Voodoo Group
Voodoo Group is a privately held, integrated communication and entertainment group headquartered in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, founded in 1999. It serves enterprise, financial, government, and consumer goods clients across Francophone West and Central Africa through advertising, digital, events (NVLLE SODA), owned media (Life TV, Life Radio, magazines), and hospitality assets.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1999
- HeadquartersAbidjan
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Voodoo Group does
Voodoo Group is a privately held, integrated communication and entertainment group headquartered in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, founded in 1999 as Voodoo Communication. It serves enterprise, financial institution, government, and consumer goods clients across Francophone West and Central Africa through seven offices (Abidjan, Douala, Dakar, Kinshasa, Ouagadougou, Lomé, Cotonou). The group positions itself as the first communication and entertainment group in French-speaking West Africa and claims a portfolio of high-profile multinational and institutional clients including Orange, Unilever, Société Générale, Ecobank, Carrefour, ENI, and the Présidence de la République.
The group operates across five business lines: Voodoo Communication (advertising, digital strategy, branding, audiovisual production, web/app development); Nouvelle SODA / NVLLE SODA (event management subsidiary created in 2009, handling brand activations, concerts, festivals, conferences, and event production); owned media assets including Life TV (second most-watched channel in Côte d'Ivoire, broadcasting to 40+ African countries), Life Radio on 107.7 FM (most listened-to in Côte d'Ivoire, Radio Service of the Year 2023), Life Magazine, and Tycoon Magazine; marketing research and intelligence services (competitive monitoring, product testing, sector studies, mystery shopping); and an entertainment and hospitality division comprising BBr Hotel, Cricus by Life nightclub, and the Parc des Expositions d'Abidjan (largest exhibition park in West Africa, opened 2024).
Voodoo Group monetizes through professional services (campaign creation, media planning and buying, branding, consulting) billed on a quote-based, customized engagement model, alongside advertising revenue from its owned TV and radio inventory, event management fees through NVLLE SODA, and revenue from hospitality and exhibition venue operations. The go-to-market is enterprise field sales targeting large corporations and government institutions across West Africa, leveraging industry awards (including the 2002 Mondial d'Or and 2024 African Cristal Festival wins) and a direct engagement model. The group is founder-controlled with no disclosed venture capital or private equity backing and operates without publicly disclosed revenue.
Voodoo Group firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Voodoo Group
- Legal name
- Voodoo Group
- Website
- https://voodoogroup.africa
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1999
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Voodoo Group is a privately held, integrated communication and entertainment group headquartered in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, founded in 1999. It serves enterprise, financial, government, and consumer goods clients across Francophone West and Central Africa through advertising, digital, events (NVLLE SODA), owned media (Life TV, Life Radio, magazines), and hospitality assets.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Voodoo Group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Abidjan
Offices7 records
Markets served
Voodoo Group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Advertising Services: Traditional and digital advertising services including campaign creation, media planning, and buying across multiple channels
- Media Broadcasting: Revenue from television and radio advertising aired on Life TV and Life Radio owned properties
- Event Management: Event planning and execution services through NVLLE SODA subsidiary, including brand activations, conferences, festivals, and concerts
- Marketing Consulting: Strategy, branding, and creative consultation services for corporate clients
- Market Research: Marketing intelligence and research services including competitive monitoring, product testing, and sector studies
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Voodoo Group product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Voodoo Group is a full-service communication and entertainment group headquartered in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, operating across Francophone West Africa. The group delivers integrated advertising and digital communication services through Voodoo Communication, event management and brand activation through subsidiary Nouvelle SODA (NVLLE SODA), owned media broadcasting via Life TV and Life Radio, marketing research and intelligence services, and operates lifestyle print media (Life Magazine, Tycoon Magazine) along with entertainment venues (BBr Hotel, Cricus by Life).
Product overview
Voodoo Group is the first communication and entertainment group in French-speaking West Africa, operating as a full-service communication group with a diversified portfolio spanning advertising, digital, events, media, and hospitality. The core offering is anchored by Voodoo Communication, the group's flagship advertising and digital agency, which provides creative strategy, branding, media services, web development, and audiovisual production. This is complemented by its media division encompassing Life TV (television), Life Radio (radio), Life Magazine, and Tycoon Magazine, and its events subsidiary Nouvelle SODA. The group also operates hospitality assets including BBr Hotel and Cricus by Life nightclub, and provides marketing research and intelligence services.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Life TV: Television channel - second largest in Ivory Coast by audience, broadcast in over 40 African countries
- Life Radio
- Life Magazine
- Tycoon Magazine
- Nouvelle SODA
- BBr Hotel
- Cricus by Life
- Voodoo Communication
- Life
Products and services
- Voodoo Communication Core advertising and digital communication agency offering creative strategy, media planning and buying, digital strategy, branding, print and display design, brand identity creation, influence marketing, copywriting, audiovisual production, and web/application development for enterprise clients across Francophone West Africa.
- Voodoo Events (Nouvelle SODA) Event management and brand activation services delivered through subsidiary Nouvelle Société des Opérations et des Divertissements d'Abidjan (Nouvelle SODA / NVLLE SODA), including event design and production, brand activations, conferences, festivals, concerts, galas, exhibitions, road shows, and team building, with full production capabilities (sound, screens, lighting, stage, scenography).
