• by Steve McClellan  @mp_mcclellan, October 8, 2014

Publicis Groupe continues to bolster its presence in the fast-growing South Africa market. Its latest moves, disclosed today: the acquisition of three more agencies based in the country. Terms were not disclosed. 

The purchases include branding firm BrandsRock, digital shop Liquorice and Machine, which offers content marketing, PR and other services. 

Both WPP and Publicis Groupe have been acquisitive in South Africa in recent months, amid forecasts that the country will be one of the fastest-growing ad markets. ZenithOptimedia, for example, predicts that South Africa will be the eighth-fastest-growing country between 2013 and 2016.

Earlier this year Publicis bought Johannesburg-based creative agency OwenKessel, media agency Applied Media Logic and search firm Synergize. Recent WPP acquisitions in the market include digital agency Quirk, Cerebra, a strategic marketing firm, and a majority stake in Native, now part of VML.

Publicis said that BrandsRock will become part its Saatchi & Saatchi group in South Africa and is being rebranded Saatchi & Saatchi BrandsRock. Liquorice is being aligned DigitasLBi and offers services including CRM, content creation and search engine marketing.

Machine will be aligned with Publicis Worldwide and rebranded Publcis Machine. Arthur Sadoun, CEO, Publicis Worldwide, described South Africa as a “strategic country for our clients’ business. We are strengthening even further our digital capabilities to be the preferred partner of our clients in their own digital transition.”