The Media Online’s weekly column delivering news of award wins, entries, competitions, dates to note and winners in the media.
AME’s David Tiltmann awarded Media Executive of the Year
African Media Entertainment Group Chief Executive David Tiltmann has been awarded the prestigious Media Executive of the Year (Male) title at the Broadcast Media Awards – Southern Africa 2025.
Tiltmann’s win acknowledges more than four decades of service to South African media, marked by a combination of commercial performance and deep public-service commitment.
His career has included transforming Algoa FM into one of the country’s most successful regional stations, strengthening the AME Group portfolio across radio, digital and commercial partnerships, and spearheading platform innovation through the launch of the LiSTN audio app.
He has also earned recognition for guiding stations through periods of strategic change and for his steady and ethical leadership style.
Accepting the award, Tiltmann, who is also acting managing executive at Kaya FM, paid tribute to his teams and to the role of media in strengthening society: “I am humbled by this recognition. It belongs to the extraordinary people I work with every day who give their talent, energy and creativity to serve audiences and advertisers with integrity.
“Our industry plays a vital role in informing communities, building trust and protecting independent journalism. I am grateful to have been part of this journey and remain committed to supporting the next generation of media leaders and storytellers.”
Tiltmann joins a distinguished list of media leaders honoured at the ceremony and continues to be recognised as one of Southern Africa’s most respected broadcasting executives.
The Digital Media Awards 2026 are now officially open for entries
From reinventing audience engagement to launching groundbreaking Apps, from immersive video storytelling to AI-powered strategies, these awards honour the boldest, smartest, and most effective and successful work in digital media.
One global platform: All entries will now be submitted through a single system.
One timeline: The competition runs simultaneously across all regions: APAC, India, Europe, Africa, and LATAM.
One submission: You only need to submit your work ONCE.
One process: Entries will first compete and get recognised regionally. The top-performing entry from each region will then automatically advance to compete for the global titles.
Projects must have been launched or significantly evolved between 1 January and 31 December 2025.
Enter here.
Here are the Good Hope FM Warrior Woman finalists
The spotlight is lit and the stage is set. Good Hope FM’s Warrior Woman Awards 2025 is back – celebrating Cape Town’s Original, formidable and fabulous female forces in the most emphatic way possible.
This year, the awards join forces with the WomenIN Festival, creating a seismic celebration of female excellence that will shake the Mother City to its foundations.
The Warrior Woman Awards, championed by Good Hope FM’s The Morning Show with Leigh-Anne Williams, Sandra Rosenberg, and Delucia Daniels, honours South African women who are changing the game, not for applause, but because it’s who they are at their very core. These are the women who lead, heal, build, teach, create, and inspire. Women who rise, even when no one’s watching.
Here are the top 3 finalists in each category of the 2025 Good Hope FM Warrior Woman finalists:
Excellence in Leadership
- Mercia Horn – Cape Flats, now in Fresnaye
- Dr Zorina Dharsey – Retreat, Cape Town
- Fiona Miles – Randburg, now in Fish HoekUnsung SHERO
- Charlene Elliott – Kraaifontein, now in Wellington
- Nolene Reddy – Durban, now in Southern Suburbs
- Kristina Miller – Tokai, now in Cape Town/HeidelbergYoung Achiever
- Razaan Bester – Wynberg, now in Plumstead
- Mekylin Engelbrecht – Malmesbury
- Emma Gibbons – Robertson, now in BakovenMedia & Communication
- Finola Quarsingh – Umzinto, now in Cape Town
- Harriet Lynette Box – Newton Wellington, now in Bellville
- Siki Msuseni – Goodwood, Cape TownHealthcare and Wellness
- Leigh-Ann Joy Geydien – Ocean View, now in Grassy Park
- Zenobia Meyer – Ashton, now in Wellington
- Nicole Sherwin – Johannesburg/London/LA, now in Hout BayEducation and Research
- Dawn Faroe – Abbotsdale, now in Belhar
- Prof Kareemah Najaar – Wynberg, now in Kraaifontein
- Natasha Kannemeyer – Athlone, now in KenilworthSocial Impact
- Mymoena Scholtz – Grassy Park
- Nuraan Osman – Rondebosch East, now in Cape Town
- Monica Buitendag – Mondeor, now in Somerset WestArts and Entertainment
- Maritha Visagie – Westville, now in Edgemead
- Babalwa Mentjies – Makhanda, now in Khayelitsha
- Saarah Meyer – Strand, Cape TownPioneer in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics)
- Aditi Radhakrishna – Durban, now in Plattekloof
- Serisha Barrat – Chatsworth, now in Cape Town
- Mushfiqoh Samodien – Surrey Estate, now in PinelandsBusiness and Entrepreneurship
- Saskia Riley – Lavender Hill, now in Diep River
- Suraya Williams – Mitchell’s Plain
- Natasha Pearce – Silvertown, now in Bothasig
Mickey Llew wins global search award for Best Use of Search in Finance
SEO performance marketing agency Mickey Llew has been named winner of Best Use of Search – Finance (SEO) in the Small Agency category at the Global Search Awards 2025.
The recognition comes for its standout Investec Budget Speech campaign, which outranked national news outlets during one of the most competitive events in the finance calendar.
During the short campaign period, the team achieved more than 158,000 clicks and 3.82 million impressions – all organically generated.
