FLANCE Directive Creators

PARTNERING WITH THE BEST

FLANCE Directive Creators is an experienced digital marketing agency and brand consultancy that delivers a multidisciplinary service to companies in South Africa, the African continent and further afield. We are very proud of our global footprint, having worked with many multinational brands across various industries.

We provide an array of services to many of these companies. Our key focus is to give businesses access to services, expertise and knowledge that large organisations utilize to grow their market and brand positioning.

FLANCE Directive Creators is a team of highly experienced and trained individuals, having worked in both the creative and corporate sectors. 

Our digital experience not only spans the design and development of websites but extends to the development and management of various large custom web-based platforms with sophisticated back-end functionality. These platforms become integral operational tools that assist businesses with understanding the operations of their business allows for more informed decision making. Supporting the website backbone of digital communications, FLANCE provides support services such as social media management, digital marketing and full reporting and analysis.

Managing Director

Apart from specialised website design and development solutions, FLANCE can provide custom, innovative internal systems for unique business challenges. We also offer management and maintenance services to ensure peak performance.

Helping companies develop custom systems and digital portals

The Lekker Network

From Mzansi to the world > We’re bringing Saffas together.

The Lekker Network is a place for Saffas to connect, share opportunities, and do business together. We are our country’s greatest export. Imagine what we could achieve if we all came together. Hint: It’ll be lekker!

Co-Founder

Trigger

Trigger is a US based Global Outsourcing Partner with operations in South Africa and next generation infrastructure that delivers exceptional quality on every engagement. Trigger focuses on two service delivery pillars: extraordinary human talent and key performance, enhancing technology and aims for flexible, long term partnerships with our clients. To learn more about Trigger’s service offerings, feel free to contact me or visit our website www.TriggerPS.com

Co-Founder - TriggerLink

Podium One

Podium One is a collective of creators, marketers, designers, executives, and former professional athletes on a mission to redefine the world of sports. 

We created Podium One to help professional athletes move into the next stage of their careers by leveraging their influence and experience to establish a vast network that gives them access to unique opportunities through LinkedIn.

We have spent more than a decade mastering the art of personal branding so that we can deliver world-class services to our clients. We are passionate about helping former players turn their influence into opportunities by maximising their personal brand on LinkedIn. 

www.Podium1.co

Digital Animal

The Digital Animal blog was created to help, teach and assist small to medium-sized business owners with the ability to run their own digital marketing.  

The blog provides insights, strategies, and how-to guides that SME owners can use.

Digital Marketing can be easy and we simplify the world of digital marketing for business owners. 

The DA site can be used to navigate and create the optimal digital ecosystem your business needs.

Founder

Audience & Income

Member

Black Marketing - The Dark Art of Social Media Marketing

With 1,800 LinkedIn Recommendations, 100,000 LinkedIn followers, 4 No.1 international best selling books on LinkedIn, an Official LinkedIn Power Profile and an Official Forbes Member writing about LinkedIn and Personal Branding, Black Marketing Founder and Global CEO, Chris J Reed is LinkedIn's No.1 Global LinkedIn Marketing Expert on LinkedIn and created and leads the World No.1 LinkedIn Marketing Firm.

Chris is also one of the most talked about and infamously known as "The Only CEO With A Mohawk", recognised globally by his Mohawk.

Chris achieved notoriety when he was fired from his first job in Singapore for writing a blog about taxi drivers, appearing on the front page of every newspaper and featured in every media outlet. He used this name recognition to build his personal brand and launch Black Marketing.

Chris's Grandad told him that "it's who you know, not what you know" and he use's LinkedIn to accentuate this, meeting people he meets on line, off line all over the world.

Chris loves Singapore so much that he renounced his UK citizenship and is now a fully fledged and very proud Singaporean citizen.

Chris has 4 Official No.1 International Bestselling Books "Personal Branding Mastery For Entrepreneurs", "LinkedIn Mastery For Entrepreneurs" ,"Social Selling Mastery for Entrepreneurs" and his latest "How To Become a LinkedIn Rock Star".

