Out-of-home (OOH) media has experienced an interesting resurgence over the past year or so, coinciding with the easing of Covid-19 laws and regulations.

Ben Harris. Image provided.
In terms of development and infrastructure, this presents an exciting opportunity for South Africa – long seen as the crown jewel of Africa; Before the pandemic, the tourism destination saw more than 14 million travelers a year.
Traktor Out Managing Director Ben Harris takes a broad view of the state of the OOH media industry in South Africa in terms of growth.
Adjusted domestic market
Harris While we talk extensively about South Africa’s outdoor media industry, the reality is that the domestic market is highly fragmented, with significant differences between regions.
“The majority of digital and static billboards are concentrated in Gauteng province, which for many years has been considered South Africa’s prime OOH real estate destination, thanks to Africa’s most vibrant, cosmopolitan and buzzing metro. “Despite the risk of over-consumption now, inventory in this state continues to be in high demand among advertisers,” he explains.
However, he warns that too much can hurt media sales, and foreign media owners should prioritize quality over quantity.
“The Western Cape may have a small footprint in terms of outdoor advertising network, but it enjoys prime asset locations such as the Cape Town CBD, the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront, the Garden Route and the N2.
“Furthermore, the Western Cape is very popular with tourists, and the summer months see their numbers boom, as local and foreign travelers flock to the city and its environs,” he said. Post-Covid-19, there were also a large number of local residents. Partially divided Or they moved to Cape Town, often taking their businesses with them.
He added that in all counties, many areas and suburbs will see lower foot traffic but target niche audiences, driving consumer spending. It is assumed that these will be of great interest to advertisers and development investment will follow.
“As overcrowding in prime metrics becomes a problem, we expect advertisers to prioritize highly targeted audience groups rather than mass footfall – which is where advanced programmatic capabilities and new technologies can play a leading role.”
It also highlights the importance of regulations in different regions of SA. “In certain regions, certain formats are not allowed due to height and size restrictions, which can cause confusion among customers and affect national projects.
“One must fully understand the bylaws before attempting to identify a potential location, as it is a time-consuming process to collect applications and obtain support from the relevant authorities.”
But he emphasized that compliance is critical as regulations are in place to protect all stakeholders.
Opportunities for outdoor development
Programmatic digital out-of-home (pDOOH) has grown exponentially around the world, and SA is no exception. This is an exciting time in terms of growth, as new technologies and analytics capabilities give us more license to innovate and innovate in our infrastructure.
He added that requests for anamorphic displays are increasing in the area. ‘Anamorphosis’ or ‘anamorphic illusion’ refers to the bending or distortion of images, creating the illusion of 3D viewing. Featuring high-quality advanced display technology, it creates a very realistic and immersive viewing experience.
“These displays are often seen in popular venues such as London’s Piccadilly Circus and New York’s Times Square, and are now gaining popularity locally,” he shared. InnovoceanBetween Tractor and Reveille, he recently designed an anamorphic billboard for Adidas’ “Run for the Ocean” campaign, set up on Cape Town’s famous Victoria and Alfred (V&A) Waterfront.
As climate change, environmental challenges and SA’s ongoing energy crisis become more pressing, Harris believes we will start to see sustainable materials and technologies integrated into OOH development, such as solar panels and wind-powered options. However, considering the prevalence of theft and vandalism, it suggests that the implementation in our country’s market is a challenge.
“In general, the SA outbound market is very progressive and quick to adopt new trends and technologies. This has kept the cost of digital down, making it more affordable for new DOOH sites.”
“I believe digital is the single biggest opportunity in the SA market – technology is evolving at a rapid pace, offering new opportunities, many of which we don’t yet know about. As an industry, collaboration is key to harnessing this potential, which ultimately benefits our audience.”