Kena Outdoor CEO Lerumo Maisela on CNBC Africa: Redefining OOH growth

At the heart of the conversation was a critical industry question: Is OOH simply a tool for raising brand awareness, or has it evolved into a measurable driver of real business growth?

In a world where consumers can skip, block, or scroll past online advertising, OOH continues to hold a distinct advantage – physical presence. While digital ads compete for fleeting attention spans, OOH commands visibility in unavoidable public spaces, from highways and commuter routes to retail and township economies.

As the discussion highlighted, OOH is no longer confined to awareness alone. It has evolved into a strategic, integrated component of broader omnichannel marketing ecosystems, bridging the divide between physical and digital platforms.

While fellow panelists acknowledged the importance of integration, customer relevance, and strategic placement, Lerumo Maisela’s contribution centered on one of the industry’s most pressing priorities: measurable impact.

Measuring OOH’s real business value

Historically, OOH audience measurement relied heavily on traffic counts and estimated impressions. While these methods laid important groundwork, they no longer provide the level of accountability modern advertisers require.

Maisela emphasised that the industry is actively advancing beyond these traditional systems: “In the past, the mechanism was traffic counts, but now systems have evolved. As media owners, we are working towards one unified system that advertisers can rely on to provide credible audience measurement.”

As a board member of OHMSA (Out of Home South Africa) and the Black Billboard Owners Alliance, Maisela reinforced Kena Outdoor’s commitment to industry-wide progress through the development of standardised measurement systems.

These industry bodies are actively working toward creating unified audience measurement and ROI frameworks that will provide advertisers with:

• Standardised audience insights
  
• Greater transparency
  
• Improved campaign accountability
  
• Comparable cross-platform measurement
  
• Stronger confidence in OOH investment decisions.

This initiative is particularly significant as OOH continues to compete with digital and broadcast channels that already benefit from more established reporting systems.

Static and digital: Building a smarter ecosystem

The panel also explored the relationship between traditional static OOH and digital out-of-home (DOOH).

Maisela noted that while digital platforms offer flexibility, contextual targeting, and programmatic buying opportunities, static OOH remains highly relevant for sustained credibility, exclusivity, and large-scale impact.

Rather than positioning one against the other, the future lies in strategically integrating both.

Static offers:

• Exclusive, uninterrupted visibility
  
• Long-term brand presence
  
• Credibility through physical scale.

Digital offers:

• Real-time adaptability
  
• Flexible media buying
  
• Data-driven contextual messaging.

Together, these channels strengthen OOH’s role within modern marketing strategies.

Infrastructure, innovation, and industry growth

The conversation also addressed the realities facing South Africa’s digital infrastructure, particularly power disruptions that can impact DOOH performance.

While these challenges remain, they also reinforce the importance of balancing technological innovation with practical operational resilience.

At the same time, innovation within OOH continues to accelerate through:

• Programmatic buying
  
• Advanced audience analytics
  
• Creative digital installations
  
• Transit and commuter media
  
• Community-driven placements.

The future of OOH

Ultimately, Lerumo Maisela’s CNBC Africa appearance underscored a significant shift in the OOH sector.

Out-of-home is no longer simply about broad visibility. It is increasingly defined by:

• Measurable ROI
  
• Unified industry standards
  
• Integrated digital relevance
  
• Strategic audience targeting
  
• Credibility and trust.

Through the leadership of organisations like OHMSA and the Black Billboard Owners Alliance, the industry is actively building the infrastructure needed to ensure OOH remains competitive, measurable, and future-ready.

For marketers, the conversation made one thing clear: OOH is no longer just about being seen – it is about delivering accountable, strategic growth.

As Kena Outdoor continues to help shape this evolution, its role in advancing industry standards, innovation, and measurable media value positions it at the forefront of South Africa’s modern advertising future.