- Marketing Research & Intelligence Research and consulting services covering competitive intelligence, product testing, pre and post campaign studies, evaluations, sector studies, satisfaction studies, brand awareness studies, usage studies, and mystery shopping across FMCG, banking, telecommunications, health, transport, real estate, industry, energy, and beverages sectors.
- Life TV Television channel branded as 'La télé sans filtre' (Television without filter), ranked as the second most-watched TV channel in Côte d'Ivoire and broadcasting to more than 40 African countries; provides an owned media platform for advertising campaigns.
- Life Radio Radio station on 107.7 FM branded as 'Comme tu l'entends' (As you hear it), the most listened-to radio station in Côte d'Ivoire and awarded Radio Service of the Year 2023; offers advertising solutions leveraging traditional radio media.
- Life Magazine Lifestyle magazine positioned with the tagline 'Se voir et être vu' (Seeing and being seen); provides content marketing and advertising opportunities as part of the group's owned media portfolio.
- Tycoon Magazine Business and entrepreneurship magazine positioned with the tagline 'Parce que l'Afrique a besoin d'exemple' (Because Africa needs examples); provides a media platform targeting African business leaders.
- BBr Hotel Hotel operated as part of the group's entertainment and hospitality division, supporting cross-promotional campaigns leveraging the hotel experience.
- Cricus by Life Nightclub and entertainment venue operated as part of the group's nightlife division, used as a venue for promotional campaigns and brand activations.
Quantifiable outcome
- Princesse Tatie campaign increased brand sympathy significantly
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Voodoo Group
Customer profileNamed customers20 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Voodoo Group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Voodoo Group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Life TV LaunchcoreLaunch of Life TV as a television platform owned by Voodoo Group, broadcasting to over 40 African countries. This is an internal media property launch rather than an external partnership.
- Life Radio (formerly Vibe Radio)coreAcquisition and rebranding of Vibe Radio stations in Côte d'Ivoire and Senegal to Life Radio. This is an internal acquisition rather than an external partnership.
- NVLLE SODAcoreCreation of Nouvelle SODA (Nouvelle Société des Opérations et des Divertissements d'Abidjan) as a subsidiary in 2009, providing event management and entertainment services under Voodoo Group.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Voodoo Group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Omnicom Group: Global advertising holding company with African operations through DDB, BBDO, and TBWA networks. Competes for multinational client mandates that Voodoo Group also serves, including telecom and FMCG brands operating in Francophone West Africa.
- Dentsu: Global advertising holding company expanding in Africa through Dentsu Africa. Offers creative, media, and CXM services comparable to Voodoo's integrated agency-plus-owned-media model.
- Publicis Groupe: Global advertising holding company with significant Africa presence via Publicis Africa and proprietary agency networks. Directly comparable as a multinational full-service advertising and media group competing for the same enterprise clients in West Africa.
- WPP: World's largest advertising holding company with African agency operations (Ogilvy, VMLY&R, GroupM media). Competes with Voodoo for integrated campaigns from enterprise clients in telecom, banking, and FMCG across Africa.
- Havas: Global advertising and communications group with growing African footprint. Operates integrated creative, media, and healthcare communications agencies that overlap with Voodoo's full-service positioning.
Regional players
- Scanad: Pan-African integrated communications agency headquartered in Kenya with operations across the continent. Comparable as a multi-market African agency serving multinational clients, though primarily focused on Anglophone East Africa.
- DLA (Diversified Lifestyles Africa): African-focused advertising and media agency network. Comparable as a multi-country African competitor offering integrated advertising, media, and digital services to enterprise clients across the continent.
Direct peers
- Trace TV: Africa-focused music and entertainment media group operating TV channels, digital platforms, and events. Comparable as a Francophone-Africa-rooted owned-media entertainment platform with adjacent event and brand-activation capabilities.
- BETC: Paris-based creative agency within the Havas network historically strong in Francophone advertising and African markets. Closely comparable as a creative-led Francophone agency competing for the same kind of pan-African brand campaigns.
- EbeneMedia / Vox Africa Group: Africa-focused media group operating TV channels and digital platforms serving Francophone and diaspora audiences. Comparable as an African owned-media operator with adjacent agency and content capabilities, with similar geographic focus to Voodoo's media division.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Voodoo Group social profiles
Digital presenceVoodoo Group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Voodoo Group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Voodoo Group subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries8 records
Voodoo Group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Voodoo Group 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 Voodoo Group
What does Voodoo Group do?
Voodoo Group is a full-service communication and entertainment group headquartered in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, operating across Francophone West Africa. The group delivers integrated advertising and digital communication services through Voodoo Communication, event management and brand activation through subsidiary Nouvelle SODA (NVLLE SODA), owned media broadcasting via Life TV and Life Radio, marketing research and intelligence services, and operates lifestyle print media (Life Magazine, Tycoon Magazine) along with entertainment venues (BBr Hotel, Cricus by Life).
Is Voodoo Group a public or private company?
Voodoo Group is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Voodoo Group founded?
Voodoo Group was founded in 1999. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Voodoo Group based?
Voodoo Group is headquartered in Abidjan.
How does Voodoo Group make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Advertising Services are the primary driver. The others are media Broadcasting, event Management, marketing Consulting and market Research.
Who are Voodoo Group's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Omnicom Group, Dentsu, Publicis Groupe, WPP and Havas. Regional players are Scanad and DLA (Diversified Lifestyles Africa). Direct peers are Trace TV, BETC and EbeneMedia / Vox Africa Group.
Does Voodoo Group have an API?
No public API is recorded for Voodoo Group.