EXCLUSIVE: The Partnership Africa Appoints Sidney Nganda to Lead Uganda Operations, Partners with Zeus and Simply Black to Manage Airtel Uganda Account

In a notable development within Uganda’s advertising industry, The Partnership Africa has entered into a strategic collaboration with Zeus The Agency and Simply Black Media to oversee the Airtel Uganda advertising account, effective August 1st, 2025, CEO East Africa Magazine can confirm.

This local transition follows the earlier win by The Partnership of the Airtel Africa integrated marketing mandate covering 12 markets, and forms part of a continent-wide consolidation by the telecom brand.

The shift in Uganda coincides with the appointment of Sidney Nganda—a former WPP-Scanad executive and recent marketing leader at dfcu Bank—as Country Director for The Partnership Uganda.

Under the new arrangement, The Partnership Africa takes the lead on brand strategy and coordination, Zeus The Agency handles creative responsibilities, while Simply Black Media, through its Uganda-based subsidiary The Fuse (led by Zaid Shaik), is responsible for both traditional and digital media buying.

Structure of the New Agency Collaboration

Earlier this year, Publicis Groupe Africa, represented by The Partnership Africa, secured the Airtel Africa account across multiple markets, including Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, and the DRC. The transition of the Airtel Uganda business is part of the phased implementation of this regional engagement.

The account was previously held by Ogilvy Africa, a WPP Scanad agency.

The Uganda transition became effective on August 1st, 2025, aligning with Airtel’s objective of consolidating strategy and execution across its key markets.

According to exclusive sources familiar with the transition, the execution of the Airtel Uganda account has been structured across three specialised agencies, each with clearly defined responsibilities within a coordinated delivery framework.

The Partnership Africa assumes the role of lead agency, taking charge of overall brand strategy, account coordination, and alignment with Airtel Africa’s broader regional marketing mandate. Sources confirm that The Partnership will oversee the strategic direction and ensure consistency across key markets where Airtel operates.

Zeus The Agency has been engaged to handle creative development, including campaign ideation, concept execution, and production across multiple platforms. Insiders note that Zeus was selected for its growing reputation for delivering high-impact campaigns and its ability to localise creative within broader continental brand narratives.

Media planning and buying will be managed by Simply Black Media, through its Uganda-based subsidiary, The Fuse, which is led by Zaid Shaik. The Fuse is expected to deliver both traditional and digital media services, offering Airtel a locally embedded, insight-driven approach to media placement. Sources indicate that Simply Black’s extensive pan-African network and experience in telecoms were key considerations in its selection.

The public relations mandate for Airtel Uganda remains with Brainchild Burson, a WPP affiliate. No formal communication has been issued regarding any changes to this arrangement.

Sidney Nganda Appointed Country Director

As part of its rollout strategy in Uganda, The Partnership Africa has appointed Sidney Nganda as Country Director, a move that industry sources describe as both strategic and timely.

Sidney brings over 15 years of experience in marketing, brand management, and agency leadership across Uganda’s corporate and advertising sectors. A well-known figure in the industry, he began his career in agency work—most notably with WPP-Scanad Uganda—where he rose through the ranks and played a key role in driving strategy and client service for major accounts. It was during his time at Scanad that he worked closely with Sandeep Madan, co-founder and CEO of The Partnership Africa, establishing a long-standing professional relationship built on mutual respect and shared strategic vision.

Following his agency tenure, Sidney transitioned to client-side leadership, most recently serving as Marketing Manager, Retail at dfcu Bank. There, he was credited with enhancing the bank’s brand positioning, launching integrated campaigns, and aligning marketing with business development objectives. His understanding of both agency operations and in-house brand management places him in a unique position to lead The Partnership’s activities in Uganda with agility and depth.

According to sources close to the appointment, Sidney officially assumed the new role on August 1st, 2025, the same day the Airtel Uganda account formally transitioned under The Partnership-led structure. His appointment is seen as a strategic investment in local leadership capacity and is expected to enhance client engagement, execution oversight, and team development within the Uganda office.

