The Media Online’s weekly column delivering news of award wins, entries, competitions, dates to note and winners in the media.
Cassper Nyovest and Zanele Potelwa to host 2026 SAMAs
South African hip-hop star Cassper Nyovest and 5FM presenter Zanele Potelwa have been confirmed as the hosts of the 32nd Annual South African Music Awards (SAMAs). The announcement was made live on 5FM’s 5 Drive on Monday afternoon after a day of speculation following Nyovest’s social media reveal that he would be hosting the awards.
Listeners were left wondering who would join him on stage, with the station building anticipation through on-air teasers, polls and social media activity.
The surprise unfolded during Nyovest’s interview on 5 Drive, where he hinted that he had an exclusive announcement to share. Producing a sealed envelope, he handed it to Potelwa, who opened it live on air and discovered that she had been selected as his co-host. Initially believing it was a prank, Potelwa phoned her manager during the broadcast, who confirmed the news, sparking celebrations in the studio and across social media.
Nyovest said he was honoured to return to the SAMAs as host, describing the opportunity as a career highlight and paying tribute to former hosts HHP and Kabelo Mabalane. He added that he was looking forward to working alongside Potelwa, saying the pair would combine their strengths to create a memorable show. Potelwa described the appointment as a dream come true, saying she was excited to share the stage with one of South Africa’s biggest music stars and help deliver an unforgettable celebration of local music.
The 32nd Annual South African Music Awards, themed Homecoming Edition, will take place on 15 August 2026 at the Sun City Superbowl in North West. Nyovest and Potelwa will lead the ceremony celebrating the country’s leading artists, albums and achievements in the South African music industry.
Bmedia joins the Bookmarks as headline partner
Bmedia, powered by Boxer, has come on board as a headline partner of the 2026 Bookmark Awards.
Boxer Superstores’ new retail media division is aligning itself with the platform widely regarded as the home of digital excellence in South Africa.
“The Bookmarks are where the best digital thinking in the country is tested and celebrated, and that is exactly why Bmedia is aligning ourselves with the Bookmarks,” says Adrian Naidoo, head of Bmedia. “The digital ecosystem and data-driven insights play a crucial role in the integrated retail media journey for every brand and every consumer.
“It matters that we recognise excellence in this arena because innovation here will ultimately move the conversation in retail media from being purely in-store to a truly integrated 360-degree omnichannel media ecosystem.”
As the Bookmarks turn 18, the partnership reflects both the trust the awards have built over the years and the growing importance of retail media in the way brands connect with consumers.
This year’s ceremony, themed It All Starts With a Pixel, takes place on Thursday, 13 August 2026, at The Forum, The Campus in Bryanston, Johannesburg.
It will bring together the agencies, publishers and brands behind the year’s most inventive digital work. Tickets are on sale now.
South African ECD joins ADC Young Guns 24 jury
The global Art Directors Club (ADC), part of The One Club for Creativity, has announced five creative professionals based in the Middle East and Africa – including Nhlanhla Ngcobo, group executive creative director at VML Johannesburg.
The five are among more than 100 creatives from around the world who will serve on the jury for the global ADC Young Guns 24 competition.
ADC Young Guns is the industry’s only global, cross-disciplinary, portfolio-based awards competition recognising the next generation of creative talent. The programme is open to professionals aged 30 and under who have been working for at least two years, either full-time or freelance. Eligible entrants may submit a combination of professional and personal work.
Jury members from the region are:
- Elie Antaky, associate creative director, Impact BBDO, Beirut
- Mohamed Bareche, ECD, Havas Dubai
- Oyindamola Fakile, chief creative alchemist, Thwind, Lagos
- Priyaa Naidoo, creative director, AndUs, Dubai
- Nhlanhla Ngcobo, group ECD, VML Johannesburg
The online entry system is now open. The reduced-fee deadline is 27 August 2026, with the final deadline on 24 September 2026. Winners will be announced in January 2027.
TruthsetsOnline backs Technology category at The Mark Awards
TruthsetsOnline, the forensic media analytics consultancy powered by the FouAnalytics platform, has been confirmed as the sponsor of the newly created Technology category at The Mark Awards, which celebrates excellence across strategy, experience, design, innovation and leadership in marketing and advertising.
The category debuts this year as a standalone pillar, separate from Innovation, to provide greater recognition for the tools, data and systems advancing marketing performance. Its subcategories include AI and Machine Learning Excellence, Data Science and Analytics, Creative Technology and Code Craft, AdTech, MarTech, and AI Ethics and Responsible Tech.
“The future of marketing depends on powerful systems that are aligned with business outcomes, with provable stories rather than plausible ones,” says Marc Dhalluin, co-founder of TruthsetsOnline. “They should deliver measurable uplift rather than simply modernising processes, coexist with other systems, and above all be transparent and responsible. By supporting this category, we are recognising the builders creating systems that protect trust by doing the jobs they say they do, while strengthening the foundations of the industry.”
Moonlight IQ receives dual international honours
Moonlight IQ (MIQ), the global communications specialist serving the B2B financial and technology sectors, has been named Best Financial & FinTech Communications Consultancy 2026 at the UK Enterprise Awards.
The recognition follows MIQ being named 2026 Stand Out PR Agency of the Year at the UK Digital Excellence Awards, marking the agency’s second award in recent weeks.
The honours recognise MIQ’s expertise in finance and technology communications, highlighting its ability to translate complex capital markets and fintech topics into accessible storytelling, strategic messaging and thought leadership for specialist and mainstream audiences.
The back-to-back wins come as MIQ continues to expand its work across capital markets, trading technologies, cybersecurity, RegTech, AI and crypto, supporting a growing international client base across Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific.
International judges confirmed for 2026 SA Olive Awards
The annual SA Olive Awards will take place on 15 September 2026, celebrating a local olive oil industry that continues to produce world-class extra virgin olive oils capable of competing with the best internationally.
This year’s judging panel includes internationally acclaimed olive oil experts Marcelo Scofano from Brazil and Dr Müge Nebioğlu from Türkiye, who will join SA Olive’s local judging panel. Their participation reflects the growing international reputation of South Africa’s olive oil industry and reinforces the competition’s commitment to internationally recognised sensory standards.
In the lead-up to the awards, the judges will conduct rigorous blind sensory assessments of this year’s entries to identify South Africa’s finest extra virgin olive oils. A calibration session with the local and international judges will take place on 15 August before judging begins. Gold, silver and bronze medal winners will be announced at the awards ceremony.
Beyond the judging process, the international judges will visit selected producers during their stay in South Africa, sharing expertise and encouraging knowledge exchange with the local olive oil community.
B-well Pure Canola Oil wins Double Gold
B-well Pure Canola Oil has won Double Gold at the 2026 South African Food & Beverage Awards following an independent blind tasting by local and international judges.
Held in partnership with the Aurora International Taste Challenge, the awards recognise products that stand out for taste, quality and consistency, with judges assessing each entry without knowing the brand behind it.
“Our aim has always been to produce a canola oil that consumers can rely on every time they cook,” says Morné Botes, commercial director at Southern Oil. “Receiving Double Gold through a blind tasting is especially rewarding because it recognises the product on its own merits. For us, it’s an independent endorsement of the consistency we’ve worked hard to achieve.”
This year’s judging panel included well-known names such as Jenny Morris and Tiaan Langenegger, alongside respected industry experts, with products assessed as consumers would experience them in everyday life.
