Bikes deliver brand power and transform drivers’ lives

Now serving leading brands including PepsiCo; Hollard; Naked Insurance; Decathlon; and Vodacom, Jonathan Berkowitz (32) and Elan Band (34) founded MotionAds in 2019 armed with a clear purpose and vision to transform everyday delivery bikes into high-impact, local advertising platforms while creating meaningful opportunities for drivers. 

“At its core, MotionAds is more than an advertising platform; it’s a movement that connects brands, drivers, and communities,” say Band and Berkowitz. “We have redefined what Out-of-Home [OOH] advertising can achieve, proving that creative, technology-enabled campaigns can be commercially effective and socially responsible. Our work shows that when business serves people as well as profit, the results create value far beyond financial performance, empowering individuals, strengthening communities, and inspiring change.” 

In conceptualising MotionAds, this year’s Eric Ellerine Entrepreneur Award Winners were motivated by a desire to marry two pressing challenges in South Africa. “We wanted to provide innovative, measurable solutions for OOH advertising; and support gig-economy workers, who often struggle to make ends meet,” they say. 

Partnering with Uber Eats, MotionAds turns delivery bikes into moving billboards, creating campaigns that generate value for brands and drivers. “Brands gain access to highly visible, mobile, and data-driven advertising, while drivers earn supplemental income and become active participants in the campaigns they help deliver,” the business partners say. 

Having grown from three to more than 2 000 branded bikes in its six years of existence, MotionAds has recently been able to pay millions in additional income directly to its drivers. This is a clear demonstration of the company’s commitment to creating social impact alongside commercial success. Though Band and Berkowitz consider the company’s substantial growth to be their biggest achievement, they are particularly proud of being able to distribute this level of income. 

“Reaching this milestone exemplifies the social impact at the heart of MotionAds, empowering drivers with meaningful supplemental income while turning them into active brand ambassadors,” they say. “It reinforces our vision that entrepreneurship can do more than generate profit, it can create lasting value for people, communities, and the broader economy.” And it fosters the kind of collaborative growth that helps build a nation defined by its potential, not its problems, the business partners say. 

Now operational in seven cities throughout South Africa, MotionAds accesses suburbs, townships, and communities often overlooked by traditional media. But the company’s exponential growth hasn’t just been driven by broadening its reach, but by focusing on innovation. 

“We’ve invested in proprietary technology that tracks campaigns in real time; maps geographic exposure; and provides transparent reporting dashboards for clients,” say Band and Berkowitz. This solves a longstanding challenge in the OOH industry, namely measurability, allowing for precision and accountability. “This combination of creativity, mobility, and technology has enabled us to execute successful campaigns for leading brands and well-known businesses,” they say. 

Yet scaling up the business rapidly brought growing pains. “Early on, we found ourselves wearing multiple hats – managing operations, client relationships, creative strategy, driver engagement, and technology development – all at the same time,” the entrepreneurs say. “Though this hands-on approach was essential in the early stages, it became clear that sustainable growth required knowing when to step back and allow professionals to take ownership in their respective areas.” 

So, building an effective management team became a priority. “By investing in training, clear systems, and collaborative and scalable processes, we’ve empowered our team to take ownership, make data-driven decisions, and respond effectively to changing client needs and market conditions. This approach ensures that MotionAds can scale responsibly while maintaining quality, agility, and impact.” 

Nonetheless, learning to trust others and pass on responsibility has been a significant growth journey, they admit. “It has taught us the importance of leadership that empowers others, balances oversight with autonomy, and focuses on strategy and vision rather than on being involved in every detail.” 

Leading with empathy also helped them to create a positive working environment. “Maintaining balance between work, family, and community requires intention and a supportive culture,” say Band and Berkowitz. “Beyond our own need for balance, we build strong teams and systems that allow the business to run smoothly while giving our team the space to focus on personal priorities when needed – and encouraging them to do so.” 

Aside from navigating fast growth, another significant challenge was the fact that the company was launched in 2019 and had to recalibrate when the COVID-19 pandemic struck in 2020. Its founders were forced to confront the resulting uncertainty, shifting urban dynamics, and broader societal and economic disruptions that affected drivers and clients. 

“These early challenges taught us resilience, adaptability, and the importance of developing scalable systems and building a business that could support drivers through unpredictable circumstances,” they say. “Over time, we learned that true business achievement isn’t just about growth or expanding reach, it’s about creating opportunities that genuinely empower our drivers. Our journey reinforced a core belief: businesses thrive when people are at the centre, and even challenging times can be transformed into meaningful opportunities for impact.” 

Futureproofing MotionAds by being proactive and implementing a flexible business model allows the team to adapt to challenges and changes. While continuously refining their approach, the partners plan to continue building MotionAds into a leading platform for innovative, socially responsible advertising with measurable impact. “By combining technology, strong systems, and a values-driven culture, we have positioned MotionAds to thrive sustainably, regardless of external changes,” they say. 

Band and Berkowitz aim to expand the opportunities they provide for gig-economy drivers, helping more people to earn with dignity and grow their skills. They also hope to collaborate with more brands and sectors that share their values. 

“We envision continued growth as entrepreneurs who lead with purpose, innovation, and integrity, creating ventures that generate commercial and social value,” they say. “For South Africa, we hope MotionAds serves as a model for how business can be a force for good: driving economic inclusion; supporting informal economies; and fostering a culture where entrepreneurship strengthens communities and creates lasting social change.”