Black Marketing and Chris have won countless industry awards. They are the No.1 Global LinkedIn Marketing Experts with an unprecedented 1,800 LinkedIn Recommendations for their work.

Senior Account Manager

Social Animal

Based in the heart of Cape Town city, Social Animal provides businesses the ability and platforms to showcase their products and services online. The Digital Marketing world is moving at a frightening speed with new updates and changes taking place daily. We have made Digital Marketing our world and we would love for you to be part of it!  We are committed to our clients and they remain at the heart of our business, while helping them grow a strong online presence. Our team consists of strong innovative thinkers who are not afraid to challenge the status quo and push boundaries.

Social Animal specialises in: Google Adwords (Pay Per Click Advertising), Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), Online Marketing services, Inbound Marketing, Social Media Marketing and Management, Content Creation, Website Creation and Optimization.

We achieve what matters the most to YOU: growing audiences, engaging with customers and generating demand. All done while increasing your return on investment

At Social Animal we believe in thinking big, delivering results while having fun in the process. If you are looking for a company that:

Brings the best creative ideas to life, in intriguing and engaging ways
A team that provides relevant, authentic and shareable content for consumers
A strategically sound, result focused, bursting with creativity company- then Social Animal is for you.
The best at innovation are the ones that enhance life in meaningful ways! Allow Social Animal to help Unleash Your Brand!

Owner / Digital Marketing Consultant 

The Media Crowd

The Media Crowd is a team of young and bold media enthusiasts, who love what we do. Our passion for media lies deep within us and is driven by the constant need to create new ideas, creating innovative ways of advertising and fresh methods to spread a message to quench our consumers’ thirst for information and knowledge. 
The Media Crowd boasts versatility as our wide range of abilities allows us to excel on all media platforms, particularly print and digital.

Marketing and Brand Manager

The Callsheet Newspaper

The Callsheet Magazine is seen as the most influential film publication in South Africa. I handled the brand and advertising within the publication. Acquiring new business on a continuous basis and fostering existing relationships. A wonderful experience within a vibrant industry.

Brand Manager

LinkedIn has the power to change your business and life. All you have to do is use it right!

Hi, I’m Renier Lombard – 

One relationship can change everything > Let me show you how to use your LinkedIn Personal Brand to find and attract those relationships.

It’s the superpower many don’t know they have in their arsenal.

I’ve seen the landscape on all platforms change. LinkedIn is no exception. It’s evolved into a powerful tool that many people and companies don’t utilise to its full potential. 

This is understandable as it requires a vast amount of time and energy to visit profiles, create content, invite users to connect, run searches, manage the messages, see who visited your profile, connect with them and much, much more…

With FDC, you don’t have to do any of the above but still reap the rewards.

LinkedIn is a professional landscape with opportunities at your fingertips; all you need is the right team to bring those opportunities to you.

👉  We will build your personal brand, 
👉  Grow your network
👉  Add value for your audience through your content.

With your industry knowledge and our LinkedIn expertise, we'll grow your business from great to the upper-most echelons.

If you'd like to save money and time and still grow your business, LinkedIn's the place to do it.

It is the vehicle to achieve your goals, from talent acquisition to networking, lead generation, investor sourcing and personal brand awareness.

And if you'd like all that the easy way, connect with me, and let's get the conversation rolling.

So get in touch!

📧  Email me at renier@flance.co.za 
🤝   Book a time with me on https://go.oncehub.com/RenierLombard 
💻   To see more, visit https://fdc.agency/linkedin/

Renier Lombard "The Digital Animal"

I'm an unemployable person. 

And I say that with pride.

I started my first business when I was 23, not because I had it all figured out, but because I was fired.

Before that, I would never last more than 6 months in a job.

Not because I was lazy or uncommitted, I just questioned too much.
- I’d call out decisions.
- Challenge processes.
- Argue with bosses about “why we do it this way.”

I couldn’t just sit quietly and follow instructions that made no sense to me.

So eventually, the universe made the decision for me, I got fired.
(P.S, never use your company email to moonlight on the side, rookie mistake)

And that firing turned out to be the best career promotion I’ve ever received.

