Vodacom 4U has revealed not only why the brand is on board, but also what awesome prizes will be up for grabs at the Vodacom 4U Cosplay Competition run by GES at the Vodacom rAge Gaming expo taking place from 27 through to 29 September at the Ticketpro Dome.

“At Vodacom 4U, gaming and esports is one of our key strategic pillars of our brand strategy. We see our brand, Vodacom’s Youth branded Franchise Channel, to be the best suited to ‘speak gaming’ and offer the best in class connectivity solutions, like our Vodacom Fibre offerings, as well as any gaming peripherals that any serious or casual gaming customers require.  

Following on from our deep involvement within the esports sector in South Africa during the past few years, we’ve decided to connect the dots to include the passionate Cosplay community and have partnered with Samsung Mobile South Africa to sponsor the tournament at Vodacom rAge happening in September this year. The Vodacom 4U Cosplay Competition will see the largest single event cash prize purse to date and we are excited to see who will walk away with bragging rights of being crowned the 2019 winners,” says Ulanova Visser, Marketing Director of Vodacom 4U. 

The prizes

For the prizes, Vodacom 4U and Samsung Mobile South Africa have also has teamed up with My Mini Me, a 3D printing company from Gauteng. My Mini Me has a unique business, where they scan and print 3D models of real people to be used as gifts, 3D selfies and ornaments. 

The prizes up for grabs:

Best in Show - R15 000 plus 3D printed figurine (Large)

Master's Division Winner - R5000 plus 3D printed figurine (Medium)

Armour's Division Winner - R5000 plus 3D printed figurine (Small)

Needlework's Division Winner - R5000 plus 3D printed figurine (Small) 

The 3D figurines will be of the winners in their winning cosplays, scanned and printed. The winner of Best in Show will also take home the Vodacom 4U Cosplay Competition floating trophy… and a year's worth of bragging rights! 

Some background

Every year at Vodacom rAge, there is a Cosplay Competition; which is effectively a platform for cosplayers to show off their amazing outfits. If you are unsure of what Cosplay is – it is a contraction of "costume play" – is an increasingly popular and professional hobby where fans wear costumes and accessories to represent fictional characters. The term was coined in Japan, where the trend kicked off in the 1980s with people dressing up as video game characters. It has since grown globally, with fans recreating their favourite sci-fi, fantasy and comic book characters down to the finest details. Costumes are often planned and handmade months in advance of events. “We wish all the participants best of luck and can’t wait to see all your amazing costumes!” says Ulanova Visser. 

#rAgeExpo2019 #comeandplay #17yearsofawesome #agalaxyofgeek

#Vodacom4U #connected #SamsungMobileSA

#MyMiniMe 

Vodacom rAge Event Details:

Dates:27 September – 29 September 2019

Show times:

Friday: 10:00-18:00 | Saturday: 09:00-18:00 | Sunday: 09:00-16:00

Day ticket: R160 per person (tickets available at the door or via TicketPro outlets)

Weekend ticket: R320 per person (tickets available at the door or via TicketPro outlets)

Kids under 6: Free

Venue: Ticketpro Dome  | Cnr Olievenhout Avenue and Northumberland Road | Northriding, Johannesburg | GPS: 26 03’48.39”S / 27 56’35.54”E

www.rageexpo.co.za  

Telecoms stalwart, Vodacom, has just announced a partnership with rAge – South Africa’s longest running gaming, technology and geek culture expo which will take place from 27-29 September 2019. Vodacom’s involvement and investment into the South African gaming and esports scene will be one of the biggest to date, by any brand.

Vodacom has long been a long-standing supporter of sports in South Africa and has already made a substantial investment in driving funding and growth in local sports. This move into the South African gaming and esports scene is a natural progression for the future of the brand. 

“We have been following the South African gaming and esports scene intently over the past few years. Gaming and esports is one of the largest and fastest-growing industries in the world and South Africa is home to many gamers with an intense passion for it. From casual gamers who enjoy indulging in their passion from the comfort of their own home or on their mobile handset allowing them to participate in their passion anywhere, anytime, to those who compete in esports at a competitive level – and everyone in between – Vodacom’s vision is to become the Gamers Network of Choice. “This partnership with rAge is just the beginning as it allows us to participate in a large entertainment market,” says Jorge Mendes, Chief Officer Vodacom Consumer Business.  As part of our long term commitment to the gaming and esports scene, Vodacom World, our Flagship Digital Mall will also play host to a variety of gaming events and experiences providing gamers with an opportunity  to experience our network speeds and capability first hand.”

