Antoinette started her entrepreneurial journey in 2004 after leaving McKinsey and Company with the aim to positively influence how business is done in Africa. She started her first business, Afrofusion Advertising in her mother’s lounge. She organically grew the agency by pulling together a dynamic team of employees, fusing expertise from management consultants, communications specialists and graphic designers.
In 2005, the Department of Communications appointed Afrofusion to develop and implement a communications strategy. The scope of the engagements was to inform key stakeholders of the importance in complying with the PFMA and the PPPA, procurement regulations from National Treasury. She worked closely with senior management such as the Chief Financial Officer and the Deputy Director General.
In 2007, she led the creative team, who implemented an award winning through-the-line campaign for Indalo Yethu, South Africa’s Environmental Campaign. She developed the strategy, which led to the successful implementation of a holistic campaign aimed at encouraging communities to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. She played an integral part in ensuring the TV, radio and print campaign was produced on time and within a tiny budget. The TV ad won a Vuka award, which led to me being featured on CNBC Africa and SAFM and this in turn gave the client more exposure.
In 2008, a team of management consultants stationed at one of the biggest hospitals in the world, Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital in Soweto, appointed Afrofusion to develop a communications strategy that would reach every household in Soweto. She led the team with strategy formulation and implemented Project Phenduka. The project reached a large percentage of households in Soweto and Lenasia with strategic messaging. Antoinette formed a strong relationship, on behalf of the client, with Soweto TV, community radio and newspapers. She managed the below-the-line activations at taxi ranks, churches, schools and the hospital.
In 2009, she decided to acquire a larger agency to compliment our team of 15 employees. She focused her attention on the acquisition to position Afrofusion a major player in the advertising sector. Significant top-level attention was focused on the potential merger and after a period of ten months the sellers cancelled the deal. The end result was that during this time, not enough attention was devoted to ongoing marketing and promoting the business with existing and new clients, with turnover down substantially from the previous financial year with losses incurred. She led the agency back to from potential liquidation by closing the Durban office and augmenting the business strategy to focus on organic growth.
In 2010, she led the expansion programme to East Africa. She developed the strategy for the launch of Mara Telecoms, an independent telecoms player in Uganda and a subsidiary of the Mara Group. She secured new business with clients in the FMCG and IT sectors In Uganda and Kenya and serviced these accounts whilst travelling between the Johannesburg, Uganda and Kenya offices over a two-year period. She was featured in various local newspapers for my insights into the communications space in East Africa.
In 2015, she decided to play a significant role in creating more employment for graduates in the creative space by hosting an internship programme for 50 interns for 12-months from 3 August 2015. This decision to impact led to the liquidation of Afrofusion.
In 2016, she established the 88 Business Collective, an 18-month Accelerator Programme for Emerging Female Founders. Antoinette created an ecosystem of support driven by collaboration, access to new markets and using tech to enhance businesses processes. The programme creates a symbiotic relationship between various stakeholders that ensures 88BCAfrica stays true to its ethos of accelerating world-class African businesses.
AWARDS AND RECOGNITION:
• She is a 2018 Southern Africa Startup Awards Finalist.
• She is an author for Ventureburn: http://ventureburn.com/author/antoinetteprophy/
• She is an Honorary Golden Key member at Wits University in Johannesburg, in 2010. Other recipients of this honor are Finance Minister, Trevor Manual and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, making it truly prestigious.
• She is an Honorary Stellenbosch University Frederik Van Zyl Slabbert Institute Fellow.
• She has been featured on SAFM, CNBC Africa, various local publications and the New Vision Newspaper in Uganda.
• She was a regular mentor on SABC 1s, Making Moves.
• She is passionate about the entrepreneurial space across the continent and shares her expertise by mentoring emerging entrepreneurs.
INTERVIEWS:
ITWeb: http://bit.ly/2DRBH4q
News24: http://bit.ly/2zOIsAd
Startup Grind: https://bit.ly/2FVi2Bg
AfricaCom: http://bit.ly/2zuEop6
Ventureburn: http://bit.ly/2iJrOMf
Cliff Central: http://bit.ly/2Rjwzc5
CONTACTS:
Antoinette Prophy
Email: antoinette@88businesscollective.com
Office: +27 21 276 1974
Mobile: +27 79 989 8086
Social Media: @antoprophy
Hashtags: #88BCAfrica #TheFutureIsFemale #TheAfricanCentury