𝗠&𝗖 𝗦𝗔𝗔𝗧𝗖𝗛𝗜 𝗚𝗥𝗢𝗨𝗣 𝗦𝗔 𝗕𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗘𝗦 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗨𝗣&𝗨𝗣 𝗚𝗥𝗢𝗨𝗣 Today is an incredibly special one, as our South African & African Group becomes 100% locally owned. And with this exciting move, we have created a new holding company and brand that represents the hopes and dreams of our founders, our partners, our people, our clients, our country and continent. The name of the company is "𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗽&𝗨𝗽 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗽" and under whose control, M&C Saatchi Abel (Cape Town, Johannesburg, our Amsterdam office - and Africa affiliate network), Levergy, Connect, Dalmatian, Razor PR and Black and White Agency, will continue to operate. So please join us in celebrating the start of a new journey as one of South Africa's and Africa's largest and most vibrant group of creative companies. Read more about this exciting news on The Financial Mail ZA Redzone: https://lnkd.in/de2kJi2w
The Up&Up Group (affiliated to the global M&C Saatchi Group)
Advertising Services
Johannesburg, Gauteng 14,913 followers
As Africa’s leading independent creative group, we believe in creativity’s unique ability to elevate just about anything
About us
The Up&Up Group (formerly M&C Saatchi Group South Africa) is one of the African continent’s leading independent creative group of companies and is 100% South African owned. We are guided by our founding principles of optimism, openness, opportunity, and a belief in creativity’s ability to elevate everything up and up. Comprising more than 500 diverse, creative minds across our six creative companies which include M&C Saatchi Abel (through the line advertising), Levergy (sponsorship and passion marketing), Connect (full-service media company), Razor (Public Relations), Dalmatian (boutique TTL agency) and Black & White (Loyalty & CRM marketing), the Up&Up Group delivers marketing and communication solutions for some of the most loved, valuable and sought-after brands in South Africa, and across the Continent. Our unique Partner Model fuels the Group’s entrepreneurial spirit that delivers smart and agile solutions at scale. The Up&Up Group is the Africa Continent affiliate of the globally-independent M&C Saatchi Group PLC.
- Website
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www.theupandupgroup.com
External link for The Up&Up Group (affiliated to the global M&C Saatchi Group)
- Industry
- Advertising Services
- Company size
- 201-500 employees
- Headquarters
- Johannesburg, Gauteng
- Type
- Public Company
- Founded
- 2010
- Specialties
- Integrated Communications, Media, Sponsorship, Entertainment, Digital, Consulting, Public Relations, Creativity, and Social Media
Locations
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Primary
Get directions
9 8th Street
Johannesburg, Gauteng 2092, ZA
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Get directions
De Smit Street
Media Quarter, 5th floor
Cape Town, Western Cape 8005, ZA
Employees at The Up&Up Group (affiliated to the global M&C Saatchi Group)
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Deborah Whitlock
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Dustin Chick
Partner & Chief Executive: Razor Public Relations (The Up&Up Group)
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Makosha Maja-Rasethaba
Partner: Head of Strategy at M&C Saatchi Abel (JHB) & Chief Diversity Officer
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Mike Abel
Executive Chairman and Founder of The Up&Up Group (M&C SAATCHI ABEL, Levergy, Connect, Razor, Black& White and Dalmatian). Patron of The Street…
Updates
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Our Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer, Robert Grace, talks about business, wine and life in his new monthly series. #InVinoVeritas #BusinessTalk
Co-Founder & Chief Strategy Officer: The Up&Up Group (M&C SAATCHI ABEL, Levergy, Connect, Razor, Black& White and Dalmatian). Board Member: National Arts Festival.
