The Team | SVW Communications

Sanri van Wyk:

MD, founder & board member

Sanri, a former Media 24 journalist, has over 16 years’ hands-on experience in the media and publishing industry, built up through having worked on a range of national and international blue-chip clients such as The Walt Disney Company Africa (Disney); A+E Networks UK (HISTORY, Lifetime, CI); Discovery Networks (Discovery Channel, Discovery World, Discovery HD and Animal Planet); Kardashian Beauty Hair; SterKinekor; and the Smile Foundation.

Recognising a need for a more adaptable and honest approach to publicity, Sanri founded SVW Communications (Pty) Ltd 2017/3288/07 in 2017. The company has since grown to a boutique agency establishing private equity and venture capital companies and individuals who invest in Africa, as its niche.

Sanri is driven by attention-to-detail and a pursuit to deliver excellent service. With a post-graduate degree in Media Studies, she brings a sound media contact base and an in-depth practical knowledge of the media landscape to the PR industry. Her work ethic reflects her honesty, caring nature, sense of humour, and authenticity. Sanri leads the team with a kind heart and a firm hand, hoping to inspire them to be the best they can be, all to the benefit of SVW’s most-valued clients.

Mantsadi Sepheka

Publicist

Former local BBC correspondent Mantsadi, with over 10 years’ experience in the media (print, online and radio) and publishing business, has sought-after and hard-to-find media, government and corporate contacts. She honed her PR career in the NGO sector as media coordinator for STAY SAFE and has since honed a niche in the financial publicity space, spearheading campaigns for Gaia Fund Managers and independent wealth management platform INN8. To say she is connected, would be an understatement. She prefers working under pressure, which is a great asset within the fast-paced world of publicity. As a mom of two boys, in the little free time she has, Mantsadi is a self-defense instructor and fascinated with plant-based eating within an African context. She is a talented writer and her professionalism, impeccable work ethic and kindness puts her media liaison capabilities a cut above the rest.

Sjarn Swart

Publicist

Sjarn’s core strengths are media relations and event management. She has worked across various industries including tech, corporate, insurance, property, consumer and retail. Sjarn, a specialist in B2B media relations, is also the owner of Mimik, a freelancing agency created to assist agencies with overflow media relations and public relations deliverables. Her can-do attitude and bubbly personality makes her a pleasure to work with and a great asset to any PR efforts.

Jaco Maritz

Director & board member

Jaco started his career at South African media company Media24, working on the online offerings of some of the country’s most well-known newspapers, including Die Burger, Beeld, City Press, Sake24 and Volksblad. He became editor of a Nigerian business publication, after which he founded Maritz Africa, publisher of Award-winning publication How we made it in Africa, which has since adapted a subscriptionbased model.

In 2017, Maritz Africa invested in SVW and became a shareholder and director in the company. Jaco, who is also shareholder and editor of the private equity industry app Africa Private Equity News, is a regular speaker on various issues relating to business on the continent. He holds a BA in Information Science from the University of Stellenbosch.

Kevan Christmas

Director & board member

Kevan is a reformed marketing and communications professional who successfully built and ran international agencies in Europe, Asia and Africa. For the last 10 years, a product zealot with experience in mobile, payments and Lean Start-up.

Challenges have ranged from helping an international team build travel and transaction apps, to running Mxit as COO to being a product owner in a start-up.

Since 2013, he has continued to grow and use this experience to help both large and small clients build better products faster via www.the10x.com. Kevan is advisor and shareholder in SVW.