The first-ever South African Voice-Over Awards is taking place on Saturday at the Indaba Hotel in Fourways, Johannesburg. The awards recognise exceptional talent across 21 categories, ranging from commercial performances and audiobook narration to e-learning and multilingual work.
Beyond the categories, the awards also aim to highlight challenges facing the voice-over industry, including the need for regulation and greater recognition.
Founder of the awards, Sinemivuyo Mpulu, said they mark the beginning of bigger developments for the industry. “The power of voice is about more than just having a deep voice – it’s about personifying characters, bringing stories to life and being a conduit for justice. “It is also about standing up for yourself and vocalising the necessity for regulation of our industry,” he added.
Kavesan Pillay, professionally known as voice artist Kav, is one of the finalists. An international award-winning voice-over artist, actor, corporate MC and professional keynote speaker, he has a decade of experience breathing life into brand stories.
With a string of performance credits to his name – including representing South Africa South Africa at IMTA (NewYork, 2022), winning seven acting awards and voicing over 40 radio commercials on EastCoastRadio, LotusFM and Hindvani Radio – Pillay has helped move hearts and minds across various projects locally and abroad, spanning several diverse genres of voice-over, including: radio commercials, social media, e-learning, brand films, on-hold messaging and in-store announcements.
Backed by an MBA with over a decade’s experience as a senior communications and brand marketing specialist, Pillay fuses strategy with soul, turning scripts into stories that truly connect and convert, while delighting clients with service excellence. His signature vocal style is versatility blended with warmth, charisma and emotional depth.
