The Media Online’s weekly column delivering news of award wins, entries, competitions, dates to note and winners in the media industry.
Monalisa Zwambila of The Riverbed Agency wins Santam Women of the Future award
The winners of the eighth annual Santam Women of the Future Awards in association with FAIRLADY and TRUELOVE were announced on Friday.
The three winners were selected from a shortlist of nine finalists by a distinguished panel of judges: Professor Thuli Madonsela, Chair in Social Justice at Stellenbosch University and founder of the Social Justice M-Plan and Thuma Foundation; Phuthi Mahanyele-Dabengwa, CEO of Naspers South Africa; Dawn Nathan-Jones, entrepreneur and CEO of Over the Rainbow; Enid Lizamore, Executive Head of Human Resources at Santam; Suzy Brokensha, FAIRLADY editor-in-chief; and TRUELOVE editor-in-chief Makhosazana ‘Khosi’ Zwane-Siguqa.
Santam’s many years of supporting women in business in South Africa have given the company valuable insight into the potential pitfalls of the entrepreneurial journey.
Mokaedi Dilotsotlhe, chief marketing officer at Santam, said: “The challenges and prejudices that women face compel them to be innovative and to forge a strong path. Santam would like to lend a helping hand to these women of the future by creating opportunities for them and supporting them in their quest for success. It has been proven many times that women have immense strength and power to make a difference in the world.”
Monalisa Sibongile Zwambila of The Riverbed Agency was named the 2022 Santam Woman of the Future (awarded to an entrepreneur whose business is more than 1 000 days old). The Riverbed Agency is a woman-owned advertising and marketing agency that provides integrated communications services to blue-chip and global clients.
Janna Kretzmar of EarthChild Project was named the 2022 Santam Social Entrepreneur (awarded to an entrepreneur who is making a real difference in her community). EarthChild Project offers complementary education to under-resourced schools in Khayelitsha and Lavender Hill in Cape Town, with a focus on the environment, health and life skills.
Amahle Ntshinga of Luntu was named the 2022 Santam Rising Star (awarded to an entrepreneur who is still within her first 1 000 days of business). Luntu is a conscious online store that sources products from suppliers who come from marginalised groups.
“These winners make me so proud, not only because of the excellent businesses and organisations they’ve founded, but also because of the enormous energy they’re putting into making our country work,’ said Brokensha. “These are all really innovative ideas, and it’s a pleasure to reward the women who have seen them through.”
AdFocus finalists announced
The AdFocus Awards 2022 shortlist has been determined. Commenting on this year’s judging process, Faheem Chaudhry, partner & MD of M&C Saatchi Abel and this year’s AdFocus Awards chairperson reveals that, “The final round of judging was a day of robust debate, discussion and analysis.”
“Despite global macro challenges, local economic challenges, and a fair number of industry challenges, the top agencies demonstrated how they were able to imagine, innovate and ultimately grow their businesses and those of their clients dramatically,” he says.
The finalists for the 2022 AdFocus Awards are:
Small Agency of the Year
- Duke
- Rapt Creative
- Think Creative
Medium Agency of the Year
No finalists are announced for this category as there was a clear winner significantly ahead that will be announced on the night.
Large Agency of the Year
- Grey
- Joe Public United
- M&C Saatchi Abel
- TBWA Hunt Lascaris
- VMLY&R
Public Relations Agency of the Year
- Eclipse Communications
- Magna Carta Reputation Management Consultants
- Razor PR – an M&C Saatchi company
Specialist Agency of the Year
- Levergy – M&C Saatchi Sports & Entertainment
- MscSports
Group of the Year
- M&C Saatchi Abel Group
- TBWA Group
Partnership of the Year
- Joe Public United & Nedbank
- TBWA South Africa & MTN
- TBWA South Africa & Spar
African Impact Award
- Grey
- TBWA South Africa
Adaptability
- Grey
- Happy Friday
Transformation Award
- Nahana Communications Group
- Yellowwood
There were no category finalists in the Digital Agency of the Year or Independent Media Agency of the Year as the jury felt that no entrants met the minimum threshold. As a result, no awards will be given in these categories this year.
According to Chaudhry, “The rate of growth some agencies enjoyed was exceptional, as was the level of the product being produced by them while their efforts to drive transformation, diversity and inclusion through their organisations was admirable.” What was also very encouraging, he adds, was the massive increase in entries this year, further proving just how good a year some agencies had, despite challenging conditions.
Shoprite SA app wins MTN Business App of the year award and R1 million cash
Both the public and private sectors responded swiftly to the pandemic-induced pressures and, embracing the challenge, worked to broaden the base of digital services available to the benefit of thousands of South Africans. But for millions across the country, the digital divide still exists, says Kholofelo Magagane, head of marketing at MTN Business.
“We are proud that we are able to play a pivotal role in changing thinking about ICT competencies. Our aim with the MTN Business App of the Year is to create a tech-first developer ecosystem by recognising and rewarding the talent that will build a new future for our continent,” said Magagane.