Led by Kieran Tavener-Smith, Director of Strategy at Mickey Llew, the campaign combined agility, insight, and precision to help Investec dominate organic search visibility and lead the conversation on Budget Speech day.
“We’re immensely proud of this work and the team at Mickey Llew who brought it to life. To outperform the biggest publishers in the finance space is an incredible achievement – and a testament to what’s possible when a small but deeply entrenched agency takes the wheel, and a trusting client allows us to lead as a true partner,” says David Jenkins, Co-Founder of Mickey Llew.
The recognition follows Mickey Llew’s recent finalist nomination in the 2025 Search Engine Land Awards, underscoring the agency’s growing reputation for delivering original, high-impact search and digital PR work on a global stage.
Re.Bag.Re.Use wins Silver at the 2025 Eco-Logic Awards
Re.Bag.Re.Use has been awarded the Silver Award in the Eco-Fashion and Lifestyle category at the 2025 Eco-Logic Awards.
This recognition celebrates its commitment to turning discarded plastic into purposeful products that create both social and environmental impact.
A heartfelt thank you to everyone who continues to support, stitch, and share our story. ♻️✨
Congratulations to Melanie Brummer from Upcycled Cloth Collective for taking Gold, and to Phumi Muthanyi from MicGalaw for the Bronze. What an honour to be recognised alongside such inspiring changemakers.
Spar and Jacaranda FM celebrate Her Perfect Pitch 2025 initiative
SPAR and Jacaranda FM have celebrated the remarkable achievements of South Africa’s women entrepreneurs, following the announcement of the ‘2025 Her Perfect Pitch’ winners at an inspiring ceremony held on 29 October in Sandton.
This initiative, now recognised as a key event on the women’s empowerment calendar, shines spotlight on purpose driven business ideas that are making a significant impact on communities throughout the country.
Now in its fourth year, Jacaranda FM’s Her Perfect Pitch campaign has grown into one of the country’s most recognised platforms for female entrepreneurs, offering not only exposure but real business support. The 2025 campaign once again exceeded expectations, with over 927 business profiles created, 220 completed entries, and representation from all nine provinces, a clear reflection of the diverse and thriving entrepreneurial spirit of South African women.
By highlighting these innovative entrepreneurs, SPAR demonstrates its ongoing commitment to fostering positive social change and supporting women led businesses that address real community needs.
The winners of this year’s edition are Tinny (Lindiwe) Nkuna, founder of Lindiwe Sanitary Pads (1st place); Prudence Mabaso, founder of The Kitchen Wrap Company (2nd place); and Trudy Mkansi, founder of Ambesha Africa (3rd place).
Tshimologo Taukobong, who represented the winning company that manufactures high quality sanitary pads to ensure that young girls never have to miss school due to lack of access to menstrual hygiene products, delivered a heartfelt message that resonated deeply with all in attendance, “We don’t want any girl to choose between her dignity and her dream.”
A New Chapter for Black Culture and a new Award for TRACE Urban
As Paramount announces the discontinuation of BET International, MTV Base and several other MTV brands and awards, Trace stands today as the only global network fully dedicated to Afro-Urban culture — in other words, black culture.
This marks both the end of an era and the beginning of a new responsibility for Trace — to champion, empower, and connect black creativity across Africa and the world.
“When we started Trace 22 years ago, there was no TikTok, no AI, no creator economy,” said Olivier Laouchez, co-founder, chairman & CEO of Trace. “The world has changed — audiences have shifted, creators now drive culture, and the old broadcast systems cannot keep up. That’s why Trace believes in a hybrid model that unites linear television and digital into one powerful ecosystem.”
Trace’s growth would not have been possible without the support of its broadcast partners DSTV (MultiChoice) and Canal+, who have played a crucial role in bringing Afro-Urban culture to millions of homes across Africa.
“We are proud of our long-standing partnership with DSTV and Canal+,” added Laouchez. “Together, we’ve built a platform that reflects the energy, diversity, and talent of Africa’s young generation — both on television and now in the digital space through Trace+.”
In South Africa, last week, Trace Urban was named the “Coolest TV Channel” for the last decade at the Sunday Times Generation Next Awards, which track youth culture and brand influence. This demonstrates Trace’s brand power for young people.
To accelerate this transformation, Trace has partnered with ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, through its technology division BytePlus, to power Trace+ with advanced streaming technology and data-driven personalization.
Branded Content Awards 2026 entries now open
The Branded Content Awards 2026 are now open for entries, celebrating the campaigns that blend creativity, insight, amazing storytelling and great results into work that truly connects.
Every year, we celebrate the publishers, brands, agencies, and creators who raise the bar for what content can do; creatively, strategically, and technologically.
And speaking of technology…this year, we’ve added an all-new tier to honor the brains behind the tech magic: Technology Excellence.
Under this new tier, you’ll find four fresh categories designed to spotlight innovation in every stage of the process:
NEW: Insights & Research Excellence
NEW: Creative Technology Excellence
NEW: Distribution & Amplification Excellence
NEW: Analytics & Measurement Excellence
Whether you are a publisher, a brand, an agency OR a tech partner that have cracked the code on impactful use of technology – now’s your chance to get the recognition your team deserves as well.
In addition, there’s a new ‘Best Long-Term Program (minimum 12 months)’ category added to the programme to honour all the grand campaigns and collaborations that are steadily turning into evergreen campaigns in our space.
