
Generation Z (Source: Pexels.com)
-- --
SCREEN AFRICA EXCLUSIVE:
Standing at the beginning of a new year in a new decade is exciting. This new decade, in particular, will herald in an important time for our continent, as countries scramble to meet the global United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals; and the real work on implementing the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) starts.
AfCFTA is a real gamechanger for Africa, as it will create the largest trading block in the world once trade barriers fall, boosting internal trade on the continent, which will lead to economic prosperity in many regions and an infrastructure boom and job creation - sorely needed for the continent with the biggest and youngest population in the world.
What this means for every industry, including the creative industries, is that opportunities to do business within Africa will increase because investment will increase. It won't be easy or without major challenges, but to anyone launching or growing a business in South Africa's depressed economy, Africa presents another opportunity for growth particularly since, in 2018, seven of the 10 fastest growing economies in the world were in Africa! (South Africa and Nigeria weren't on that list everyone is still waiting for us to grow into our potential!).
I believe this decade will signal that it is Africa's time and an Africa Rising' presents unique opportunity beyond our borders for every industry. The impact of AfCFTA and its potential should feature in all long-term business plans of all industry in South Africa going forward. That is my most important trend for this decade and this year.
The other massive gamechanger, globally, for this coming decade, is Generation Z. Apart from the fact that we can finally stop talking about Millennials, this next generation of youth have the onerous task of saving our planet. They will also, like the generation that heralded in massive social change in the 1960s across the world, have one of the biggest impacts on our consumption patterns. They are also going to be the most vocal in calling out everyone - from politicians to companies to brands - if they are corrupt in anyway and do not behave in a transparent and authentic way.
Think Gen Z, think Greta
Going forward, into industry specific trends for the creative industries, Generation Z and their consumption habits will probably be one of the biggest gamechangers since social media revolutionised the last decade which was dominated by the focus on Millennials. Generation Z is a surprising generation and their poster child is Greta Thunberg.
Also called the iGen or Centennials, this generation of youngsters was born between 1996 and 2010, following on from the Millennials. They have been immersed in our digital society, growing up with the internet and on social media. The oldest of them are now just finishing their tertiary education and entering the workforce.
This generation will very much likely have as much impact as the 60s generation, whose marches were for peace at the beginning of the Cold War. Except their platform is climate change and they will have to save our planet from mass extinction.
So how will brands, marketers and advertising creatives market to this generation? What can you sell a generation that is starting to reject conspicuous consumption and anything that raises their carbon footprint?
Global thinktank, McKinsey, says the one characteristic that defines this generation, is truth . Generation Z avoid labels, preferring to express themselves individually. They believe in standing up for causes they believe in; and believe dialogue and negotiation is the way to resolve conflicts, not war.
They make decisions and relate to institutions in a highly analytical and pragmatic way, reports McKinsey, calling them the True Gen . This is in contrast to the Millennials, called the Me generation, which focuses more on itself. Remember, it was this generation that invented the ubiquitous selfie!
McKinsey advises brands and business to think about how they deliver value to this consumer and make sure they practice what they preach when addressing marketing challenges, work ethics, environmental issues and impact on the planet.
Time is not on your side: within just five years, this generation will be leaving school and becoming students that will agitate for change or they will be joining their peers in the workplace and creating change - from within or as consumers.
This quote from McKinsey is striking: Companies should be attuned to three implications for this generation: consumption as access rather than possession, consumption as an expression of individual identity, and consumption as a matter of ethical concern. Coupled with technological advances, this generational shift is transforming the consumer landscape in a way that cuts across all socioeconomic brackets and extends beyond Gen Z, permeating the whole demographic pyramid.
Don't think for one moment that we are immune down here in Africa, either: Africa, including South Africa, has the single biggest youth demographic in the world. This decade to come is one of the most important in history - change is coming, there is no doubt, for our way of work and how brands are consumed - in fact, the entire marketing eco-system will be impacted.
Personally, I have hope for Generation Z, that they can save us from our worst excesses. They are searching for authenticity and embrace greater freedom of expression, while they are more tolerant and accepting.
There are three types of consumer behaviour that Gen Z display that will profoundly affect brands:
Sharing economy: Gen Z does not believe in ownership. For them, consumption means access to products and services, not necessarily ownership. They value services that connect them, as se
Most recent headlines
04/09/2025
Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE), in collaboration with Dalet, has been a...
27/04/2025
It's with deep regret that we share the passing of our dear friend Bruce Logan, ASC.
Bruce was not just a collaborator-he was family. He worked with us at ...
26/04/2025
NEW YORK Samsung Ads has debuted a new interactive advertising format, Creative Canvas, that helps automate and deliver interactive ads....
26/04/2025
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. Sinclair has appointed Vincent J. Sollecito vice president and general manager of WPEC, serving the West Palm Beach, Florida market....
26/04/2025
NEW YORK and DENVER AD-ID and Comcast Technology Solutions (CTS) have announced that they are working together to promote the adoption of industry standards in ...
26/04/2025
Cobalt Scores a Trifecta of Awards at NAB 2025
Brie Clayton April 25, 2025
0 Comments
Company adds another Best of Show and two Product of the Year tr...
26/04/2025
FilmLight Colour Awards welcomes 2025 entries
Brie Clayton April 25, 2025
0 Comments
Entries open from 1 May 31 July to colourists on any grading pl...
26/04/2025
Blackmagic's Latest Products - Larry Jordan Guest Spots with Dan May at NAB ...
25/04/2025
Emily Watson, Isaiah Saxon, Helena Zengel, and Finn Wolfhard at The Legend of Ochi premiere (photo by Soul Brother/Shutterstock for Sundance Film Festival)...
25/04/2025
Using its CORVUS portfolio, L3Harris created a highly adaptable battle network t...
