What Studio Zoo does

Studio Zoo is a full-service advertising agency and video production company headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa, founded in September 1999. The firm operates an integrated in-house post-production pipeline that spans copywriting, video production, offline and online editing, final audio mixing, and 2D/3D graphic design and animation, delivering campaigns across television, social, digital, radio, print, out-of-home (OOH), and digital out-of-home (DOOH) channels. Its core customer base is enterprise broadcasting and media brands — notably the MultiChoice ecosystem (DStv, Mnet, SuperSport, Showmax) — supplemented by international entertainment clients including BBC, Disney, NBCUniversal, and E! Entertainment, as well as non-broadcast brands such as OLX.

The company monetizes through project-based professional services engagements with custom-quoted pricing tied to scope and complexity; it does not operate a self-serve or transactional storefront. It maintains in-house facilities for conceptualization, offline editing, graphics, online finishing, and final mix, and supplements these with negotiated third-party production resources when needed. Studio Zoo is a 51% black-owned, Level 2 B-BBEE certified entity, providing procurement advantages in the South African market. Its go-to-market is direct enterprise sales (phone and email), and its marketing footprint is portfolio-driven via Vimeo, Facebook, Instagram, and its own website.

The business has accumulated 222 Promax awards, 3 Loeries, 2 Clio Awards, and 1 Cannes recognition over its operating history, including multiple Gold Promax Global Excellence awards and a 2023 Creative Team of the Year designation at Promax Africa. It employs between 11 and 50 staff, operates from a single Johannesburg base, and has no disclosed external investors, parent company, or funding rounds, indicating founder/independently-held ownership.

Name

Studio Zoo

Legal name

Studio Zoo

Website

https://studiozoo.co.za

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Studio Zoo is a Johannesburg-based, full-service advertising agency and video production company founded in 1999, serving enterprise broadcasting, streaming, and entertainment brands — primarily the MultiChoice ecosystem plus BBC, Disney, and NBCUniversal — with integrated in-house creative and post-production services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Advertising Services

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Content Studio & Creative Resourcing (In-house/Embedded Teams) (BPAFAIAJ)

Keywords

• Advertising agency services
• Video production services
• Post-production editing
• Television commercial production
• Creative campaign design

Headquarters

HQ city

Randburg

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Advertising Campaign Services: Project-based service revenue generating from creating advertising campaigns for brands across multiple platforms including television, social, digital, radio, print, OOH and DOOH. Services include copywriting, video production, editing, audio mixing, and graphic design/animation. Revenue is generated through custom project engagements tailored to client needs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Studio Zoo is a full-service advertising agency and video production company that designs, animates, produces, edits, and mixes advertising campaigns and television commercials for brands across television, social, digital, radio, print, OOH and DOOH platforms. The firm delivers end-to-end creative services including copywriting, video production, offline and online editing, final audio mixing, and 2D/3D graphic design and animation, all executed in-house from conceptualization through final delivery.

Product overview

Studio Zoo is a full-service advertising agency and video production company offering an integrated portfolio of creative services. The core offering spans copywriting, video production (TVCs, corporates, documentaries, series), offline and online editing, final audio mixing, and 2D/3D graphic design and animation. Content is delivered across multiple platforms including television, social media, digital, radio, print, OOH (out-of-home), and DOOH (digital out-of-home). Supporting services include webinars and events production, with specialized content categories for print, digital, mailers, events, trade & retail, and merch & gifting. The company operates dedicated post-production facilities for conceptualization, offline editing, graphics, online finishing suite, and final audio mix.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Copywriting Services Professional copywriting for print, OOH, DOOH, newsletters, brochures, digital and social campaigns, including video content scripting, dialogue writing, and brand narration, delivered for enterprise brand clients.
• Video Production Full-service video production including television commercials, social media shorts, corporate videos, music videos, documentaries, and series production, delivered for enterprise brands.
• Offline Editing Video editing services focused on pace, rhythm, and storytelling for television commercials, social shorts, corporate content, music videos, documentaries, and series.
• Online/Finishing Editing Final video assembly including footage grading, graphic integration, title sequences, credits, and quality control for broadcast and digital delivery.
• Final Audio Mixing Professional audio mixing services including dialogue balancing, sound design enhancement, and immersive surround soundscapes for cinematic audio experiences.
• 2D/3D Graphic Design and Animation Visual design and animation services creating newsletters, emailers, brochures, print adverts, posters, billboards, social media posts, digital banners, full-screen graphics, title sequences, credits, compositing, and VFX.
• Webinars & Events Production End-to-end event production services including location scouting, pre-production, live event production, and integrated collateral such as invites, menus, gifts, and printed artwork.