Globally, gaming is big business. Out of 7.6 billion people on the planet, there are approximately 2.2 billion gamers. This includes social gaming, mobile gaming, as well as free-to-play and pay-to-play multiplayer gaming. Of these players, globally, there are about 380 million esports viewer fans – 165 million of them regular viewers and 215 million occasional viewers. While these numbers are impressive, the South African gaming and esports industry is still in its infancy and will take some time to establish these kinds of figures locally. That said, it is starting to come into its own and it is during this time that backing and support from established and trusted brands such as Vodacom is vital.

rAge has always been about the gaming. Although it has grown exponentially over the last 17 years, the event has always stuck to the core values of bringing the ultimate gaming experience and the very best of immersive geek culture straight to the audience with bigger and better gaming, gadgets, esports, cosplay, show specials and competitions.

This annual event is 100% proudly South African, which is another reason that Vodacom is the perfect partner for it. It’s about South African gamers having access to global platforms; and now that it’s backed by a South African icon, those platforms are sure to just get bigger, better and faster.

rAge has grown from an embryonic event for a small gaming community into a thriving fun-filled three-day feast of all that is gaming - catering to thousands of fans, both young and old. “This partnership with Vodacom is a significant surge forward for the gaming industry in South Africa, and particularly for rAge. It is another leap forward for the future of gaming in South Africa and I look forward to where this will eventually take us all. And now the Future is Exciting with Vodacom rAge” said Michael James, Senior Project Manager rAge.

Globally, gaming is big business. Just shy of three weeks ago, a 16 year old captured the world’s attention by winning a $3 million Dollar prize pool at the Fortnite World Cup. The finals of this tournament, held at the end of July, followed ten weeks of competition involving more than 40m competitors and a total prize pot of over US$30m. The tournament packed out the 23,771-seat Arthur Ashe stadium at Flushing Meadows, New York’s largest tennis arena. Fortnite is but one gaming title among many that is rising to prominence in an increasingly lucrative market. The crazy thing to note is that this is not even the biggest esports event in the world. 18 teams recently competed in The International – the biggest DOTA tournament in the world – in Shanghai, China. The International’s prize pool, which is entirely crowd-funded, closed off just over $33 million. 

www.rageexpo.co.za

#rAgeExpo2019 #agalaxyofgeek #escapetoplanetrAge #comeandpla y#17yearsofawesome #NAGLAN

If you love creative work that highlights a powerful, socially uplifting message, look at the Loeries Shared Value category, sponsored in 2019 by Vodacom. It’s a showcase of brilliant campaigns that are socially useful and commercially successful. Shared value takes corporate social responsibility much further.

“Rather than being charitable,” explains Harvard Business School Professor Michael Porter, and Harvard Kennedy School of Government Senior Fellow, Mark Kramer, “corporate shared value is a management strategy in which companies find business opportunities in social problems.” Vodacom’s Managing Executive: Brand & Comms Abey Mokgwatsane says the Loeries Shared Value category is in line with Vodacom’s values and a natural sponsorship fit.

“Our commitment is to bring a meaningful, sustainable economic transformation of South Africa and beyond,” he explains. “We laud all companies that are creating jobs, stimulating the economy and being innovative about the way they make money, while still tackling the social issues of our times.” Safaricom's “DigiFarm”, the Kenyan mobile solution for smallholder farmers – which took gold in the Loeries Shared Value category last year – is a good example of adding value to the community while helping to build the brand experience.

The app enables farmers to expand and improve their business activities by providing education, access to loans, easier purchases and eliminating the middleman when they sell their crops. It simply helps farmers to do better business while empowering their lives and their community. Perhaps a question to be posed is, if business can be socially uplifting, does that mean it should be?

Pepe Marais, CEO of Joe Public United, and #1 ranked Chief Creative Officer in the Loeries Official Rankings, offers this hypothesis: “Aspiring to be bigger than yourself isn’t just a nice ideal, it’s the driving force of successful businesses.” Marais says: “Any entrepreneur will tell you that there is something far greater that drives her or his business. Without that drive, most would not have made it past the first year – it is simply too tough. The challenge is that this drive is so deeply unconscious that the conscious answer often may be money.” But, in reality, Marais insists we need something greater to motivate us.

