M&c Saatchi Group South Africa
The Up&Up Group is a privately-held South African creative solutions holding company, founded in 2010, operating nine specialist advertising and communications agencies with 500+ team members serving enterprise brands across the African continent.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersJohannesburg, South Africa
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What M&c Saatchi Group South Africa does
The Up&Up Group is a privately-held South African creative solutions holding company founded in 2010, operating as the parent entity for nine specialist agencies: M+C Saatchi Abel, Connect, Razor, Levergy, Black & White, 2Stories, Dalmatian, Eighty20, and the Africa Affiliate Network. With more than 500 team members across the group, it delivers integrated marketing and communication services spanning consulting, advertising, media, public relations, passion marketing, relationship design, content marketing, and data and analytics. Its primary client base is large enterprise brands, organisations, and causes on the African continent and beyond — including MTN, Standard Bank, Heineken, PepsiCo, Astron Energy, Woolworths, the FAO, and social-impact initiatives such as The Street Store and Gun Free South Africa. Notable client outcomes cited include MTN being named Africa's most valuable brand, Standard Bank being named Africa's most valuable banking brand, and the Street Store clothing over 1 million homeless people.
The group operates a sales-led B2B professional services model, engaging enterprise clients directly through agency teams to deliver quote-based, project-driven creative and communications work. Pricing is not publicly disclosed. Geographic reach is anchored in South Africa and extended across 19 African markets via the Africa Affiliate Network partnership. The group uses website content, LinkedIn, email newsletters, and industry events as marketing channels, and distributes services through direct enterprise sales.
The business is a holding-company architecture of subsidiary agency brands rather than a technology platform: no proprietary technology, AI/ML capabilities, patents, APIs, SDKs, or app products are disclosed in the source data, and Eighty20 represents the group's data and analytics capability. The company has no disclosed parent, no funding rounds on record, no M&A history disclosed, no regulatory actions, no management team profiles, and no compliance certifications in the available data.
M&c Saatchi Group South Africa firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- M&c Saatchi Group South Africa
- Legal name
- The Up&Up Group
- Website
- https://mcsaatchigroup.co.za
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- The Up&Up Group is a privately-held South African creative solutions holding company, founded in 2010, operating nine specialist advertising and communications agencies with 500+ team members serving enterprise brands across the African continent.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
M&c Saatchi Group South Africa industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Advertising and Marketing Communications Services
- NAICS
- Advertising Agencies (541810), Public Relations Agencies (54182)
- SIC
- Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Integrated Full-Service Creative Agencies (MPAAAAAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Activation/Experiential Creative Agencies (MPAAAAAO)
Keywords
Where M&c Saatchi Group South Africa is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Johannesburg
- HQ country
- South Africa
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices1 record
Markets served
M&c Saatchi Group South Africa business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Marketing and Communication Services: The group generates revenue through providing integrated marketing and communication services including consulting, advertising, media, public relations, passion marketing, relationship design, content marketing, and data and analytics services to enterprise clients.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
M&c Saatchi Group South Africa product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Up&Up Group is a holding company for nine specialist creative agencies that collectively deliver integrated marketing and communication services to enterprise clients. Service categories include Consulting, Advertising, Media, Public Relations, Passion Marketing, Relationship Design, Content Marketing, Data and Analytics, and Integrated Communications. Client engagements span brand elevation, multi-market campaigns, social impact initiatives, and integrated creative solutions delivered across African markets.
Product overview
The Up&Up Group is a creative solutions group operating as a platform-plus-modules architecture, bringing together nine distinct agency brands under one umbrella. The core holding company coordinates diverse marketing and communication capabilities from over 500 team members. The portfolio includes M+C Saatchi Abel (full-service advertising), Connect (integrated communications), Razor, Levergy, Black & White, 2Stories, Dalmatian, Eighty20 | Partnership (data and analytics), and Africa Affiliate Network. Service offerings span Consulting, Advertising, Media, Public Relations, Passion Marketing, Relationship Design, Content Marketing, Data and Analytics, and Integrated Communications. The Group serves major African and international brands including MTN, Standard Bank, Heineken, PepsiCo, and Woolworths.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Integrated Marketing and Communication Services (Group offering) Group-level offering combining Consulting, Advertising, Media, Public Relations, Passion Marketing, Relationship Design, Content Marketing, Data and Analytics, and Integrated Communications delivered to enterprise clients across African markets via a single accountable relationship.
- M+C Saatchi Abel - Full-service Advertising and Communications Full-service advertising and communications agency brand within the Up&Up Group portfolio.
- Connect - Integrated Communications Agency brand within the Up&Up Group offering integrated communications services.
- Razor - Advertising Advertising-focused agency brand within the Up&Up Group portfolio.
- Levergy - Media Media-focused agency brand within the Up&Up Group portfolio.
- Black & White - Advertising Advertising agency brand within the Up&Up Group portfolio.
- 2Stories - Marketing Marketing-focused agency brand within the Up&Up Group portfolio.