Since then, I’ve become completely unemployable.

I can’t unsee inefficiency, bureaucracy, or wasted potential.

Entrepreneurship rewires you.
It teaches you ownership, urgency, accountability, and resilience.

Once you’ve lived that way, it’s impossible to go back.

So yes, I’d probably make the worst employee ever.

But I’ve also built a life doing what I love, with people who inspire me, solving problems that matter.

To all the “unemployables” out there, Cheers! Welcome to the club.

You’re not broken. You’re just built differently.

Renier Lombard

One relationship can change your business & life > Let me show you how to use your LinkedIn Personal Brand to find and attract those relationships. | Building in public. Follow to watch us build our agency.

South Africa just ranked 4th most athletically talented country in the world.

Surprised? I’m not.

We’ve been turning backyards into boot camps or cricket fields since forever. We “maak ’n plan,” lace up with whatever we’ve got, and then we win with heart.

What I love most about this ranking (from a global survey of 16,960 people across 36 countries) isn’t the number, it’s what it confirms: our raw potential is ridiculous. 

From township courts to school fields to packed stadiums, we produce world-class athletes because grit is baked into our DNA.

Now imagine we channel that same energy into business, at scale.

Connecting South Africans everywhere - from Joburg to Dubai, Cape Town to London, Sydney to San Diego > turning potential into pipeline.

Where intros become opportunities.
And local talent drives global impact.

Because that’s how we punch above our weight.
-One relationship at a time.
-One door opened for a fellow South African.
-One team win that lifts an entire community.

If you’re part of the South African diaspora, or building right here at home, here’s my challenge:

👉 Tag a South African doing something exceptional (in sport or business).👉 And make one meaningful intro this week.

Let’s keep proving that South Africans don’t just compete > we create momentum. 🌍

Ah, good old Rassie. 💛
You deserve it, man. Enjoy the win. The Boks played phenomenally! 

It was one of those nerve-clenching, pace-the-lounge, shout-at-the-TV kind of games… but hey, a win’s a win! 

Well done to the boys. You damn well earned this one. 

Lekker stuff, lads.

The secret to networking.

Take the time to help someone, without the need to gain. 

I’m talking beyond clients and friends, helping wherever there’s an opportunity to do so. 

Modern-day networking often feels transactional, like we’re connecting with people just because of the potential they have to help us in the future.

But by giving first and providing clear value, we shift the mindset from networking for personal gain to networking with the intent to grow together. 

It’s a subtle but incredibly powerful change that cuts through the impersonal and inauthentic, building genuine, long-lasting relationships. 

I see it all the time.. The most successful people are the most generous with their time, their knowledge, and their support.

Whether it’s sharing experiences, offering advice, or even simply cheering on someone’s achievements - these small acts create ripples. 

Which, in turn, build into waves that elevate your network and lift your personal brand in the process.

So, here’s my challenge for you today: Find one way to help someone.

It might seem small, but I guarantee it will leave a mark. 

“People may not remember what you said, but they will remember how you made them feel.” - Maya Angelou

🔥 This is a BIG moment.

Google is now showing The Lekker Network as a listed resource for the South African community in the USA - right alongside established orgs like SACCUSA. 👀

Specifically:
“A network that hosts local events for South Africans in different cities to connect and share experiences.”

That’s organic recognition.

We didn’t pay for this. We didn’t pitch for this.
We built something that’s real, and Google decided it matters.

Why this matters strategically:

Credibility: We are now seen as an authoritative community platform globally.

Discoverability: Anyone searching for South Africans in the U.S. can now discover TLN.

Proof of traction: Validation that what we’re building is being recognised at scale.

From an idea…
-to a survey…
-to a founding member group…
-to becoming a search-indexed diaspora infrastructure brand.

This is how movements start.
>One validated step at a time.

Lekker things are happening, and we’re just getting started. 🌎

Assumptions kill possibilities. 

We’ve all done it, sent a message, waited.. and then assumed the worst.

