Awards Wrap: Rogerwilco sweeps 2025 Assegai Awards, Lobengula Advertising proves the importance of employee marketing, Flow Communications shines at Assegai and Smarties

The Media Online’s weekly column delivering news of award wins, entries, competitions, dates to note and winners in the media.

Rogerwilco sweeps 2025 Assegai Awards with 16 wins, including coveted Best in Class honour

Africa’s largest B Corp-certified digital agency, Rogerwilco, has affirmed its position as a powerhouse of creative excellence, taking home 16 awards at the prestigious 2025 Assegai Awards hosted by the Direct Marketing Association of South Africa (DMASA). The agency achieved a perfect sweep, with every single entry winning recognition across multiple categories.

The haul included five Gold, four Silver and four Bronze awards, two Leader awards and the esteemed Zinthatu Award for Best in Class, which recognises agencies that consistently deliver outstanding work year after year.

“This is an incredible result for our team and clients,” said Charlie Stewart, CEO of Rogerwilco. “To walk away with 16 awards, and have every entry recognised, validates our approach of combining strategic thinking with creative innovation. Most importantly, it demonstrates that work which drives measurable business impact can also be beautifully crafted and emotionally compelling.”

5 Gold Awards: Stellenbosch Business School’s Generative Engine Optimisation Campaign
3 Silver Awards and 1 Bronze Award: Africa Check’s AI Fact Checker for the 2024 General Election
3 Bronze Awards and 2 Leader Awards: Momentum Health’s Bruised Ego Campaign

Lobengula Advertising proves the importance of employee marketing with winning five Assegai Awards

After a spectacular night of celebration at the Assegai awards, Lobengula Advertising walked away with five major wins: three Golds, one Silver and one Bronze, marking its most successful awards performance to date with its founding client, Standard Bank.

Brenda Khumalo, founder and managing director, says “These awards come at a time when organisations lose some of their talented employees due to disengagement, low morale and a misalignment in working towards the vision, what we’ve won over is employee advocacy for our client, Standard Bank.”

The agency’s award-winning work was centred on meaningful internal content designed to unite teams, simplify complex business narratives, spark two-way engagement, and ultimately drive employee advocacy.

The winning categories for Lobengula for their Standard Bank client partner:

Channel Email – Achieva News Live Emailer – Gold Assegai Award
Special-Customer Acquisition Campaign- Achieva News Campaign – Gold Assegai Awards
Special-Branded Content – Achieva News – Gold Assegai Award
Special- Branded Content – Blue Squad – Silver Assegai Award
Special-Branded Content – All Winners Win – Bronze Assegai Award

Flow Communications shines at Assegai and Smarties, securing 11 prestigious awards

Flow Communications has celebrated a remarkable night of success, winning a total of 11 awards at two of the industry’s most prestigious events: the Assegai Integrated Marketing Awards and the MMA SA Smarties Awards.

The agency’s haul demonstrates its strength in delivering innovative and results-driven campaigns for a diverse client base. The full list of awards includes:

Assegai Integrated Marketing Awards (9)

Gold: Sector Financial Services – Client: Cherie Blair Foundation for Women, Campaign: HerVenture
Gold: Special Campaign for CSR / Social Good – Client: Cherie Blair Foundation for Women, Campaign: HerVenture
Silver: Sector Not-For-Profit – Client: Cherie Blair Foundation for Women, Campaign: HerVenture
Silver: Special Customer Acquisition Campaign – Client: Cherie Blair Foundation for Women, Campaign: HerVenture
Bronze: Special Data-Inspired Insight – Client: Cherie Blair Foundation for Women, Campaign: HerVenture
Bronze: Special Campaign for under R500 000 – Client: Nelson Mandela Foundation, Campaign: 22nd Nelson Mandela Annual Lecture
Bronze: Sector Publishing, Entertainment, Media & Sports – Client: African Union Sports Council, Campaign: Keep Moving
Leader: Sector Not-For-Profit – Client: Nelson Mandela Foundation, Campaign: 22nd Nelson Mandela Annual Lecture
Leader: Special Multi-Language – Client: African Union Sports Council, Campaign: Keep Moving

MMA SA Smarties Awards (2)

Bronze: AI-Powered Audience Engagement (Client: Hollard, Campaign: “Elf Yourself”)
Bronze: AI-Driven Creative Intelligence (Client: Hollard, Campaign: “Elf Yourself”)

“We are incredibly proud of our team and our clients for these achievements,” says Tara Turkington, CEO of Flow Communications. “What makes these wins even more special is the recognition for our purpose-driven campaigns. We believe in marketing that not only achieves results but also makes a positive impact, and it’s wonderful to see this work celebrated by our peers.

Ogilvy South Africa sweeps SMARTIES SSA

Now in its second year, SMARTIES SSA continues to cement its position as the premier platform for recognising marketing innovation and effectiveness across the region.