- Dalmatian - Marketing Marketing-focused agency brand within the Up&Up Group portfolio.
- Eighty20 | Partnership - Data and Analytics Agency/partnership brand within the Up&Up Group portfolio, specialising in data and analytics.
Quantifiable outcome
- MTN became Africa's most valuable brand through creative campaigns
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use M&c Saatchi Group South Africa
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
M&c Saatchi Group South Africa technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
M&c Saatchi Group South Africa partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Africa Affiliate NetworkcoreAfrica Affiliate Network is listed as a partnership within The Up&Up Group, providing continental reach and local market expertise across Africa. This partnership enables the group to serve clients across multiple African markets with local expertise and connections.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
M&c Saatchi Group South Africa competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Ogilvy Africa: Ogilvy operates a continent-spanning African network offering integrated advertising, PR, and consulting services to major enterprise clients. It competes directly with The Up&Up Group for the same multinational African marketing rosters and overlaps on telecom, banking, and FMCG accounts.
- Joe Public United: Joe Public is a leading South African independent creative agency group with multiple specialist subsidiaries. It competes with The Up&Up Group's structure for enterprise creative mandates in South Africa and offers comparable integrated communications capabilities.
- Net#work BBDO: Net#work BBDO is one of South Africa's largest full-service creative agency networks with a global BBDO/Omnicom affiliation. It is a direct competitor for tier-one South African enterprise clients and overlaps on integrated creative, media, and brand strategy work.
- DDB South Africa: DDB South Africa operates as part of the global DDB/Omnicom network, providing integrated creative and advertising services. It is a direct peer serving overlapping enterprise client categories in the South African market.
- TBWA\ South Africa: TBWA South Africa is part of the global TBWA/Omnicom network and offers full-service advertising and brand strategy. It is a direct peer competing for the same South African and African enterprise mandates.
Broad incumbents
- Dentsu Africa: Dentsu Africa is the regional presence of Dentsu International, offering integrated advertising, media, and customer experience services. It is a broad incumbent peer competing for large enterprise rosters with global holding-company resources.
- Publicis Groupe Africa: Publicis Africa operates as the regional arm of Publicis Groupe, one of the world's largest advertising holding companies. It competes with The Up&Up Group across advertising, media, PR, and data, with deeper global resources but less concentrated focus on African independent enterprise work.
- WPP (African operations): WPP operates multiple African agency brands (VMLY&R, GroupM, Ogilvy, etc.) and competes for the same enterprise marketing mandates as The Up&Up Group. It is a broad incumbent with deeper global scale and media buying infrastructure.
- Havas Africa: Havas operates an African footprint through its global network offering integrated creative, media, and communications services. It is a broad incumbent competing for the same multinational African mandates with the backing of a global holding company.
Others
- M&C Saatchi PLC: M&C Saatchi PLC is the global parent brand network of which M+C Saatchi Abel is part. It is an ecosystem/affiliation peer rather than a direct competitor, sharing methodologies and talent exchange opportunities with The Up&Up Group.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses1 record
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
M&c Saatchi Group South Africa social profiles
Digital presenceM&c Saatchi Group South Africa financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
M&c Saatchi Group South Africa leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
M&c Saatchi Group South Africa subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries9 records
M&c Saatchi Group South Africa funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
M&c Saatchi Group South Africa 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 M&c Saatchi Group South Africa
What does M&c Saatchi Group South Africa do?
The Up&Up Group is a holding company for nine specialist creative agencies that collectively deliver integrated marketing and communication services to enterprise clients. Service categories include Consulting, Advertising, Media, Public Relations, Passion Marketing, Relationship Design, Content Marketing, Data and Analytics, and Integrated Communications. Client engagements span brand elevation, multi-market campaigns, social impact initiatives, and integrated creative solutions delivered across African markets.
Is M&c Saatchi Group South Africa a public or private company?
M&c Saatchi Group South Africa is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was M&c Saatchi Group South Africa founded?
M&c Saatchi Group South Africa was founded in 2010.
Where is M&c Saatchi Group South Africa based?
M&c Saatchi Group South Africa is headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa, in the Africa region.
How does M&c Saatchi Group South Africa make money?
One revenue line is on record: marketing and Communication Services.
Who are M&c Saatchi Group South Africa's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Ogilvy Africa, Joe Public United, Net#work BBDO, DDB South Africa and TBWA\ South Africa. Broad incumbents are Dentsu Africa, Publicis Groupe Africa, WPP (African operations) and Havas Africa. M&C Saatchi PLC is listed as an others.
Does M&c Saatchi Group South Africa have an API?
No public API is recorded for M&c Saatchi Group South Africa.
What industry is M&c Saatchi Group South Africa in?
M&c Saatchi Group South Africa's product category is Advertising and Marketing Communications Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAAAAAA, Integrated Full-Service Creative Agencies, with a secondary code of MPAAAAAO, Activation/Experiential Creative Agencies. Its NAICS code is 541810 and its SIC code is 7311.