Staff Reporter
WINDHOEK – Namibia’s first and largest mobile telecommunications operator, MTC, has confirmed that it has parted ways with its advertising agent, Weathermen & Co, a subsidiary of the Ohlthaver & List (O&L) Group. MTC’s advertising contract is estimated to be worth between N$30 million and N$40 million on an annual basis.
In a joint statement issued by MTC and Weathermen & Co, on June 6, 2018, the companies announced that they would be parting ways. Thanking Weathermen for their dedicated service following their appointment in June 2017, MTC’s Chief Human Capital and Corporate Affairs Officer, Tim Ekandjo said: “We are extremely thankful for having partnered with Weathermen and our brand has benefitted immensely from their creative genius, but it is time to move on and we wish them well.”
Commenting on the separation, Leon Crous, MD of Weathermen & Co said: “We wish to thank MTC for entrusting us with their brand. After numerous discussions, both parties agree that it is time to move on, and we equally wish them all the best.”
Ekandjo added that MTC will with immediate effect re-advertise the advertising agency tender and allow the process to take due course in search for another agency as necessitated by the fact that MTC is in the process of revamping its marketing strategy.
Weathermen & Co originated in The Jupiter Drawing Room Cape Town in February 2013. The company was started by a group of agency executives with extensive expertise in the management and creative execution of numerous O&L Brands. “What started as a discussion about the needs and wants of O&L with Jupiter CT, turned into a company determined to take over the world of advertising in Namibia – a company that now boasts some of the country’s largest corporates as clientele,” said O&L Group Executive Chairman, Sven Thieme, last year while celebrating four years of Weathermen & Co in Namibia.