In my first year of business, I sent a proposal to someone, waited a few days, and didn’t hear back. So, I assumed they weren’t interested.

In my impatience, I even followed up with a message that basically said as much.

 A few days later, I got a reply.

They told me that a member of their team had fallen ill, and that they’d been dealing with a tough situation. My assumption couldn’t have been further from the truth.

But instead of taking offense, they gave me a piece of advice that stuck with me for life:

“Never fill the silence with your own story.”

That hit me hard. Because when we don’t know what’s going on, our minds love to invent reasons, and most of the time, they’re wrong.

Fast forward to today, I get anywhere from 50 to 100 messages a day.

Some people reach out for opportunities, some for help, some just to connect.

And occasionally, someone will follow up with frustration, assuming I’ve ignored them, or that I’m not interested in helping.

The truth? I’m probably just catching a flight, in back-to-back meetings, or trying to stay on top of 100 other things.

We all have moments when life gets busy.

We all drop a few balls.

But here’s the thing: assumptions don’t just kill conversations, they kill opportunities.

Before you assume, pause.
-Ask.
-Wait.
-Give grace.

Because the world isn’t always as it seems, and the stories we tell ourselves can cost us the relationships and opportunities that matter most.

One of the toughest challenges we've facing building The Lekker Network. 

It’s not the vision.
It’s not the belief.
It’s not even the funding (yet 😅). 

It’s bandwidth.

The Lekker Network is only 8 months old, still a startup by every definition.

A tiny team with a huge mission:

To connect extraordinary South Africans around the world.

To turn proximity into opportunity.
To build a global ecosystem > from Cape Town to London, Sydney to San Diego.

Because of that mission, we’re experiencing something I never truly anticipated:

A massive influx of people trying to help, collaborate, advise, introduce, volunteer, build chapters, and share opportunities.

Which is an absolute blessing, honestly, we’re incredibly grateful.
It means people believe.
It means this matters.

But here’s the hard reality:
The world is big.
The opportunity is big.
And the inbox continues to get bigger.

There are thousands of ideas, requests, and messages coming our way, from incredible humans.

And we want to honour every single one.

But we simply can’t get back to everyone in real time.
Not because we don’t care.
Not because we’re ignoring anyone.

But because…

-Some ideas might not be right for right now
-Some opportunities need more time to execute
-Some messages get buried during 12-hour days of meetings and onboarding

We’re building the plane while flying it, and yes, sometimes we drop a spanner in the clouds.

So this message is a small request:

🙏 If we haven’t been able to get back to you, or there is a delay in action, please don’t take it personally.

Please keep the ideas and energy coming.

And please give us grace as we grow.

We are taking every message seriously.
We are creating the systems to handle the volume.
We will get better and faster.

And the fact that this is one of our biggest challenges?

It tells me something important:
South Africans around the world are ready for this.
And we’re just getting started.🌍

Thanks for being part of the journey.
Thanks for the patience.
Thanks for believing.

Building in public isn’t always polished, but it’s real.
And it’s worth it.

Massive thanks and appreciation to Brent Lindeque 🙌.

Thank you so much for having Nic Latouf and The Lekker Network on the Good Things Guy podcast. 

We’re on a mission, and every opportunity like this helps us spread the word, rally the community, and remind South Africans everywhere what’s possible when we work together. 

The Lekker Network is more than just a community, it’s a space that’s creating massive impact, real change, and incredible opportunities for South Africans across the world. And we see that happening every single day.

Thank you Brent, we really appreciate you shining a light on what we’re building.

Link to the podcast episode in the comments - It's a fantastic listen👌

One intro. Two websites. Four days. A whole new chapter.

Like with most good things, it started with someone reaching out. 

The year was 2014, and a Cape Town freelancer I knew messaged me, “Can you help a mate with two urgent sites... like, done in three days?” 

I’d never built a WordPress site in my life, but I said yes. That mate was Eugene Meyer, the founder of FDC.

I quoted R4,000 per site. He paid the invoice that same day. My brain exploded. 

