The Media Online’s weekly column delivering news of award wins, entries, competitions, dates to note and winners in the media.
2025 Effie Awards South Africa finalists announced
Effie South Africa has announced that 44 finalists have been selected following the first round of judging for the 2025 programme. These finalists represent cases that have clearly demonstrated effectiveness in delivering against their stated objectives, and are now in the running to win a coveted Effie Award.
Refilwe Maluleke, Jury Co-Chair, commented: “The standard of entries this year has been exceptional. The most effective work begins with clear objectives, strong strategic thinking, and a deep understanding of the business challenge. Our role as a jury is to apply rigorous evaluation to ensure every finalist has proven, beyond doubt, the impact of their work. This process is a privilege, and it reflects the commitment of our industry to continuously raising the bar for effectiveness.”
| ENTERING ORGANISATION | ENTRY | CATEGORY | PRODUCT / BRAND |
| Ogilvy | #ShouldaGotaVivo: How VW used competitor drivers to sell their Vivos | Automotive – Vehicles | Volkswagen |
| Ogilvy | From Decline to Dominance: Carling Black Label’s 8-Year Journey of Purpose-Driven Sustained Success. | Beverages – Alcohol | Carling Black Label |
| Promise Group | Nothing Beats Extra Cold | Beverages – Alcohol | Castle Lite |
| Joe Public | Faeces Ink: Reigniting Attention Around a National Shame | Current Events | Amnesty International |
| M+C Saatchi Abel | How Mr D got South Africa’s vote of approval during elections | Current Events | Mr D |
| Ogilvy | V-Up: Igniting VodaPay’s Revenue Engine | Data-Driven / Commerce & Shopper Effies | Vodacom |
| Ogilvy | Block Booked | Data-Driven / Commerce & Shopper Effies | KFC |
| Nedbank | Bank Your Time | Data-Driven / Media Effies | Nedbank |
| Ogilvy | FROM SHAME TO SELF-LOVE: How #FOREVERWENA Revolutionised HIV Prevention. | Disease Awareness & Education: Non-Profit | The Gates Foundation |
| Levergy | Ya Rona House: A New Kind of Fan Engagement | Experiential Marketing: Live & Digital | Nedbank |
| Ogilvy | Make It KFC: From familiar to fresh – the taste experiment that got Gen-Z talking again | Experiential Marketing: Live & Digital | KFC |
| Accenture Song | Sanlam “The F-Show” | Finance | Sanlam |
| Joe Public | Bank Your Time – How Nedbank reframed digital banking by turning time into a currency | Finance | Nedbank |
| M+C Saatchi Abel | BLENDING IN, TO STAND OUT | Finance | Standard Bank South Africa |
| RAPT Creative | Discovery Health Medical Scheme: Because Life Happens | Healthcare Services / Health Effies | Discovery Health Medical Scheme |
| Ogilvy | Influence With Impact: #ForeverWena’s Culture-Driven Approach to Youth HIV Awareness | Influencer Marketing | The Gates Foundation |
| Joe Public | Bank Your Time – How Nedbank reframed digital banking by turning time into a currency | Marketing Disruptors | Nedbank |
| Ogilvy | #ShouldaGotAVivo: VW’s Masterclass on end-of-product-life-cycle marketing disruption. | Marketing Disruptors | Volkswagen |
| TBWA\Hunt Lascaris | Save Our Stay (SOS) | Marketing Disruptors | City Lodge Hotel Group |
| TBWA\Hunt Lascaris | Savanna Neat: It’s Giving | Marketing Innovation Solutions | Savanna South Africa |
| Joe Public | Faeces Ink: Reigniting Attention Around a National Shame | Media Innovation – Emerging & New Channels, Existing Channels / Media Effies | Amnesty International |
| Ogilvy | Block Booked | Media Innovation – Emerging & New Channels, Existing Channels / Media Effies | KFC |
| TBWA\Hunt Lascaris | Save Our Stay (SOS) | Media Innovation / Commerce & Shopper Effies | City Lodge Hotel Group |
| 99c Communications | Little Shop Goes Xtra | Omni-Channel Shopper Solution / Commerce & Shopper Effies | CHECKERS |
| 99c Communications | Delivering something Xtra this Christmas | Retail | CHECKERS |
| Gorilla | Pick n Pay asap! Find the Bunny! Get the Money! | Retail | Pick n Pay asap! |
| TBWA\Hunt Lascaris | SPAR More for Sho’ | Retail | SPAR More for Sho’ |
