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Blu Dot surpasses 2,000% ROAS with self-serve CTV ads
Home furniture brand Blu Dot blew up on CTV with help from Roku Ads Manager. Here’s how:
After a test campaign reached 211,000 households and achieved 1,010% ROAS, the brand went all in to promote its annual sales event. It removed age and income constraints to expand reach and shifted budget to custom audiences and retargeting, where intent was strongest.
The results speak for themselves. As Blu Dot increased their investment by 10x, ROAS jumped to 2,308% and more page-view conversions surpassed 50,000.
“For CTV campaigns, Roku has been a top performer,” said Claire Folkestad, Paid Media Strategist, Blu Dot. “Comping to our other platforms, we have seen really strong ROAS… and highly efficient CPMs, lower than any other CTV partner we've worked with.”
Using Roku Ads Manager, the campaign moved from a pilot to a permanent performance engine for the brand.
Africa’s daily intelligence on business, policy and power—what changed, what it means and what to watch next.
OPENING SIGNAL
Mining tycoon Neal Froneman targets $402m formula 1 circuit in South Africa
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Sibanye-Stillwater CEO Neal Froneman has announced a $402 million commercial proposal to convert 600 hectares of his private farmland in Swartland, Western Cape, into a Grade 1 international motorsport venue capable of hosting Formula 1 and MotoGP Grand Prix events.
The private consortium’s pre-feasibility design leverages proximity to Cape Town's hospitality infrastructure, the N7 transport corridor, and planned rail linkages to re-establish South Africa on the global racing calendar for the first time since 1993. Beyond driving regional tourism, project projections estimate the multi-use development could generate 15,000 permanent operational jobs and an additional 8,000 temporary positions during major race weeks.
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BUSINESS · DEFENSE TECHNOLOGY & MANUFACTURING
German Defense Giant Plans South African Production Line for Drone Bomb
Establishing a dedicated assembly line next year through its local RDM unit, Rheinmetall plans commercial manufacturing of its 15 km-range LongClaw precision munition to equip tactical military drone fleets across global markets.
POLICY · BILATERAL DIPLOMACY & TRADE
Indonesia and Nigeria Deepen $3 Billion Economic Partnership Across 550 Million Consumer Market
Strengthening cross-continental commercial links between Southeast Asia and West Africa, Jakarta and Abuja are expanding trade agreements in energy feedstocks, agricultural processing, and local manufacturing facilities.
POWER · GULF INVESTMENT & MACROECONOMICS
Egypt Seeks Expanded Qatari Capital Allocations for Real Estate and Infrastructure Projects
Targeting Gulf sovereign wealth support to ease foreign exchange constraints, Cairo is advancing investment talks with Doha to direct capital toward high-yield real estate developments and coastal logistics hubs.
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AS OF APPROX. 11:30 WAT, OCT 3, 2026 · BUSINESS INSIDER AFRICA MARKETS
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ENERGY TRANSITION & PETROLEUM LOGISTICS
While the world shifts from fossil fuels to EVs, Africa's richest man is building a $16bn refinery in a country that barely produces oil
Aliko Dangote's $16 billion investment in a 700,000-barrel-per-day refinery in Lamu, Kenya, highlights a strategic bet that East Africa's energy transition will lag behind advanced economies. With local Kenyan fuel consumption insufficient to absorb total output, the megaproject relies on supplying neighbor states—including Uganda, Ethiopia, Rwanda, and South Sudan—where growing industrialization and commercial transport maintain robust long-term refined petroleum demand.
THE AFRICA ANGLE: Energy traders and fleet operators should prepare for shifts in regional supply chains as East Africa transitions from European refined imports to regional refinery sourcing.
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Aligned shows you what buyers are doing between meetings inside your most important deals then surfaces the risks, openings, and next steps. No more guessing where a deal stands or finding out a champion went quiet too late. Just real visibility, so you can act before it's too late.
EXECUTIVE TRIVIA HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW AFRICAN BUSINESS? One quick question on African business, economics, policy or corporate history. Choose an answer below and see immediately if you are right. |
Which South African executive recently proposed a $402 million plan to build a Formula 1 circuit on his private farmland?
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