Johannesburg, 18 May 2010
Microsoft and listed media house Kagiso Media have signed a deal that will see Kagiso Media take over the running of the MSN portal in South Africa.
The deal is the first step towards localising the MSN portal, currently the second largest online property in South Africa, and giving both parties a greater slice of the South African online market, says Burak Gokmen, Microsoft's general manager for its consumer and online activities in Middle East and Africa.
“With Kagiso Media as a strategic partner, MSN South Africa will be focused on becoming South Africa's top portal,” said Gokmen. “Our aim is to provide the best user experience for MSN users with rich content and easy integration with our Windows Live suite.”
Kagiso Media, which has successfully launched large consumer media brands such as Jacaranda 94.2 and East Coast Radio, will take full responsibility for marketing, sales, and content on the MSN site. It will also become the sole sales partner for all Microsoft's Windows Live properties - including Hotmail and Windows Live Messenger - in South Africa and sub-Saharan Africa. Microsoft will continue to provide the systems that run the portal and its advertising.
Kagiso Media's CEO, Murphy Morobe, said his company would be investing in enriching the user experience through more engaging content offerings.
“We're always looking to excite our audience with great South African content, and provide advertisers with the right medium to engage with targeted audiences in South Africa,” said Morobe. “This deal furthers Kagiso Media's digital media and convergence strategies.”
The new MSN site will be officially launched in September, says Nevo Hadas, head of Kagiso's Media Convergence team, but readers will be able to notice changes from 1 July.
Gokmen said the deal contains “significant growth opportunities”. The parties have the option to extend the deal into the mobile space and into the sub-Saharan African region for MSN portals.
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