The Odd Number
The Odd Number is a South African independent creative agency founded in 2015, serving large enterprise clients with brand strategy, above-the-line, digital creative, production, and design services via its proprietary ODDDS methodology.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersJohannesburg, South Africa
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What The Odd Number does
The Odd Number is an independent South African creative advertising agency founded in 2015 by Xola Nouse and Sbusiso Sitole, headquartered in Sandton, Johannesburg, with a headcount of 51-100 employees. The firm operates as a B2B professional services agency delivering integrated brand campaigns across five core offerings: Brand Strategy, Above-the-line advertising, Digital Creative, Production & Sound, and Design. Delivery is structured around the proprietary ODDDS methodology (Observe, Diagnose, Design, Deliver, Sustain), which the firm positions as a process for "liberating" brands from conventional category constraints and finding unique cultural positioning.
The agency's customer base consists primarily of large South African enterprises, with named clients spanning financial services (Momentum, Standard Bank, TymeBank), insurance (Budget Insurance), retail (Game), broadcasting (Newzroom Afrika), pharmaceutical (Cipla), chemicals (Sasol), food & beverage (Fatti's & Moni's, Clover), and beverages (SAB). The firm reports repeatable multi-year engagements, including Momentum's She Owns Her Success campaign (Season 6) and Newzroom Afrika's 5-year milestone campaign. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; engagements are quoted on a project-by-project basis. Marketing channels center on industry-award credentialing (Loerie Awards 2024 Independent Agency of the Year, Pendoring Number One Overall Agency, Adfocus Medium Sized Agency), supported by a website portfolio of case studies and Instagram/LinkedIn presence.
Revenue is generated entirely through professional services billings, with no disclosed subscription, IP-licensing, or platform-revenue stream. The firm has no disclosed subsidiaries, parent company, mergers, acquisitions, funding rounds, or geographic expansion beyond South Africa. Operating geographies are limited to South Africa. AI tooling is used at the production layer (AI-assisted visual development) but is not described as a differentiated capability.
The Odd Number firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Odd Number
- Legal name
- The Odd Number
- Website
- https://theoddnumber.co.za
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- The Odd Number is a South African independent creative agency founded in 2015, serving large enterprise clients with brand strategy, above-the-line, digital creative, production, and design services via its proprietary ODDDS methodology.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Odd Number industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Advertising Agency Services
- NAICS
- Advertising Agencies (541810), Advertising Agencies (54181), Other Services Related to Advertising (541890)
- SIC
- Services-Advertising Agencies (7311), Services-Advertising (7310)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Integrated Full-Service Creative Agencies (MPAAAAAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Naming & Verbal Identity (Taglines, Messaging) (MPAAAEAB)
Keywords
Where The Odd Number is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Johannesburg
- HQ country
- South Africa
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices2 records
Markets served
The Odd Number business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Creative Agency Services: Revenue generated through providing brand strategy, above-the-line advertising, digital creative, production and sound, and design services to corporate clients.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
The Odd Number product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Odd Number is an independent creative advertising agency that creates brand campaigns and content storytelling through five integrated service offerings: Brand Strategy, Above-the-line advertising, Digital Creative, Production & Sound, and Design. Engagements are structured around the proprietary ODDDS Methodology (Observe, Diagnose, Design, Deliver, Sustain), enabling end-to-end campaign delivery from strategic positioning through execution and sustainment for enterprise clients in South Africa.
Product overview
The Odd Number is a South African independent creative advertising agency offering a unified suite of brand liberation services. The core offerings include Brand Strategy, Above-the-line advertising, Digital Creative, Production & Sound, and Design—all delivered through the agency's proprietary ODDDS Methodology. Rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture, the agency provides integrated creative services across multiple channels including traditional media, digital platforms, and experiential design. The agency has won multiple industry awards including Loerie Awards 2024 Agency of the Year, Pendoring Number One Overall Agency, and Adfocus Medium Sized Agency.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Brand Strategy
Quantifiable outcome
- 250k+ new customer acquisitions for TymeBank GoalSave campaign
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use The Odd Number
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
The Odd Number technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability2 records
Feature1 record
The Odd Number partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
The Odd Number competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Penquin: South African creative and brand engagement agency with comparable independent positioning and a focus on integrated campaign work.
Broad incumbents
- DDB South Africa: Omnicom-owned creative agency in South Africa offering identical brand strategy and campaign execution services; a recurring competitor in local pitches.
- TBWA South Africa: Network creative agency operating in South Africa with full brand strategy and ATL capabilities; competes for the same enterprise brand mandates.
- Ogilvy South Africa: Part of WPP, Ogilvy South Africa is a much larger full-service agency offering brand strategy, advertising, PR, and digital under one roof — frequently competes with indie agencies for the same enterprise briefs.
- Publicis Groupe Africa: Global holding-company network with significant African presence; competes for large enterprise and multi-market brand assignments that indie agencies cannot fully service.
- Havas South Africa: Global creative and media network operating in South Africa; competes for integrated ATL, digital, and design engagements from the same enterprise client pool.
Direct peers
- King James Group: Independent South African creative agency with similar services across brand strategy, ATL, digital, and design; comparable scale and client roster mix.
- Net#work BBDO (South Africa): South African creative arm of the BBDO network; offers the same full-service creative offering to enterprise brands and is a direct local competitor in pitches.
- Joe Public United: South African independent creative agency of comparable size; competes head-to-head with The Odd Number for the same enterprise and mid-market brand accounts in South Africa.
- M&C Saatchi Abel (South Africa): Independently-positioned creative agency group with a South African office; competes for the same brand strategy and integrated campaign briefs.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Odd Number social profiles
Digital presenceThe Odd Number financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Odd Number leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
The Odd Number funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Odd Number M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Odd Number
What does The Odd Number do?
The Odd Number is an independent creative advertising agency that creates brand campaigns and content storytelling through five integrated service offerings: Brand Strategy, Above-the-line advertising, Digital Creative, Production & Sound, and Design. Engagements are structured around the proprietary ODDDS Methodology (Observe, Diagnose, Design, Deliver, Sustain), enabling end-to-end campaign delivery from strategic positioning through execution and sustainment for enterprise clients in South Africa.
Is The Odd Number a public or private company?
The Odd Number is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was The Odd Number founded?
The Odd Number was founded in 2015. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is The Odd Number based?
The Odd Number is headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa, in the Africa region.
How does The Odd Number make money?
One revenue line is on record: creative Agency Services.
Who are The Odd Number's main competitors?
Penquin is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are DDB South Africa, TBWA South Africa, Ogilvy South Africa, Publicis Groupe Africa and Havas South Africa. Direct peers are King James Group, Net#work BBDO (South Africa), Joe Public United and M&C Saatchi Abel (South Africa).
Does The Odd Number have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Odd Number.
What industry is The Odd Number in?
The Odd Number's product category is Advertising Agency Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAAAAAA, Integrated Full-Service Creative Agencies, with a secondary code of MPAAAEAB, Naming & Verbal Identity (Taglines, Messaging). Its NAICS code is 541810 and its SIC code is 7311.