CONTACT

While our new website is being created, please contact Memoria Masilela from AMASA with any enquiries:

memoria@unitedstations.co.za

BACKGROUND

The Advertising Media Association of Southern Africa, AMASA, is a registered Section 21 company, and since its inception as a professional body in 1971, has been at the forefront of media education and training in South Africa.

Initially this took the form of relatively informal monthly gatherings where keynote speakers addressed industry issues in open forum but these gatherings soon became the sounding board for some of the big issues which shaped the commercial media industry in the 70s … the formation of SAARF and AMPS; the readers per copy debate; the Citizen and Info scandal; the emergent market. This role continues today and AMASA meets on a monthly basis to address key industry issues.

As a non-profit making organisation, it is able to interface with other commercial educational organisations such as the AAA School of Advertising, The Boston Media House and the Institute of Marketing Management (IMM), and currently is responsible for the development and examination of the media management modules for these organisations through its member body … and in the case of the two schools, for the actual delivery of lectures and workshops.

One of the primary barriers to this formal activity has been the absence of a textbook on advertising media planning within the South African context. The initiative to produce a quality text book which could be used as the focal point of AMASA endorsed media training courses, culminated in the publishing of “Media Planning – Art or Science?” This textbook, written by media consultant Gordon Muller, is a breakthrough in AMASA’s efforts to ensure the quality of media training standards in South Africa.

In an effort to further widen the net and to ensure that media planning in South Africa is well served by young talent from all communities, AMASA has created a number of bursaries over the past years which are made available to deserving students. All profits from advertising and the sale of the book go towards maintaining this bursary fund which is a key focus for AMASA in the new millennium.

Obviously the continued success of AMASA hinges on the existence of a strong and motivated membership. Our members consist of anyone that has an interest in advertising and the media that carry it.

AMASA also organises media planning workshops. These are intensive four-day workshops and are normally held in the Burg, and accommodate approximately 54 delegates.