| M+C Saatchi Abel | How Mr D got South Africa’s vote of approval during elections | Seasonal Marketing – Products, Services | Mr D |
| Gorilla | Pick n Pay asap! Find the Bunny! Get the Money! | Seasonal/Event / Commerce & Shopper Effies | Pick n Pay asap! |
| Joe Public | Faeces Ink: Reigniting Attention Around a National Shame | Small Budgets – Non-Profit, Products, Services | Amnesty International |
| M+C Saatchi Abel | Firing A Silver Bullet That Turned Apathy into Policy Action | Small Budgets – Non-Profit, Products, Services | Gun Free South Africa |
| Joe Public | Faeces Ink: Reigniting Attention Around a National Shame | Social Good – Brands / Positive Change | Amnesty International |
| M+C Saatchi Abel | Firing A Silver Bullet That Turned Apathy into Policy Action | Social Good – Brands / Positive Change | Gun Free South Africa |
| Nedbank | Youth Honours Board Campaign | Social Good – Brands / Positive Change | Nedbank |
| Ogilvy | Volkswagen Night School: Rewriting the Rules of the Road saving lives and building brand | Social Good – Brands / Positive Change | Volkswagen South Africa |
| Mondelez | TikTok confirms, “They are amongst among” | Social Media | Lunch Bar – social |
| Halo | 100% Sustained Results: How Being Totes Honest Totes Helped Pineapple Soar | Sustained Success – Products, Services | Pineapple |
| Joe Public | Winning market share with a human edge in a digital race | Sustained Success – Products, Services | Nedbank Private Clients |
| Ogilvy | From Decline to Dominance: Carling Black Label’s 8-Year Journey of Purpose-Driven Sustained Success. | Sustained Success – Products, Services | Carling Black Label |
| Ogilvy | Selfish to Shareable: Cadbury’s South African Success Story | Sustained Success – Products, Services | Mondelez: Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate |
| M+C Saatchi Abel | How Mr D got South Africa’s vote of approval during elections | Timely Opportunity | Mr D |
| TBWA\Hunt Lascaris | Try January | Timely Opportunity | Savanna |
| Joe Public | Uber Black: So good you’ll find a reason | Transportation | Uber Black |
| TBWA\Hunt Lascaris | Save Our Stay (SOS) | Travel & Tourism | City Lodge Hotel Group |
Round Two of judging will determine which of these campaigns will go on to win Bronze, Silver, and Gold, with the very best considered for the prestigious Grand Effie. The winners will be announced at the Effie Awards Gala on 21 October.
Effie South Africa announces 2025 Grand Jury
Effie Awards South Africa has announced the senior panel of industry leaders who will serve on the 2025 Grand Jury.
The panel will be co-chaired by Refilwe Maluleke, Executive Head of Marketing at Discovery Health, and Ahmed Tilly, Creative Consultant at Number 10 | A Creative Consultancy.
The 2025 Effie South Africa Grand Jury includes:
- Refilwe Maluleke (Jury Co-Chair) – Executive Head of Marketing, Discovery Health
- Ahmed Tilly (Jury Co-Chair) – Creative Consultant, Number 10 | A Creative Consultancy
- Elizabeth Mokwena – Executive Marketing Director, Unilever
- Fran Luckin – Chief Creative Officer, VML South Africa
- Grant MacPherson – Chief Marketing Officer, KFC
- Kagiso Musi – Group Managing Director, Meta Media
- Laurent Marty – Strategic Planning Director, Joe Public
- Neo Makhele – Chief Strategy Officer, Ogilvy South Africa
- Suhana Gordhan – Chief Creative Officer, Love Song
- Steph van Niekerk – Executive Creative Director, TBWA\South Africa
- Nthabiseng Matshekga – Executive Head: Integrated Marketing & Experience, Nedbank
- Vaughan Croeser – Vice President: Marketing, SAB ABInBev
- Thabang Skwambane – Chief Executive Officer, Nahana Communications Group
Entrepreneur Kabelo Ncholo a finalist for three Nedbank Oliver Top Empowerment Awards
Kabelo Ncholo (42), the founder and CEO of Y-Brand, a through-the-line marketing agency, was named a finalist for three Nedbank Oliver Top Empowerment Awards at a ceremony that took place at the Sandton Convention Centre on 31 July 2025.
Hosted by Topco Media and moderated by Leeann Manas, these awards honour South Africa’s trailblazers in transformation, diversity, and empowerment.