Sidney’s blend of creative agency roots and corporate marketing experience is expected to support The Partnership’s objective of delivering regionally consistent but locally resonant brand solutions—especially as it takes on one of Uganda’s most prominent advertising accounts.

The QG Question: A Curious Exclusion

One of the more notable aspects of the Airtel Uganda agency realignment is the absence of QG Saatchi & Saatchi, the long-standing Publicis Groupe affiliate in Uganda, from the new delivery structure.

While The Partnership Africa operates under the Publicis Groupe Africa umbrella, it has instead opted to collaborate with Zeus The Agency and Simply Black Media in Uganda, bypassing QG for both creative and media execution. This decision is particularly striking given the historical ties between The Partnership’s leadership and Bharat Thakrar, the former WPP-Scanad Group CEO.

All three co-founders of The Partnership—Sandeep Madan, Deepesh Jha, and Sally Sawe—previously worked under Thakrar at WPP-Scanad, where they each held senior roles and reported directly to him. Their shared professional lineage and exposure to regional operations under Thakrar’s leadership have shaped the foundations of their current agency model.

Given that Bharat Thakrar has long been associated professionally and personally with Patrick Quarcoo, co-founder of QG Group, the decision not to work with QG Saatchi & Saatchi in Uganda has raised industry questions. However, sources close to the matter suggest the current arrangement is driven by strategic alignment, operational preferences, and a delivery model tailored to Airtel’s current regional marketing structure, rather than legacy affiliations.

Profiles of Key Agency Partners

The three agencies selected to execute the Airtel Uganda mandate each bring distinct strengths and regional experience, forming a collaborative model that reflects Airtel’s current emphasis on integrated but locally responsive delivery.

The Partnership Africa, serving as lead agency, was founded by Sandeep Madan, Deepesh Jha, and Sally Sawe—three experienced professionals with deep roots in Africa’s advertising landscape. All three previously held senior leadership roles under Bharat Thakrar at WPP-Scanad and have since established The Partnership as a fast-rising pan-African agency with offices in Nairobi, Lagos, and now Kampala. The agency is affiliated with Publicis Groupe Africa, under which it currently manages the Airtel Africa integrated marketing mandate across 12 countries. Its scope includes strategic planning, brand architecture, and coordination of multi-market campaigns, with a focus on consistency across regions while allowing for local nuance.

Zeus The Agency, headquartered in Kampala, has gained recognition in recent years for its creative output and growing portfolio of high-profile brands. Founded by Jeffrey Amani, Zeus has delivered creative work for clients in banking, beverages, energy, and telecommunications. The agency is particularly noted for its youthful, digitally fluent approach and its emphasis on storytelling rooted in local cultural insight. Its role on the Airtel Uganda account focuses on creative development—campaign ideation, content creation, and execution across traditional and digital channels. Zeus’s inclusion in this regional rollout positions it as a key creative partner within a multi-agency ecosystem.

Simply Black Media, based in Johannesburg, is a media strategy and buying agency with an established footprint across more than 35 African markets. With expertise spanning both conventional and digital platforms, the agency supports multinational brands in navigating Africa’s diverse and fragmented media landscapes. For its Uganda operations, Simply Black will work through The Fuse, its Kampala-based subsidiary led by Zaid Shaik. The Fuse is responsible for media planning and buying across all platforms, ensuring that local execution aligns with regional media strategies while maintaining efficiency and responsiveness to market dynamics.

Together, the three firms form a comprehensive agency structure designed to deliver strategic coherence, creative relevance, and media effectiveness for Airtel Uganda. This model reflects a broader shift in how pan-African brands are structuring their marketing delivery, favouring agile, collaborative networks that integrate regional leadership with strong local capability.

The reconfiguration of the Airtel Uganda account under this new partnership is part of a broader trend where multinational clients are aligning marketing operations across multiple countries under unified frameworks.

As this rollout continues, further developments around integration, delivery models, and affiliate participation may emerge, especially in light of the evolving agency landscape in the region.