Rooftop

What Rooftop does

Rooftop is a privately held creative agency founded in 2003 and headquartered in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, with additional offices in Cape Town, Rome and London and a team of approximately 50 creatives, strategists, researchers and producers. The firm sells a full suite of in-house creative services — Campaign, Film, Animation (2D, 3D, stop frame and motion capture), Design, Digital (websites, apps, game development, chatbots, paid media and analytics), Strategy, Writing, and Audio (including original scores and podcasts) — to global NGOs, UN agencies, multilateral institutions, foundations and selected corporate partners, with documented work in 78 countries and flagship engagements for the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the Global Fund, UNEP, UNFPA, FAO, UNESCO, GSMA, the Clean Air Fund, the Mastercard Foundation and WWF.

Rooftop generates revenue through project-based professional services engagements rather than subscription or product licensing. Pricing is negotiated directly with institutional clients and is not publicly disclosed. The go-to-market motion is sales-led: the firm wins mandates via reputation, case-study evidence and direct outreach, leveraging a 22-year portfolio of impact-focused content. Operational capability is differentiated by full in-house production across formats and languages, the ability to dispatch crews globally or collaborate with local teams in difficult locations, and by recent expansion into podcast production through a distribution partnership with Spotify for UNICEF series.

The company's strategic posture centres on the impact-and-development content vertical, with notable 2025 engagements including the WHO World No Tobacco Day multimedia campaign, a five-film Clean Air Fund documentary series nominated at the Digital Communications Awards 2025, a Global Fund documentary on healthcare delivery in war-torn Ukraine released on World TB Day, and a GSMA/SMART Communications Breaking Barriers campaign in the Philippines that linked mobile-internet access to measurable beneficiary outcomes (income and harvest improvements). No funding rounds, acquisitions, leadership changes or AI/ML capabilities are disclosed in the available source material.

Name

Rooftop

Website

https://rooftop.agency

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Rooftop is a 50-person, South Africa-headquartered creative agency with offices in Cape Town, Rome and London that produces film, animation, design, digital, strategy, writing and audio campaigns for global NGOs, UN agencies, multilateral institutions and foundations across 78 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Cape Town

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Creative agency services: Rooftop generates revenue through providing creative services to global organisations, including campaign development, film production, animation, design, digital development, strategy, writing, and audio/podcast production. Projects are delivered for clients including UN agencies, NGOs, foundations, and multilateral organisations on a project-by-project basis.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Rooftop is a creative agency that produces campaigns, films, documentaries, animation, design, digital experiences, strategy, writing, and audio/podcast content for global organisations working on social and environmental causes. Engagements are delivered on a project-by-project basis, with full in-house capabilities spanning concept development through final production and distribution. The company serves NGOs, UN agencies, multilateral institutions, and foundations seeking impact-focused content that drives awareness, fundraising, advocacy, and behaviour change.

Product overview

Rooftop is a creative agency offering a unified suite of interconnected creative services rather than a modular software product. The portfolio spans Film (documentary and video production), Animation (2D/3D/stop frame/motion capture), Design (brand identities and visual materials), Digital (websites, apps, game development, chatbots), Campaign development, Strategy (research and planning), Writing (scripts and narrative content), and Audio (podcasts, scores, sound design). These service lines work together to deliver campaigns, films, documentaries, and digital experiences that drive measurable impact for clients.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Campaign

Quantifiable outcome

• Monaliza's monthly income increased from PHP 2,000 to PHP 15,000 following the Breaking Barriers campaign
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• SMART CommunicationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal programme partner for GSMA Breaking Barriers campaign in the Philippines. SMART Communications provided local infrastructure and support for filming documentary stories about mobile internet access in rural communities.
• SpotifycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPlatform partner for UNICEF podcast series. Spotify hosts the On My Mind and Magnificent Mei podcasts as part of Spotify for UNICEF initiative, providing distribution platform and promotional support.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Edelman: Edelman is a global communications firm producing campaigns, content, and research for corporations, governments, and NGOs. Comparable to Rooftop in serving UN/NGO clients and producing advocacy and behaviour-change content, though at much larger scale.
• VMLY&R: VMLY&R is a global creative and customer experience agency within WPP producing campaigns, brand, and digital work. Overlaps with Rooftop on full-service creative production and serves some NGO/public-sector clients.
• Droga5: Droga5 is a global creative agency producing integrated campaigns, film, and digital content for major brands. Overlaps with Rooftop in campaign and film production capability but serves predominantly large commercial advertisers.
• AKQA: AKQA is a global design and innovation agency producing digital experiences, campaigns, and brand work. Comparable to Rooftop on the digital/web/app/strategy side of the service mix, though it serves predominantly commercial enterprise clients.
• 72andSunny: 72andSunny is a global creative agency producing campaigns, film, and branded content for major consumer and entertainment brands. Overlaps with Rooftop on film/campaign production but serves a primarily commercial client base.
• Wieden+Kennedy: Wieden+Kennedy is a leading independent creative agency with global offices producing film, campaign, and digital work for major brands. Comparable to Rooftop in independent creative pedigree and film/campaign capabilities, but at much larger scale and commercial focus.

Direct peers

• B-Reel: B-Reel is an independent creative agency and production company with deep film, animation, digital, and interactive capabilities, serving global brands and purpose-driven organisations. Its integrated creative production stack closely mirrors Rooftop's eight-service offering.
• Purpose: Purpose is a social impact creative agency that builds campaigns, content, and movements for NGOs, foundations, and UN-aligned organisations. It directly competes with Rooftop in impact-driven campaign strategy, content production, and movement building for global causes.
• Mother: Mother is an independent creative agency with offices in London, New York, and Los Angeles producing campaigns, film, and digital content for global clients. Comparable to Rooftop in independent creative agency positioning and cross-format production.

Emerging players

• Resn: Resn is an independent creative technology studio producing interactive digital experiences, film, and campaigns for global brands. Comparable to Rooftop on digital creative production and campaign execution, with a comparable independent, craft-led positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/rooftop.poweredbypurpose
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rooftop-creative-agency
• Instagraminstagram.com/rooftop_creative_agency/?hl=en

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 Rooftop