Then came the reality: three nights of no sleep, begging strangers on Fiverr to help me figure out back-ends, and learning on the fly until both sites shipped in four days. 

It was chaos, but that one “yes” turned into a working relationship… then a decision, why not bundle our strengths and build something bigger together? 

We merged, just two solo okes turning into an actual agency, and that’s how I formally joined FDC. 

Here’s the point: you don’t need 10,000 cold DMs to change your trajectory. You need to be the person people trust enough to recommend, and then overdeliver so the door stays open.

Here's what I've learnt that makes you “referable” in South Africa (and anywhere, really):

Reliability beats hype - Say yes with intent, then do exactly what you said you’d do, especially when it’s uncomfortable. 

Speed is a love language - Momentum creates trust. Short deadlines? Make a plan, move. Four days changed my life. 

Generosity compounds - Share credit. Add value before the invoice. Play the long game, because relationships outlive campaigns. 

If you want more “lucky breaks”, become the person people tag without thinking.

Tag someone who opened a door for you, and tell them why it mattered. Then go be that person for someone else.

Be worth the tag.

Proximity is power.

In business. In life. In growth.

Who you spend time around will quietly shape who you become.

Your energy, your ambition, your habits, they all rise or fall to the level of the people you surround yourself with.

If you spend your time with builders, creators, and doers > you start building, creating, and doing.

If you spend your time with complainers and doubters > you’ll slowly start to sound like them too.

-It’s not just about networking.
-It’s about environment design.

Because your circle either pulls you forward or keeps you still.

So ask yourself:
-Where are you finding your tribe?
-Who are you learning from, collaborating with, and growing alongside?
-Are you intentionally building that around yourself, or just letting it happen by default?

Because at the end of the day, proximity isn’t just power.

It’s direction.
It’s momentum.
It’s the difference between staying the same and evolving into who you’re meant to be.

Exciting News!

It’s a great pleasure to officially welcome John Chan as our Head of Chapter for Australia 🙌

John has been part of The Lekker Network since the very beginning, in fact, I think he was member number 30! From day one, he’s been a true ambassador for what this community stands for.

Based in Sydney, John has now stepped up to lead the Australian Chapter, bringing together the thousands of South Africans who call Australia home. 

We’ll be meeting in person at our upcoming Sydney Meetup, and I couldn’t be more excited to see what John will build with this incredible community down under.

John’s vision is bold, to make Australia one of the most active and impactful chapters within The Lekker Network where South Africans connect, collaborate, and create opportunity together.

Welcome aboard, John.

Let’s make magic happen 👊

I just came across this graph, and how wild is this?

It shows the S&P 500 shooting up while total job openings have been steadily dropping since the launch of ChatGPT.

Now, yes, there are a few nuances here. The economy, inflation, and interest rates all play a role, and correlation doesn’t always mean causation. But still... it’s scary and fascinating to look at.

The scary part?

Jobs aren’t being created at the same rate as before. Whether AI is directly responsible or not, the disruption is already visible. The efficiency gap between those who adopt these tools and those who don’t is widening, fast.

The reality is this: the world is changing faster than ever.

You can either learn to use these tools and move with the change, or risk being left behind by it.

The next 10 > 20 years are going to be absolutely wild, and how we adapt now will define who thrives later.

Sydney here we come!

I'll be there from the 13th of November to the 18th of November, and we’re excited to announce that we’ll be hosting The Lekker Network's first official meetup on Friday, the 14th of November. 

We’ve aiming for about 100 attendees > so if you’re in or around Sydney, thinking about joining The Lekker Network, and want to meet me and some incredible members, send me a Direct Message! 

I'll send you the registration link to join.

It’s a great opportunity to:
> To learn more about The Lekker Network
> Meet other like-minded South Africans and business owners
> See how the network could support your journey
> And of course, enjoy a glass of South African wine, and beer with good company!

It would be fantastic to put some faces to names and share a great evening together.

Super excited for this trip. See you there!

----

P.S. if you can't make it to the meet up and would like to meet in person, send me a direct message and let's see if we can make a plan to meet up.

taplio