by Herman Manson (@marklives) Media group Caxton has acquired a 100% stake in online sales house Habari Media. Habari Media is a sales partner for Facebook in sub Saharan Africa. Its sales portfolio also includes BBC.com, LinkedIn, MTV and Vodacom. Financial details of the deal hasn’t yet been released.
The Habari Group was launched by Adrian Hewlett in 2004. In 2012, it was split into two separate companies, Habari Media housing the sales

house and ad agency Machine. Habari Media is active in online and mobile media sales as well as content marketing.
The operational management team of Habari Media will remain in place. They are Wayne Bischoff – Managing Director; Garth Rhoda – Sales Director; Byron John – Insights Director and Marius Greeff – Commercial Director. The company employs around 40 people.
Hewlett says as the digital advertising environment is getting more competitive, independent sales houses are becoming more vulnerable. The option was to either acquire media assets or sell to a media business. The deal will secure a long-term future for the company, says Hewlett. The deal also ends any perceived conflict of interest with the ad agency.
In a statement just released by Habari Group Hewlett says: ‘The company [Habari Media] can continue to grow and enhance their existing offering by combining all the elements that have made the business so successful over the last nine years with the additional firepower and media assets within the Caxton group. Habari Media, and its ambitious team, will benefit immeasurably from being within the Caxton stable, a company which is not only committed to, but has the means to, make a meaningful impact on the digital market in Africa’.
Machine is not affected by the Groups’ sale of Habari Media and will now be the sole focus of Hewlett’s attention. The fast growing BTL agency already employs 110 people.
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