Manaka Havas, the strategic joint venture between Manaka Publicity and Havas Johannesburg, has been appointed as the Communications and Public Relations agency for Airports Company South Africa SOC Ltd (Acsa) for a three-year term.
The appointment follows a competitive procurement process and places the newly formed joint venture at the centre of one of South Africa’s most critical infrastructure portfolios.
Acsa operates nine airports, including three international gateways that serve as critical connectors between South Africa, the continental and global markets. The mandate reinforces Manaka Havas’ positioning within the infrastructure, aviation and public sector communications space across Africa.
Manaka Publicity brings deep pan-African market intelligence, policy-aware communications strategy and experience advising institutions operating in complex regulatory environments. The firm has built its reputation on high-stakes reputation management and stakeholder alignment across Southern, East and West Africa.
The Havas partnership adds global strategic systems, data, and insights capability, and access to an international network operating in more than 100 markets. The joint structure allows Manaka Havas to deliver continentally informed strategy supported by global scale and governance standards.
Tlhogi Ngwato, managing partner at Manaka Publicity, said:
“This is the kind of mandate we built Manaka for. Infrastructure institutions need disciplined narrative leadership not just publicity. Our focus will be to support Acsa in reshaping perceptions with the same intentionality it applies to operations.”
Provit Chemami, CEO at Havas Johannesburg, added:
Our appointment signals a shift in how major institutions are procuring communications support. Scale, governance and continental reach are no longer optional. Clients are looking for partners who can operate at board level while executing with precision. That is the space Manaka Havas intends to compete in.”
With a three-year horizon, the focus will be on sustained reputation building, narrative consistency, and positioning Acsa as a future-forward airport operator committed to operational excellence and national development.
Laurene Less, group executive: corporate affairs and communications, commented:
We are confident that Manaka Havas will bring the strategic depth and integrated approach required to support our communications objectives over the next three years.”