The winner was the Shoprite app, designed to meet the needs of customers across multiple areas, including banking with the launch of South Africa’s lowest cost bank account. Their embedded banking app embodies the principles of simplicity, accessibility, affordability, relevancy and financial inclusion. As a no frills, no fuss app, data usage for customers is minimised. To-date, over two million retail customers have signed up.
When considering the 548 million registered fintech accounts in the sub-Saharan region, the potential for technology to help leapfrog societal and economic differences is clear. Of these registered accounts, more than 150 million are active monthly. This means that 43% of active mobile money accounts worldwide, including MTN’s own MoMo, exist on our doorstep, Magagane said, speaking at the 2022 MTN App of the Year Awards in Johannesburg this evening.
Fifteen of the very best coders, tech enthusiasts, students, start-ups and lesser-known app developers were recognised in the 11th Annual MTN Business App of the Year Awards with R1-million rewarded to the grand prize winner.
Clicks ClubCard wins big at SA Loyalty Awards
The iconic Clicks ClubCard loyalty programme has been awarded ‘Best short-term loyalty marketing campaign’ and ‘Best use of multi-channel loyalty communication’ at the South African Loyalty Awards, announced last night. ClubCard was also highly commended in the ‘Best loyalty retail programme’ and ‘Best long-term programme’ categories.
The South African Loyalty Awards, now in their fourth year, celebrate loyalty excellence and innovation. They are the loyalty industry’s most coveted awards rewarding excellence, benchmarked against international standards and measurable results.
The oldest retail loyalty programme in South Africa, Clicks ClubCard has been loved and supported by South Africans for more than 27 years, delivering consistent long-term value to its loyal customers. It is one of the most used loyalty programmes with over 9.7 million members, growing by 600 000 new members in the last year alone. Since its inception, the programme has paid more than R5.5 billion in cashback spend.
The reason for its sustained growth and longevity is the programme’s transparency, simplicity and easily redeemable rewards, believes Clicks Head of Marketing, Dr Melanie van Rooy.
“Compared to most reward programmes, it is very easy to earn – and redeem – rewards via Clicks ClubCard. This convenience, coupled with value and differentiation, remain highly relevant to today’s consumer,” she says.
The programme’s wide range of affinity partners including Engen, Discovery Vitality, eBucks, Sorbet, ARC Store and Specsavers, amongst others, are selected based on a deep understanding of customers’ needs through insight and data analytics and how much value they add to customers’ lives.
The AIBs 2022 shortlist revealed; Gala host is Rana Rahimpour
The shortlist for the AIBs 2022 – the 18th annual international competition for journalism and factual productions across TV, radio, and digital platforms – has been published. Work from 60 companies in 19 countries is represented in this year’s contest, in a wide range of languages.
A panel of judges spread across five continents is now evaluating the shortlisted work in 19 categories. Their results will be announced at the gala evening taking place in London on 11 November 2022. This will be the first live, in-person AIBs gala for three years, and bookings for the event are being made from across the world.
The host of this year’s AIBs is Rana Rahimpour, senior presenter at BBC News Persian. Rana is an Iranian-British journalist who has lived in exile in Britain since 2008. She joined BBC News Persian as a reporter and has covered stories from Iran in both English and Persian. From the violent suppression of Iran’s Green movement in 2009 by the authorities to Iran’s nuclear talks, and from the devastating effect of Covid-19 to the recent nationwide unrest across the country, Rana has been one of the main faces covering Iran for the BBC.
Neo Mahlangu is curator for 2023 Design Indaba Emerging Creatives programme
Neo ‘Nene’ Mahlangu, a multidisciplinary visual artist and entrepreneur based in Johannesburg, has been announced as the curator for the 2023 Design Indaba Emerging Creatives programme. The former Emerging Creative from 2018 has designed two R2 coins for the South African Mint, exhibited her art internationally, and worked as the lead visual artist for Grammy award-winning DJ and producer Black Coffee’s Hï Ibiza residency. Find out more about her here. @NeneMahlangu
SABC Video Entertainment receives four nominations at Content Innovation Awards
SABC Video Entertainment has announced that it has received four nominations at this year’s Content Innovation Awards.
The four programmes are nominated in the categories of Series Launch of The Year (Classic Celebrations), Reality Show of The Year (Taste Master SA), Competition Show of The Year (The Coolest OG’s) and Entertainment Format of The Year (The Insider SA).
Congratulations to Cardova Productions and Rebelintown Productions for the nominations. The awards will take place on 15 November 2022 in London.
WPP agencies shine at the 2022 Loeries Awards
WPP has announced that its agencies in South Africa have won 40 awards in this year’s Loeries Awards. Three additional awards were won by WPP agencies across Africa, making WPP the holder of the largest number of finalists and winners of any company in the region. This included a Grand Prix award won by Ogilvy Africa in Kenya for their Lesso Lessons campaign for Roto and Kenya’s Ministry of Health.
The awards for South African WPP agencies saw Ogilvy SA win 25 awards including seven golds, four silvers, 10 bronze and four craft certificates; Grey Africa pick up eight awards including three gold, one silver, two bronze and two craft certificates; and VMLY&R South Africa receive seven awards including two golds, three silvers and two bronze.