The Marketing + Media Alliance (MMA) announced the winners of the SMARTIES Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) 2025 Awards, following a gala dinner held in Cape Town on Friday night.

A standout of the evening was Ogilvy South Africa and their client YUM!, who dominated the top industry accolades:

Agency of the Year – Ogilvy South Africa
Best in Show – KFC Block Booked (Ogilvy South Africa for YUM!)
Brand of the Year – YUM!

The exceptional calibre of entries is reflected in the winners’ list for 2025. Among 135 entries, Pep emerged victorious, securing two Gold awards in the category Purpose Driven Marketing for the Pep ‘Dry and Detect Towels’ campaign.

Multichoice’s DStv Multilingual Bot won Gold in the Diversity and Inclusive Excellence category. Social Media Marketing Gold went to the Durex Come Together campaign from Pulse Nigeria (Pulse Marketing).

AI-Powered Audience Engagement Gold was won by TFG Precision Marketing, The New Growth Engine for The Foschini Retail Group.

For the full list of winners click HERE.

The AIBs 2025 celebrate outstanding journalism and factual storytelling from around the world

The Association for International Broadcasting (AIB) has announced the winners of the AIBs 2025, its annual International Media Excellence Awards, celebrating the best in journalism and factual productions across television, radio, podcasting, and digital platforms worldwide.

This year’s competition saw entries from every continent, showcasing the courage, craft and commitment of journalists working in the most challenging conditions to bring audiences the truth.

“In a year marked by conflict and uncertainty, the AIBs highlight the vital role that journalists play in helping global audiences understand their world,” said Simon Spanswick, chief executive of the AIB. “The winners exemplify integrity, innovation and humanity in storytelling.”

A full list of winners and highly commended entries is available at www.theaibs.tv.

Journalist of the Year – Jomana Karadsheh, CNN International
Presenter of the Year – Vicky Morales, GMA Network, Philippines
Radio or Podcast Presenter – Weimin Tseng, Radio Taiwan International
Lifetime Achievement Award – Carlson Huang Chia-Shan, Radio Taiwan International

Momentum Group celebrates 10 years of investing in kindness through its Lesedi Awards

Momentum Group has announced the winners of its 10th annual Lesedi Awards, marking a decade of recognising employees whose kindness and generosity through volunteering have changed lives – supporting causes closest to their hearts and addressing some of the greatest needs in their communities.

This year’s milestone event carried the theme ‘We invest in kindness’, a reflection of the Group’s belief that compassion, like capital, grows when it’s put to work.

“At Momentum Group, we understand that the most worthwhile investments aren’t only financial, says Tshego Bokaba, CSI Manager, Momentum Group. “Kindness brings real returns – for the giver, the receiver and the community around them. When our employees give of their time and skills, they help build the social fabric that supports all of us. These awards recognise that the value we create as a business is measured not just in rands, but in the difference our people make. Employees are supported and encouraged by the company to give of their time and skills, with volunteer leave, matched funding, peer recognition and these awards that shine a light on the good work they do.”

Lesedi Exceptional Volunteer Champion Award: Mildred Majadibodu, a senior business process analyst, Momentum Retirement Administrators (MRA)
Newcomer Award: Tonia Nel, product modelling & actuarial values testing, Metropolitan Life
Lesedi Individual Award: Josephine Zimri, internal service consultant, Momentum Health Solutions
Lesedi Team Award: MMerge Team, led by Lynnette Schoeman, Executive PA, MMerge (part of Momentum Life)
Lesedi International Award: Mathamae Sejanamane, Human Capital business partner, Metropolitan Lesotho
Most Engaged Volunteer on Momentum Group Volunteers: Argentina Makgakga, Engagement specialist, Momentum Multiply
Lesedi Most Consistent Payroll Giver Award: Remaining generously anonymous
Lesedi Spirit of Volunteering Award: MMerge Team (led by Lynnette Schoeman)

Imagine Worldwide wins inaugural Global EdTech Prize

Imagine Worldwide Tablet-Based Foundational Learning Programme from Imagine Worldwide in Africa has won the inaugural Global EdTech Prize in the Non-Profits category. The announcement was made at the World Schools Summit at Yasmina British Academy, Abu Dhabi, UAE, on 16 November.

Founded this year by T4 Education, with the support of Owl Ventures, the Global EdTech Prize recognises those trailblazing solutions that are driving change and grappling with the most crucial challenges in today’s classrooms.

Vikas Pota, Founder of T4 Education and the Global EdTech Prize, said: “Congratulations to Imagine Worldwide Tablet-Based Foundational Learning Programme from Imagine Worldwide in Africa on winning the inaugural Global EdTech Prize and to Global Community of Practice from Team4Tech Foundation for making the Final 3. Your work is a crucial contribution to the cause of improving education, and everything that can achieve for all of humanity.”