InSites Consulting Strengthens South African Team

Online communities expert InSites Consulting has made seven new hires for its Johannesburg office, including three senior appointments: Research Directors Simone Kakana and Heike Viviers, and Business Development Manager Danie Botha.

InSites Consulting acquired South African agency Columinate in late 2018, and brought it under the parent brand in early 2020. Globally, the group employs more than 800 people in twenty offices.

Kakana and Viviers between them bring 35 years' industry experience to the firm. Viviers returns after a three-year stint at Ask Afrika where she specialised in financial services and telecommunications research; while Kakana worked previously as Brand Insights Specialist at South African Breweries and Consumer Insights Manager at Heineken.

Botha brings seventeen years of industry experience, including time as Commercial Manager at BMi Research and Head of Research & Insights at Retail Engage. His experience includes work in the FMCG, liquor, retail, packaging and education sectors.

Also joining the agency in Johannesburg are Senior Research Consultants Zanele Coka and Luzelle van Niekerk, and Research Consultants Lauren Govender and Sasha Maharaj. Coka comes from ProQuo AI, whilst van Niekerk joins from Consulta. Govender and Maharaj have both previously worked at Ask Afrika and Ipsos South Africa.

Acting MD Elna Pretorius says the agency is committed to increasing its qualitative expertise in a quant-dominated market: 'We've welcomed a number of highly talented consultants to the Johannesburg office recently, to match and maintain our continued growth trajectory... Specifically, we're bringing qualitative experts into the business as we believe that hybrid insight communities can help brands in South Africa to build a sustainable future'.

Web site: www.insites-consulting.com .