ABOUT US
DELIVERING DIGITAL SOLUTIONS
WHO WE ARE
Thrive Online Group UK is a full-service agency, delivering digital marketing solutions in Nottingham. With agency offices in both Nottingham and Cape Town, South Africa—and a reach that extends to remote digital advertising for clients in Australia—we focus on creating and delivering the very best digital solutions to build brands online. We partner with you to craft a custom digital presence that not only elevates your brand but also drives tangible business results.
We are a full-service digital marketing agency that crafts online design, shapes digital strategy and drives brand impact. Whether it is designing, developing, and building our clients online assets, or driving ROI from digital media and strategy, such as Pay-Per-Click advertising, Search Engine Optimisation or Direct Marketing, Thrive Online Group UK delivers results for our clients.
Our USP:
We account manage our clients onshore in the operating territory but run our digital operations out of our head office in Cape Town, South Africa. This structure gives us a distinct competitive advantage in the UK… We deliver expert digital solutions and marketing campaigns at a very competitive cost to client, whilst achieving exceptional results and driving real value from all our work.
Our Group business experience is over 15 years in the market, working with medium-sized to blue-chip companies, on a national and multinational basis, including South Africa, Australia and the UK.
OUR VISION
OUR VISION
Thrive Online Groups vision in the UK is to deliver innovative, full service digital marketing solutions that empower our clients digital marketing and build solutions that deliver real value.
At Thrive Online Group, we believe in forward thinking and innovation, employing some of the best digital experts as part of our team and growing the next generation of digital creators. As part of the UK business growth, we believe in investing in the local community and will be actively investing in and expanding our UK operations, whilst still driving our USP… Delivering value to our clients through our South African senior operational core.
Thrive Online Group UK is here to build long-term business relationships, work with our clients in the most impactful way and always deliver high-quality work that has been entrusted to us.
Our Approach
WORK THAT REFLECTS OUR CLIENTS VISION
Every client has a different vision for their digital success. We work with our clients to understand their strategy and goals and then develop the best digital solution, realising the required outcome at the best value.
A consultative approach has always been key to our success in all our work, and we understand that every client and every brief will be different. We work as a multinational team, matching the right people to the right client. We value our client relationships, nurturing and building on our successes together.
With strategic staff in both the United Kingdom and South Africa, our clients will have a team that can think differently, create new and innovative solutions within local markets, and help our clients’ digital marketing stand out from the crowd.
MEET THE MANAGEMENT TEAM
England born and South African raised, Mark has returned home to set up our UK offices. With 20 years in the marketing and media sales industry, at Senior Executive and Board levels, Mark has a wealth of experience in launching and building successful agency businesses. Having worked for some of the largest media businesses in Sub-Saharan Africa, with exposure to many national and international brands, he will be the driving force behind our UK office and our clients main contact point. You can find Mark at the cricket pitch most weekends either supporting his family or playing himself, he has a love for good coffee and scotch whisky…. and a well pulled pint.
MARK FUTCHER
UK EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Born and schooled in England, Edward graduated from the University of Cape Town in Economics and Political Studies. He spent 25 years in Advertising and Sports Marketing working on International brands such as Cadbury’s, Colgate, Xerox, Unisys, Bosch and global sports brands Manchester United, Springbok Rugby and the FIFA World Cup.In 2010 Edward launched Thrive Online with Grant and Curtis focusing on Digital Lead Generation in South Africa expanding into Australia and now into the UK market with Mark. His passion is yoga, walking the beautiful False Bay landscape and enjoying the fantastic wines of the Cape.
EDWARD LINDSAY-BOWMAN
GROUP EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Grant has spent more than 30 years in the Direct and Sponsorship Marketing industries, including Readers Digest, Old Mutual Direct, as well as managing one of the largest international affiliate programs Referback. For the last 16 years he’s specialised in Digital Marketing.Based on their strong insights into Financial Services, Grant, Curtis and Edward originally focused on Blue Chip FS clients when launching Thrive Online and have since moved into other categories such as Leisure, B2B, and the Wine industry. Thrive now has varied clients in SA, Australia and England.Grant spends his leisure time with his family or fly fishing in the mountains of South Africa or its fantastic oceans.
GRANT LAUBSCHER
GROUP EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Curtis started in the online gaming industry in 2000 working in the US, UK and European markets for 6 years where he cut his teeth on digital performance marketing. With a focus on ROI he moved IOL to apply his skills in the South African Publisher environment.In 2006 he started his own Agency working with Motoring, Cellular and Financial services clients. Having previously worked with Edward and Grant The Trio teamed up in 2010 to form Thrive Online Group, leveraging their experience in performance marketing in global markets. Curtis enjoys the outdoors and spends his free time touring Southern Africa and camping with his family.
