring the brand remains relevant for the next generation of clients and continues to reflect the scale, ambition and opportunity of the business we are becoming."

Daily research news online. The global MR industry's daily paper since 2000. Follow DRNO on... Kantar promotes for SA Managing Partner role. October 27 2026 Yasmin Kathoria has been promoted to Managing Partner of Kantar Consulting in South Africa, succeeding Eden Lanser, who has led the business for three years and will move into an advisory role. Kantar Consulting combines the group's data, proprietary brand growth frameworks and senior advisory expertise to help clients grow by innovating across brand positioning, organisational models, sustainability and demand generation. Kathoria (pictured right) joined the practice in South Africa in 2022, with around twenty-five years of experience across global brand leadership and consulting - this included leading worldwide teams as a UK-based global Director at Unilever. She is promoted from Partner, Brand Growth Strategy and in her new role will report to the practice's Global Head, Mark Visser. 'Yasmin brings extensive global brand leadership and consulting experience,' says Visser, 'grounded in a deep understanding of people and culture. She has been an important part of the growth of our South African business, and I'm looking forward to working with her as she takes on this new role. I'd also like to thank Eden for his leadership and the strong foundation he has built.' Adeola Tejumola, Kantar's Executive MD for the Middle East, Africa & Türkiye, says the appointment will strengthen the connection between Kantar Consulting and Kantar South Africa. Lanser (pictured left) has worked at Kantar for more than two decades, and will continue to do so as a consultant. Group home page: www.kantar.com. All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated. Most viewed items in the last week... Each (*) indicates > 1,000 views. Select a region below...

India Direct Selling industry set to top Rs 25,000 cr in FY26. October 12, 2026 India's direct selling industry is set to cross ₹25,000 crore in FY26 with over 91 lakh active sellers, says an ADSEI & Kantar report. The Association of Direct Selling Entities of India (ADSEI) released the study at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, working with research firm Kantar. Direct selling skips the shop. Companies sell through independent individuals who deal with customers face to face. The industry earned Rs 23,522 crore in net revenue in FY25, growing about 7% a year on average. The report expects it to cross Rs 25,000 crore in FY26. More than 91 lakh people work as active sellers, and 47% of them are women, close to 43 lakh. About 69% are aged between 25 and 44. Over 32% say they earn steady income month after month. ADSEI patron Gautam Bali said the figure represents 91 lakh Indians who chose to 'bet on themselves', and that direct selling gives independent incomes, particularly to women in smaller towns and rural areas. India ranks 11th among the world's 15 largest direct selling markets. Wellness, personal care and cosmetics together bring in more than 86% of sales. With a share of 26.8%, North India is the largest region, followed by West India at 24.5%. Keeping sellers is a key worry. Bali said many leave before their businesses find their feet, and he called for better training, stronger governance and a firm commitment to consumer protection. The report calls the Consumer Protection (Direct Selling) Rules, 2021, an important step in formalising the sector. ADSEI President Dr Sanjeev Kumar said the body will keep working with the government on compliance and consumer trust. To build its estimates, ADSEI and Kantar used company disclosures, Ministry of Corporate Affairs filings and up to seven years of financial and operational data. They then tested the numbers through interviews, a seller survey and expert consultations, across business-as-usual, optimistic and pessimistic scenarios. Feeling overwhelmed by the markets? Let Tradz by EquityPandit be your guide. Its user-friendly app simplifies complex data and provides actionable trading signals. Download the app today and trade with confidence! Explore On Popular Screeners