The award-winning work included Grey’s campaigns for Distell’s Savanna and VMLY&R’s Anti-Hijack Ads campaign for Vodacom, which used ad space on mapping app WAZE to help drivers avoid hijacking hotspots on South Africa’s roads. Ogilvy Africa walked away with a Grand Prix for its Lesso Lessons campaign for Roto and the Kenyan Ministry of Health, turning the lessos of mothers in media-dark regions into guides in postnatal nutritional care.
Tebogo Skwambane, country manager of WPP in South Africa, said: “Creativity is at the heart of what we do, so we are delighted to have so much of our work and agencies recognised by the Loeries Awards this year. We are proud of all the exceptional creative work that our agencies and talented people have produced over the past year, delivering transformational growth for our clients. I would like to congratulate all Loeries winners and our WPP agencies in South Africa.”
FCB Joburg takes the only SA Loerie Grand Prix Award
Coming out of the premier Loeries Awards, FCB Joburg was one of the highly awarded agencies for the 2-day event, snatching awards across multiple categories. FCB Joburg was also the only South African creative agency to win the Molefi Thulo Grand-Prix in the Radio and Audio category for The Coca-Cola BeatCan Campaign. In addition to winning one of the most coveted Loerie awards, the agency was awarded 2 Golds, 4 Bronze and a Craft Certificate for the Coca-Cola BeatCan campaign, as well as a Silver Loerie for Digital Youth ICT Academy at the 2022 Loeries Awards.
FCB Joburg shone bright at this year’s Loeries Awards receiving a total of eight awards including the most prestigious award of the evening: the Grand Prix. The Loeries are widely considered the highest accolade agencies and brands can receive, recognising creative excellence in the advertising and brand communication industry across Africa and Middle East region.
Wunderman Thompson SA named finalist in the Business Culture Awards
“At Wunderman Thompson SA, we’re committed to actively building a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace where people are treated with dignity and respect. We work to inspire growth for ambitious people, so when we were named a finalist of the ‘Leading with Purpose for Business Culture’ category, we were elated,” expressed agency Chief People Officer Unati Moalusi.
The international Business Culture Awards is a platform that recognises and celebrates forward-thinking organisations that enable their employees to succeed and shape employee engagement for greater business performance.
Moalusi added, “The shortlisting is significant in that the war for talent continues to rise and being acknowledged as a people-centric business is needed now more so than ever.”
Agency CEO Miles Murphy said, “Our work this year is a testament to our genuine intention to be an employer of choice. This recognition amplifies our workplace culture as a true differentiator and will serve the agency further to attract, retain and develop our talent.”
2022 Eat Out Woolworths Restaurant Awards to feature the unique talents of eight of SA’s finest chefs
South Africa’s biggest restaurant awards are back after two years, and the judges have traversed the country to uncover the best places to dine. Their verdicts will be announced at the Eat Out Woolworths Restaurant Awards at the Grand Arena in Cape Town on 20 November 2022.
The event has become a culinary highlight unto itself. The food served at the Eat Out Awards aims to capture the essence of fine dining in South Africa and has delighted hundreds of guests over the years. Cooking at this year’s anticipated ceremony will be some of South Africa’s leading chefs, educators and innovation specialists. Each of these chefs was chosen not only for their passion, technical skills and expertise but also for how they are helping to motivate, develop and improve the South African food industry.
Chief judge Abigail Donnelly says: “This year, we want to keep the menu simple, with a focus on local flavours that I’ve discovered throughout my judging experience this year. All the ingredients will be supplied by Woolworths, who champion quality, freshness and flavour. It will be a celebration of South African homegrown chefs and South African ingredients, while acknowledging different regional styles of eating – from Gauteng to KwaZulu-Natal to the Western Cape. And we also want to shine a spotlight on young up-and-coming chefs who are cooking incredible food.”
The 2022 awards have also been a dream partnership with headline sponsor Woolworths, who offer the kind of sustainably farmed, high-quality fresh produce and ingredients that allows South Africans to create restaurant-quality dishes at home.
BPESA Alchemy Awards 2022: Showcasing South Africa’s GBS Talent
Business Process Enabling South Africa (BPESA), in partnership with InvestSA and Harambee, is set to celebrate and reinforce South Africa’s global standing as the most favoured offshore customer experience (CX) delivery location at its annual global business services (GBS) investor conference and industry awards in Umhlanga from 8 to 10 November.
To date, many regional and global companies have established and expanded their operations and service support through to South Africa. KwaZuluNatal has seen the highest growth across regions, making it the ideal location for such a high-profile event. Delegates participating in the three-day conference will have the unique opportunity to engage with local and international industry leaders across various sectors, from technology and communications to financial services, legal and healthcare, to name a few.
Productive networking opportunities, engaging talks and thought-provoking panel discussions, workshops and masterclasses will offer attendees insights into the latest global trends and best practices that are propelling the local and global industry forward. This annual gathering is the perfect opportunity to showcase the country’s abundant talent and expansive operational capabilities and expertise.
The event culminates in a celebration of the country’s world-class talent at the BPESA Alchemy Awards Banquet, running under the theme of SA’s Got GBS Talent.
For more information, visit the website.