CURTIS BANTJES
GROUP EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Victor heads up all things Google at Thrive Online Group. With a resume that’s seen action from customer service in the early days to senior account management, he has weathered all the storms of digital marketing for over 15 years. His journey in mastering digital began at the Institute of Marketing Management (IMM-GSM), where he clinched a BBA in Marketing Management. He also acquired certifications from the University of Stellenbosch Business School (USB) and Quirk eMarketing amongst others. The digital world waits for no one, and Victor keeps us ahead of the curve with a keen grasp of analytics, e-commerce, and the ever-evolving realms of performance marketing.
VICTOR GELDENHUYS
HEAD OF GOOGLE OPERATIONS
Michelle studied Graphic Design at CPUT, thereafter starting her creative journey as a print designer in a creative studio before joining Independent Newspapers. During her time there, she dove into the digital world just as the internet was taking off in South Africa. She moved over to IOL where she eventually headed up the design team. In 2011 she joined the team at Thrive, heading up all creative work as well as managing Thrive's development projects. She loves crafting creative solutions to match a brand's voice, designing with purpose, always sticking to the principle of form following function. Off the clock, she'll be spending time with her family and diving into all manner of creative and crafty endeavours.
MICHELLE HAYWARD
HEAD OF CREATIVE
Celeste holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and diplomas in Software Testing and Montessori Preschool Teaching. With several years in the IT environment, as well as in digital marketing and software testing, she has built a career where she is known for her organizational skills and ability to structure complex projects efficiently. As a Traffic Manager, Celeste optimizes workflows and ensures smooth project execution while fostering a supportive team environment. In her free time, Celeste enjoys ultramarathon running, spending time with her husband and teenage sons, and connecting with nature.
CELESTE CRAWFORD
HEAD OF TRAFFIC
Working with Thrive Online Group UK in building our new website has been a real pleasure. They have guided us from start to finish and have delivered on all aspects of the project. I would highly recommend using them for their digital services. – Russell O’Keeffe, CEO O’Keeffe Building services Limited
Russell O'Keeffe
O'Keeffe Building Services“I have worked with the Thrive team for over 15 years and when it came to launching our new venture Sea Dream Charters in the Whitsundays, Australia they were the obvious digital partmer of choice says Grant Elliott, Manging Director.
They built our bespoke website and since launch in October 2023 we have achieved our first year targets in 6 months utilising Search, Social and SEO managed by the Thrive team.
“Understanding Thrive is based in Cape Town and we are in Australia, the working partnership is one of trust and performance driven focus and I would be happy to refer them to other companies looking for a digital partner, says Grant”
Grant Elliot
SeaDream ChartersI've had the pleasure of partnering with Thrive Online for our digital marketing needs. Their expertise in developing and managing our campaigns across Google, social media, and email has been valuable.
Thrive Online's team has consistently demonstrated a deep understanding of digital marketing, which has been evident in the development of our campaigns. Their strategic approach to campaign development, coupled with their experience with digital marketing tactics, has enhanced our online presence and engagement.
The partnership with Thrive Online has been really positive. Their professionalism, creativity, and dedication to our digital campaigns have exceeded our expectations. It's clear that they are not just a service provider but a committed partner in driving success.
I highly recommend Thrive Online to any organization looking to elevate their digital marketing efforts.
Nelson Camara
Alula Technologies“Working with Thrive Online Group UK continues to be a great experience for NOVA Centurion. We entrusted them with the complete redesign and build of our new website. Their team produced an online presence that exceeded our expectations. Understanding the brief, the timelines and the goals, they managed to ensure that the outcome hit and beat all the key targets.
Based on the trust that has been built, NOVA Centurion continues to work with Thrive Online Group UK as our go-to-agency for our further digital design and digital projects.
Well done Thrive Online Group UK, it’s a pleasure working with you."
Michelle Parkins
Nova CenturionI recently referred a piece of work to Thrive Online Group, and I can’t recommend them enough! Their team is incredibly professional, responsive, and always ready to support your business needs. Whether it's digital marketing, website development, or SEO strategies, they deliver results that truly make a difference.
What I appreciate the most is their personalized approach—they really take the time to understand your goals and tailor their services to fit your needs. The communication is always clear, particularly to a non-technical person.
If you're looking to grow your online presence and drive real results, I definitely suggest it's worth talking with Thrive Online Group