Quantifiable outcome

• 222 Promax awards demonstrating sustained creative excellence
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• DStvcoreOthersLong-term client relationship involving extensive promotional content creation across television, digital, and social platforms. Studio Zoo has produced hundreds of promotional campaigns for DStv spanning multiple years, including award-winning content for the platform's various channels and services.
• MnetcoreOthersOngoing creative partnership for channel branding and entertainment program promotions. Studio Zoo has created promotional content for Mnet channels and programs over multiple years, contributing to channel identity and audience engagement campaigns.
• MultiChoicecoreOthersParent company relationship for DStv and Showmax promotional activities. Studio Zoo serves as a preferred creative agency producing campaigns for MultiChoice's streaming and broadcast services.
• SuperSportmajorOthersSports broadcasting promotional partnership creating content for sports programming promotions and branded content. Work includes award-winning sports campaign materials.
• ShowmaxcoreOthersStreaming service promotional partnership producing award-winning campaigns including 'Follow You Anywhere' and promotional content for original programming.
• BBCmajorOthersInternational broadcaster partnership for program promotion in South Africa. Studio Zoo has created promotional content for BBC programming including 'Come Dine with Me South Africa'.
• DisneymajorOthersGlobal entertainment brand partnership for promotional content creation in the South African market.
• NBCUniversalmajorOthersInternational entertainment conglomerate partnership for promotional content in regional market.
• OLXminorOthersClassified marketplace brand partnership for promotional campaigns.
• E! EntertainmentminorOthersEntertainment channel partnership for promotional content creation.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Ogilvy South Africa: South African operations of the WPP-owned Ogilvy network offering full creative, advertising and brand communications services across all channels; competes with Studio Zoo for the same enterprise marketing budgets at multinational scale.
• TBWA\Hunt Lascaris: Johannesburg-based creative agency and South African flagship of the TBWA global network, known for award-winning campaigns across TV, digital and out-of-home; comparable to Studio Zoo in targeting major South African and international brand clients.
• Net#work BBDO: South African arm of the global BBDO network providing full-service advertising and communications across TV, digital and integrated channels; comparable to Studio Zoo in offering full-service campaign capability but at significantly larger network scale.
• M&C Saatchi Abel: South African branch of the M&C Saatchi network offering creative advertising and brand-building services; comparable as a full-service creative agency operating in the same South African market and competing for similar enterprise brand briefs.

Direct peers

• The Star Film Company: Cape Town-based commercial production house producing TVCs, branded content and post-production for South African and international brands; offers the same creative production stack as Studio Zoo with overlapping MultiChoice and global brand client work.
• Joe Public United: Large independent South African advertising and brand communications group providing full-service creative across TV, digital and print; competes with Studio Zoo for both end-client advertising budgets and agency-of-record mandates in the South African market.
• Film Afrika Worldwide: South African commercial and content production company servicing international and local brands across TV, digital and branded entertainment; competes with Studio Zoo for the same enterprise advertiser budgets and agency-of-record relationships.
• King James Group: Award-winning independent creative agency based in Cape Town with deep South African brand experience across advertising, digital and design; competes with Studio Zoo for integrated campaign briefs and shares the same pool of South African enterprise brand clients.
• Promise (Promiselove): South African digital and creative content agency producing branded content, campaign production and digital-first advertising for major South African brands; comparable to Studio Zoo in the integration of content production with creative agency services.
• Egg Films: Johannesburg-based commercial film production house producing TV commercials, branded content and digital campaigns for major South African and international brands — directly comparable to Studio Zoo in service mix (TVC production, post-production) and client profile.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubevimeo.com/studiozoojhb
• Facebookfacebook.com/studiozoojhb
• Instagraminstagram.com/studiozoo.jhb
• Xx.com/studio_zoo
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/studio-zoo

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Studio Zoo