Turn the page. Start your next chapter with Media24 Advertising & Content Marketing

We’re the advertising and content marketing division of Media24, South Africa’s leading media company. We help brands grow by telling compelling stories, whether through high-impact advertising or insight-driven content marketing, on our trusted platforms or our clients’.

Our solutions are built on a deep understanding of audiences and the media landscape. We connect brands with the right people in the right way to drive engagement, action and long-term impact.

Now we’re looking for a Group Art Director at The Co.Lab to help us deliver on that promise.

We are seeking a highly experienced Group Art Director to lead creative excellence across multiple brands, clients, and industries. This role sits at the intersection of strategy, storytelling, design craft, and people leadership, requiring someone who can move fluidly between big-picture vision and hands-on execution.

You will be responsible for shaping and safeguarding creative quality across editorial, commercial, and branded content, working across digital, print, motion, social, and experiential platforms. This is a role for a creative leader who can wear many hats: strategist, mentor, problem-solver, collaborator, and hands-on art director when needed.

The successful candidate needs to be comfortable navigating fast-paced environments, diverse industries, and shifting priorities, while consistently delivering work that is visually strong, strategically sound, and commercially effective.

What you’ll do:

Creative Leadership & Vision

• Lead and evolve the creative vision across multiple brands, commercial clients, and industries.
• Translate complex business and editorial objectives into compelling, emotionally resonant creative solutions.
• Ensure all creative output aligns with brand strategy, audience needs, and commercial goals.
• Champion high standards of craft across design, typography, layout, motion, and visual storytelling.

Art Direction & Execution

• Oversee and actively contribute to the art direction of digital, print, and integrated campaigns.
• Provide clear visual direction to designers, photographers, illustrators, videographers, and stylists.
• Review, refine, and approve creative work across platforms, ensuring consistency and excellence.
• Guide the development of visual identities, campaign systems, and content frameworks.

Team Leadership & Mentorship

• Lead, mentor, and develop a multidisciplinary creative team across varying levels of seniority.
• Foster a culture of curiosity, collaboration, accountability, and creative confidence.
• Delegate effectively while remaining closely connected to the work and the people producing it.
• Support talent growth through feedback, skills transfer, and creative guidance.

Collaboration & Stakeholder Engagement

• Work closely with editorial leaders, commercial teams, strategists, and clients to shape effective creative solutions.
• Partner with sales and commercial stakeholders to respond to briefs with strong, insight-driven creative ideas.
• Present and defend creative concepts clearly and confidently to internal and external stakeholders.
• Balance editorial integrity with commercial objectives across branded and native content.

Innovation & Adaptability

• Embrace new tools, platforms, and workflows, including the thoughtful use of AI to support ideation and efficiency.
• Adapt creative approaches to suit different industries, audiences, and brand tones.
• Navigate changing business needs with agility, resilience, and a solutions-focused mindset.

What you bring:

• 8–10+ years experience in design and art direction, with leadership experience across digital and print.
• Proven ability to lead creative work across multiple brands, industries, and platforms simultaneously.
• Strong strategic thinking paired with exceptional visual and conceptual design skills.
• Extensive experience in brand development, editorial design, commercial campaigns, and content storytelling.
• Confident presenter with the ability to influence, inspire, and align diverse stakeholders.
• Highly organised, adaptable, and comfortable managing complexity and competing priorities.
• A collaborative leadership style with a hands-on mindset when needed.
• Relevant tertiary qualification in graphic design, visual communication, fine art, or related field.
• High proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Indesign, Illustrator, Adobe XD), Canva, Figma, Microsoft Suite; familiarity with motion, digital platforms, and emerging creative tools.

Who you are:

• A creative leader who balances vision and execution effortlessly.
• Comfortable wearing multiple hats without losing focus or quality.
• Equally at home guiding teams, shaping strategy, and crafting work.
• Calm under pressure, curious by nature, and motivated by meaningful creative impact.
• Passionate about storytelling, design excellence, and growing people as much as brands.

Why Media24 Advertising & Content Marketing?

Join us and unlock:

• The reach and credibility of South Africa’s most iconic media brands
• A chance to work where storytelling meets strategy and creativity drives results
• A fast-moving high-performing team committed to meaningful work
• Opportunities to grow learn and lead in a dynamic environment
• A values-driven culture built on courage, integrity, accountability and respect

If you’re up for joining our award-winning team, drop us a line. 

Given the employment equity policy of Media24, preference will be given to suitable candidates from the designated groups.