How I thought an imposing wine list was going to be my career-limiting moment. (Warning - A longer post than usual.) After some encouragement (i.e. pushing) from my The Up&Up Group (affiliated to the global M&C Saatchi Group) partners, I’m trying something different: A series of posts about wine. And why on LinkedIn? Because wine can be a fantastic conversation point in business. Many an evening I’ve spent with colleagues and clients where an interesting choice of wine has added a new dimension to the conversation. Exactly what you want from a business dinner. Wine has played an important role in my life since a young age (it started when I was three—but that story is only available over a bottle of wine!). Rarely does an evening go by where Jo and I don’t open a bottle at the end of the day. It’s a moment to pause, both for the wine itself (the simple act of opening, pouring, smelling, tasting) and to reflect on the day that was. Wine has brought many rich experiences, friendships, and even convened the moment I met my wife at a champagne tasting. But wine lists can be intimidating. As a result, many tend to stick to the ‘safe’ options—not bad ones, but often predictable. And that I think is a missed opportunity. A more interesting wine selection can spark great conversation, exactly what you want in a business setting. So I'm going to be sharing some more interesting wines you should consider ordering at that next lunch or dinner. To kick things off, here’s the story of my first 'business occasion' wine-ordering experience: My first boss, Mike Abel, was hosting a client dinner back in the early 2000s. I was still in the early days of my career, and Mike had heard I had an interest in wine. So, when the wine list arrived—all 100 pages of it—he handed it to me. To say I felt a wave of nerves would be an understatement. Big client, big dinner, big bosses… and one very big wine list. I did what any nervous young professional would do—I went to the names I knew. The first bottle arrived. Tasting poured. It was off. I say ‘off' because the thing with wine is that it’s a bit like milk, the moment you smell that slight ‘off-ness’ you just can't drink it. I quickly ordered a more predictable wine. Tasting poured. Off. Big client. Big bosses. Empty glasses. You get the picture. Third bottle. I kid you not—off. At this point, any reputation I had around wine (and perhaps my career) felt like it was going the way of those corked bottles. Fourth time lucky—we were good. And so were the subsequent bottles. The evening turned into a fantastic and fruitful business dinner. And today, it makes for a great story. I left with my reputation and career intact—especially after ending the night with a bottle of Vin de Constance dessert wine (which will be the subject of my next post). Hopefully, this series inspires you to make more interesting choices with wine—and enjoy the great conversations that flow as a result.
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Here is the interview with our Executive Chairman and Founder, Mike Abel, and Abigail Visagie on eNCA last night, for those who missed it. The Street Store was launched in 2014. To date, 1,100 Street Stores have been hosted globally, providing clothing to an estimate of over 1 million people. Join our movement in creating a circular economy and a sharing culture, as we tackle waste. It’s the perfect way to liberate your wardrobe and give your pre-loved clothing to those in need. If you want to host a Street Store for your community, as individuals, corporations, or religious groups, visit www.thestreetstore.org. #CircularEconomy #PreLovedClothing #NewsNight
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Tune into eNCA on Sunday 23rd February, at 9:45pm. Our Executive Chairman and Founder, Mike Abel, will discuss The Street Store with Abigail Visagie. #NewsNight #StreetStore #CircularEconomy #StopWaste #ConsciousClothing #Sharing
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We are excited to share the news that Old Khaki and The Street Store have launched “Last season is so this season,” a campaign aimed at promoting sustainable fashion and encouraging people to donate preloved clothing for those in need. Donations can be made at Old Khaki stores in Gauteng and Western Cape, including locations such as Clearwater, Eastgate, Fourways, Mall of Africa, Menlyn Park, Blue Route, Canal Walk, Somerset West, Table Bay, and Tygervalley. #StreetStore
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Congratulations to M&C Saatchi Abel on the bold work that has resulted in the recently announced The Loeries official rankings.
None of this would have happened without fearless leadership and the clients who trust us to push boundaries. Thank you to everyone involved for making the extraordinary possible. Here’s to making many more bold pieces of work and The Loeries wins! 🏆 #loeriesofficialrankings #DigitalExcellence Illè Potgieter Masego Motsogi Lubabalo Mtati Neo Mashigo Jake Bester Nadia Siegel
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We’ve achieved no less than fifteen qualifiers across our agencies in the 2025 Marketing Achievement Awards! Brilliant results for our clients as well as the teams behind these wonderful campaigns. We look forward to the final outcome at the gala event. #MAA2025 #MarketingAchievementAwards #SouthAfricanMarketing #StrategicMarketing #BusinessGrowth #MarketingExcellence
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The Up&Up Group is delighted to welcome Deborah Whitlock as the new Marketing Director for The Up&Up Group. Deborah, has many years’ experience in our industry, and starts today. The Up&Up Group CEO Jacques Burger said: "It is a motto within our walls that the people with the best people win and so we are delighted to welcome Deborah to steer The Up&Up Group's growth strategy at a time when we are expanding rapidly throughout Africa, as custodians to some of the biggest brands on the continent." Welcome to the team Deborah. It's Up&Up from here!
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