“That drive is at the heart of the greater purpose of the business.” Ultimately, doing business with a purpose helps you do better business. Considering that Joe Public United is rated the number one agency in the Loeries Official Rankings, Marais certainly knows a thing or two about operating a company on the philosophy of shared value. “We believe that the growth of our people is linked to the growth of our creative product, which impacts the growth of our clients, and which ultimately contributes to the growth of the country,” he says.

Mokgwatsane agrees: “Vodacom is in the business of connecting people for a better future. Technology gives us tremendous power, but ultimately, it’s what we do with it that counts. We remain committed to responding to the needs of millions of people that can benefit from the capacity of technology to democratise access to the life changing services of a connected future.

By sponsoring the Loeries Shared Value category, we support companies and creatives who are using the power of shared value to inspire.” P2/.... The Loeries extended deadline for entries is June 7, 2019. Details at loeries.com Major Partners:     DStv Media Sales, Gearhouse        Category Partners:    AB InBev, Barron, Brand South Africa, Facebook, Gagasi FM, Google, JCDecaux, Nando’s, Tsogo Sun, Vodacom, Woolworths 

Additional Partners and Official Suppliers:    AAA School of Advertising, Antalis South Africa, Aon South Africa, Backsberg, BEE Online, First     Source, Fresh RSVP Guest Logistics, Funk Productions, Gallo Images, Grid Worldwide, Hetzner,     Mama Creative, Newsclip, Paygate, Rocketseed, Shared Value Initiative, Shift Social Development,  Vega School, VQI Communications Nigeria

Endorsed by:    Association of Communication and Design, Brand Council South Africa, Commercial Producers     Association, Creative Circle, EXCA, IAB, South African Institute of Architects, IID        Official Media Partners    Bizcommunity.com, Book of Swag, Brand Communicator Nigeria, Business Insider by Pulse, Campaign Middle East, Film & Event Media, Modern Marketing,The Redzone.        Twitter: @loeries    Instagram: Loerieawards    Facebook: The Loeries

Distributed on behalf of the  Loeries  by:    Riana Greenblo Communications Date: May 27, 2019   For more information,interview requests or high-res images, please contact:    Riana Greenblo on 011 3256006; 0825675159 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Gina McLoughlin on 0113256006 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (mornings only) IMAGES INCLUDED:    Abey Mokgwatsane Digi Farm 2018 Gold Shared Value Joe Public agency of the year 2018 Joe Public Craft Gold CAPTIONS Caption 1: Abey Mokgwatsane, Vodacom’s Managing Executive: Brand & Comms Caption 2: Digi Farm took Gold for the 2018 Shared Value category Caption 3: Joe Public won agency of the year at the Loeries 2018. Caption 4: Joe Public won Campaign Craft Golf in 2018 for their A Little Hungry - Mine, Temple, Bank for Chicken Licken

[Johannesburg, Gauteng, 24/01/2019] - PrepaidWealth.com, a recently launched South African FinTech Startup for accumulating cash or providing discounts when data and airtime is purchased from the platform, is launching a programme that will enable schools to raise money passively from teachers and parents when they buy their personal data and airtime. 

Schools will create their own group accounts separately on the PrepaidWealth.com platform. Teachers and parents will then join the group on their own or ask the school to include them. Every time the parents and teachers buy data and airtime from the platform, 80% of the margins or discounts that retailers get from data and airtime will be donated to the schools for fundraising purposes. The platform accumulates 80% of the discounts collectively from all the teachers and parents within a school group. The accumulated discounts can be withdrawn in cash once the accumulated amount is at least R200. 

The discounts provided to retailers vary from 1.5% to 9.5% and therefore one can assume an average discount rate of 5%.  

A school that can get 350 teachers and parents to join the school group on PrepaidWealth.com as members can raise R25,500 per year, assuming that they spend an average of R150 on data and airtime per month each. 

The data and airtime provided on PrepaidWealth.com is from all mobile service providers; namely, Vodacom, MTN, CellC, Telkom, Virgin Mobile. The platform also provides prepaid electricity services as well as services from Mozambique Vodacom and Econet Mobile. “The schools programme will unlock a passive way of raising funds for curriculum and extra curriculum activities for schools. At some schools, it might replace or complement the currently used fundraising methods” – Gabriel Nkuna, co-founder of PrepaidWealth.com