25/04/2025
Agile Content joins forces with Tiscali to introduce a new platform in Italy, of...
25/04/2025
The company positions Agile TV as the commercial brand focused on delivering TVaaS solutions for operators and media.
The chosen tagline TVaaS your way enca...
25/04/2025
A Fully Managed Solution That Maximizes Revenue for North American Operators Whi...
25/04/2025
Morgan Murphy Media has issued the following obituary for its former CEO:...
25/04/2025
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has lifted its hold on grant money for some public broadcast stations to upgrade their infrastructure....
25/04/2025
Enhance Videos 80% Faster & Fix Format Issues with VideoProc - Major Update
Brie Clayton April 25, 2025
0 Comments
VideoProc Converter AI just got a m...
25/04/2025
Listen to Kim Perlak and Francisco Mela's New Album, Recorded in a Single Af...
25/04/2025
YouTube is celebrating its 20th birthday with stats showing how popular the platform has become and by announcing some new features, including the ability for u...
25/04/2025
BALTIMORE Sinclair, Inc. has announced the retirement of Dave Schwartz, its corporate senior vice president/station operations, effective June 30....
25/04/2025
The Society of Broadcast Engineers (SBE) has released its popular CertPreview practice exams in a new, online format. SBE CertPreview allows people preparing to...
25/04/2025
ARLINGTON, Texas Two months after naming Tegna station KFAA in Dallas-Fort Worth its exclusive local broadcast partner for WNBA games, the Dallas Wings are expa...
25/04/2025
LOS ANGELES, Calif. Allen Media Group has announced that all 223 U.S. Markets covered by its Local Now FAST Channel are now available on the Vizio WatchFree+ st...
25/04/2025
Working with Shutterstock's AI Editor to Create Unique Images
Brie Clayton April 25, 2025
0 Comments
What's better than a stock image source? ...
25/04/2025
25 Apr 2025
VEON Files its 2024 Annual Report on Form 20-F Dubai, April 25, 2025: VEON Ltd. (Nasdaq: VEON), a global digital operator ( VEON' or the Compa...
25/04/2025
Super Bowl Streaming Success: A Conversation with Tubi's Chief Product & Tec...
25/04/2025
Tariff Turmoil: Trump's Trade Policy Sparks Uncertainty at NAB and Increases...
25/04/2025
Friday 25 April 2025
Hot on the heels of the Irish Dancing World Championships ...
25/04/2025
Back to All News
Netflix Announces Release Date and First Look of The Thursday ...
25/04/2025
Connecting the present, building the future
FOR-A IMPULSE
HVS-Q12
FOR-A MixBoard...
25/04/2025
Following last year's successful event, we're back at the Media Production and Technology Show (MPTS) in London this year. As before, we're looking ...
25/04/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Enhancing Data Protection and Governance Service...
24/04/2025
We're huge fans of shining a spotlight on the documentaries that empower, en...
24/04/2025
Playlists have always been at the heart of the Spotify experience. Since AI Playlist in beta launched last year, Premium users have used it to create millions o...
24/04/2025
From the California desert and Chicago's Grant Park to New York City's Flushing Meadows Corona Park and beyond, music festivals this spring and summer w...
24/04/2025
The sounds of Asia are as diverse and vibrant as the continent itself. From the lively beats of Indonesian pop to the gritty rhymes of Pinoy hip-hop, the region...
24/04/2025
Highlights*
Revenue of $5.1 billion
Operating margin of 10.2%; Adjusted segment operating margin of 15.6%
Diluted EPS of $2.04; Non-GAAP diluted EPS of $2.4...
24/04/2025
For more than 50 years, the company's commercial approach to delivering resi...
24/04/2025
Century City, Calif. and Bilbao, Spain (July 8, 2024) - Ateliere Creative Technologies, a leading GenAI media software solutions company, and Agile Content, a l...
24/04/2025
Agile Content to Showcase Industry-Leading TV-as-a-Service Platform at IBC 2024
Bilbao, September 4th - Agile Content, a leading provider of Internet televisio...
24/04/2025
Boosting TVaaS in the German-speaking countries with expert integration and 24/7 local support
Bilbao/Wiesbaden, September 5th 2024 Agile Content and netorium...
24/04/2025
New partnership between Agile Content and GlobalDots promises to introduce automated multi-CDN solutions, optimizing content delivery and easing provider manage...
24/04/2025
Empowering operators with real-time content delivery optimization, improved video quality, and reliable end-to-end service visibility
Amsterdam, Netherlands, S...
24/04/2025
Agile Content joins forces with Convergenze to introduce a new platform in Italy, offering a wide range of premium content for all audiences.
Bilbao, September...
24/04/2025
Bilbao, October 10th 2024 - Agile Content, a global provider of PayTV end-to-end solutions, has received the Bronze EcoVadis Sustainability Rating. This ranking...
24/04/2025
Through this agreement, MASORANGE will incorporate new AGILE CONTENT technologies into its television service, enhancing customer experience with optimum servic...
24/04/2025
The company reports positive results in the third quarter, despite ending the first half of 2024 with an 8.8% decline in revenue and an 18.3% drop in EBITDA com...
24/04/2025
Agile Content joins forces with Tiscali to introduce a new platform in Italy, offering a wide range of premium content for all audiences.
Bilbao, November 26,...
24/04/2025
The company positions Agile TV as the commercial brand focused on delivering TVaaS solutions for operators and media.
The chosen tagline TVaaS your way enca...
24/04/2025
A Fully Managed Solution That Maximizes Revenue for North American Operators While Combining Traditional Cable TV and OTT Apps in one Single Interface.
Bilbao,...
24/04/2025
The Entertainment Hub is a fully integrated TV solution that represents a significant step in redefining the white-label TV business model for operators across ...