The 21st edition of the annual Sunday Times GenNext Awards held at The Empire Conference & Events Venue in Johannesburg on 23 October, saw Nike crowned as the Coolest Brand Overall in a retrospective look at the performance of brands over the last ten years. Apple and Samsung secured second and third place respectively.
The annual Sunday Times GenNext survey is considered the leading barometer of what South Africa’s youth find on-trend and aspirational, delivering insights that are valued by brand management and advertising and marketing professionals alike.
“As we celebrate 21 years of the Sunday Times GenNext Awards, we reflect on the incredible journey of understanding and engaging with South Africa’s youth. Their changing preferences have consistently guided marketers, brand managers, and product developers in shaping strategies that resonate with the next generation.
Movement to empower brands
“GenNext has become more than just a campaign – it’s a movement that empowers brands to stay relevant. Arena Holdings and the Sunday Times are proud to continue championing this initiative, and we look forward to the next chapter in this dynamic story,” says Lyndon Barends, MD of strategic partnerships and events at Arena Holdings.
This year’s results were compiled using data from the Sunday Times GenNext Coolest Brands reports published between 2015 and 2024, offering a decade-long view of youth sentiment. The research focused on the top five brands in each category, providing a comprehensive snapshot of evolving preferences among South Africans aged 8 to 30.
Supplement in Sunday Times on Sunday
In addition to being celebrated as the Overall Coolest Brand of the past decade, Nike was also named winner in three additional categories: Coolest Brand Slogan (“Just do it”), Coolest Clothing Brand, and Coolest Shoe/Footwear Brand.
Winners in entertainment and celebrity categories of the ten-year retrospective include Metro FM (Coolest Radio Station), Siya Kolisi (Coolest local Sportsperson), and Black Coffee (Coolest Local DJ).
The Sunday Times GenNext supplement will be published in the Sunday Times on 26 October 2025. Herewith the full list of 2025 Sunday Times GenNext Award winners across 63 categories of the ten-year retrospective:
| Category | 2025 Winners |
| Coolest Overall Brand | Nike (Winner), Apple (2nd), Samsung (3rd) |
| Coolest Bank | FNB |
| Coolest Advertising Medium | YouTube |
| Coolest Birthday Wishlist | Money |
| Coolest Brand Slogan | Just do it’ (Nike) |
| Coolest Brand that Cares about my Community | Gift of the Givers |
| Coolest Breakfast Cereal | Kelloggs Corn Flakes |
| Coolest Cell Phone Brand | Samsung |
| Coolest Cartoon Show | Tom and Jerry |
| Coolest Chewing Gum | Tie: Orbit & Stimorol |
| Coolest Chocolate | Tie: Bar One & Nestlé KitKat |
| Coolest Clothing Brand | Nike |
| Coolest Clothing Store | Mr Price |
| Coolest Cold Drink | Coca-Cola |
| Coolest College | Rosebank College |
| Coolest Company | Apple |
| Coolest Computer | Samsung |
| Coolest Daily Newspaper | Daily Sun |
| Coolest Dairy Drink | Nestlé Hot Chocolate |
| Coolest Destination | Gold Reef City |
| Coolest Deodorant -Male | Nivea Men |
| Coolest Deodorant -Female | Playgirl |
| Coolest Domestic Airline | SAA (South African Airways) |
| Coolest Energy Drink | Red Bull |
| Coolest Fast Food Place | McDonald’s |
| Coolest Feminine Hygiene Product | Always |
| Coolest Food Delivery App | Uber Eats |
| Coolest Grocery Store | Woolworths Food |
| Coolest Hair Care Product | Dark & Lovely |
| Coolest Hot Beverage | MILO |
| Coolest Hotel | Protea Hotels |
| Coolest Ice Cream | Magnum |
| Coolest Kids TV Channel | Cartoon Network |
| Coolest Local Entertainment Place | Tie: Gold Reef City & Sun City |
| Coolest Make-up Brand | Avon |
| Coolest Motor Vehicle | Mercedes-Benz |
| Coolest Radio Station | Metro FM |
| Coolest Restaurant/Eat out Place | Spur |
| Coolest Shoe/Footwear Brand | Nike |
| Coolest Local Sportsperson | Siya Kolisi |
| Coolest Petrol Station | Engen |
| Coolest Coffee Shop | Mugg & Bean |
| Coolest Insurance Company | Old Mutual |
| Coolest Local DJ | Black Coffee |
| Coolest Loyalty Programme | Shoprite Xtra Savings |
| Coolest Online Influencer | Somizi Mhlongo |
| Coolest Public Transport | Uber |
| Coolest Shopping Mall | Mall of Africa |
| Coolest Skincare Product | Nivea |
| Coolest Snack | Doritos |
| Coolest Soap Bar | Dove |
| Coolest Social Media Platform | |
| Coolest Specialist Health, Beauty & Accessory Store | Clicks |
| Coolest Stationery Store | CNA |
| Coolest Streaming Platform | Netflix |
| Coolest Sweet | Tie: Jelly Tots & Pin Pop |
| Coolest Telecoms Provider | Vodacom |
| Coolest Tinned Food | KOO |
| Coolest Toothpaste | Colgate |
| Coolest Toy Store | Toys R Us |
| Coolest TV Channel | TRACE Urban |
| Coolest University | University of Cape Town |
| Coolest Weekly Newspaper | Sunday Times |
