Entrepreneurs’ bike branding empowers drivers along the way

“As Jews, we’re a people shaped by resilience. We’re descendants of those who have turned exile into renewal, and struggle into purpose,” said Jonathan Berkowitz, the co-founder of MotionAds on accepting this year’s Eric Ellerine Entrepreneur Award at the Investec Jewish Achiever Awards on 2 November. 

“Every day, I wake up and in every single one of our drivers, I see a reflection of my great-grandfather, Samuel,” said Berkowitz. “I don’t see Tendai, I don’t see Lungu, I don’t see Steve. I see a man who has endured extreme hardship before immigrating to this country, and who works tirelessly to build a better life for his family.” 

Through his work at MotionAds to empower motorcycle drivers to take their future into their own hands, Berkowitz is reminded how his great-grandfather fled Europe at the age of 13, and had to work his way up from nothing so that four generations later, Berkowitz has the privilege and opportunity to use his entrepreneurial skills to help others. 

“After the war, [my grandfather] opened up a shoe shop with my grandmother before later selling insurance. His son, my father, Neville, was born middle class in Durban, and studied auditing. He made the big move to Johannesburg, where he pioneered the field of property economics in South Africa before becoming a property developer and later an entrepreneur. And then me, Jonathan, born into privilege, without a want in the world, and all of life’s opportunities at my feet,” he said. 

This is why six years ago, he and Elan Band came together to found MotionAds, a South African digital advertising company that specialises in mobile and in-car digital screens, offering brands dynamic, high-visibility advertising opportunities. 

Band said that when he decided to step away from a law career, everyone around him saw the potential. “I’ll never forget the moment I first told them about this crazy idea of building MotionAds. They didn’t hesitate for a second. My dad said, ‘You should 100% do this. You’ve got this all the way,’” Band said. 

Although Berkowitz and Band started MotionAds six years ago, Berkowitz said it felt like it was just the beginning, “with an entire ecosystem that we’re building for drivers to access financial services, insurance, discounted phones, data shopping, vouchers, and everything that they need to continue to power their micro enterprises on two wheels”. 

“The thing I’m most proud of with MotionAds is the thousands of drivers we empower every month, giving them a fair shot at making it in this world. It’s a real impact, and the sort of opportunity that I could only wish that my great-grandfather, Samuel, had,” Berkowitz said. 

“There’s so much negativity and pessimism floating around about South Africa, but our story represents opportunity. It’s about being enterprising and seeing possibilities where others see challenges,” said Band. “It all started with a simple idea from two boys from Linksfield. Through work and belief, we turned that idea into a reality. And we’re so lucky to have this community that we can learn from.”