At this year’s Oliver Top Empowerment Awards, Y-Brand was a Finalist in the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Workplace of the Year Award and a Finalist in the Job Creation of the Year Award. Kabelo was named a Finalist in the Richard Fletcher Entrepreneur of the Year Award.
At the Top Empowerment Awards, the company was a Runner-Up in the Top Empowered Company: Fast Growth Black-Owned SMME of the Year in 2023. Y-Brand was also named winner in the Employer of Choice: Small – Medium Organisations by The Future of HR Awards in 2024 and the company has won numerous other awards.
Thato Toeba receives the 2025 FNB Art Prize
FNB Art Joburg has announced Thato Toeba as the winner of the 2025 FNB Art Prize.
Now in its 18th year, FNB Art Joburg’s mandate is to sustainably support and grow the continent’s cultural offering in ways that go beyond the fair. One of the ways this is achieved is through the annual FNB Art Prize.
On their decision, the jury for the 2025 FNB Art Prize said: “Thato Toeba’s practice holds a quiet force. Their use of collage and assemblage is both deliberate and layered, allowing for a visual language that is conceptually clear and materially rich.
“There is a distinct sense of control in how they handle composition, texture and text, revealing a commitment to process as much as to meaning. What set Toeba apart was the clarity of vision, the formal maturity of the work and the considered pace of their trajectory. In a field of strong nominees, theirs emerged as the most resolved and coherent.”
Thato Toeba was born in 1990 in Maseru where they live. They are an artist, lawyer and social sciences researcher working with mixed-media photomontage and assemblage.
Final all for 2025 AdFocus Awards
With the entry deadline for the 2025 Financial Mail AdFocus Awards fast approaching, agencies across the marketing and communications spectrum are urged to submit their entries before Friday, 29 August 2025.
The industry’s enthusiasm for the prestigious AdFocus Awards has seen entry numbers for 2025 surpassing those of previous years.
“We’ve had an incredible response to this year’s call for entries, and we’re excited about the lively debates that are sure to take place in the jury room,” said Vicki Buys, managing director of Ogilvy and the 2025 FM AdFocus chairperson. “It’s fantastic to see how this year’s theme, The Business of Creativity (Not just the art of it), along with the prestige of the AdFocus Awards, has inspired so many agencies to participate.”
Agencies can register and submit entries via the AdFocus website: www.adfocus.co.za
Please note: Login details from previous years are not valid – agencies must register again for 2025.
- Go to www.adfocus.co.za
- Click on LOG IN to register
- You’ll receive an email with your login details
- Log in and complete the relevant award questionnaire
- Upload supporting documents and click Submit
Deadline for entries: Friday, 29 August 2025
Event Date: 26 November 2025
Email: adfocus100@gmail.com
Strategic partnerships power The Mark Awards 2025
The Mark Awards, South Africa’s platform for recognising marketing and agency excellence, is proud to announce its slate of strategic partners for 2025 — brands that are not only supporting the event but also meaningfully aligned with its values of innovation, purpose, and community.
Sealand Gear, a purpose-led lifestyle brand driven by sustainability and craft.
Dialogue joins the lineup as PR partner, helping The Mark Awards shape and share the story of marketing excellence across the industry.
Gold Otter Media steps in to power up the fun with its AI Photo Booth experience.
The visual identity of The Mark Awards 2025 — including the striking trophy and certificate design — has been created by Kilmer & Cruise, the creative agency behind the event’s design language. “
To cap off the celebrations, Salt Africa, South Africa’s premier recruitment brand for the marketing and creative industries, will host an exclusive post-event networking and jazz party, giving attendees a chance to connect and unwind.
Finally, Driven Events & AV, a specialist AV and event solutions company, is managing the technical production of the awards show, ensuring a seamless and world-class experience on the night.
“These partnerships reflect the values of our awards,” said Prakash Patel, The Mark Awards co-founder. “Collaboration. Innovation. Purpose. Each partner brings something distinct to the table, contributing to an event that celebrates not just the best in marketing, but the best of our industry community.”
The Mark Awards will take place in Franschhoek on 30 August 2025, celebrating excellence, originality, and impact in South African marketing.
FAME Week Africa announces finalists for the 2025 Inclusive Lens Awards
FAME Week Africa has announced the finalists for the Inclusive Lens Awards 2025, a powerful celebration of filmmakers, creators and storytellers who are pushing boundaries and reshaping perspectives through film and television.
Now in its second year, the Inclusive Lens Awards (see last year’s winners) shine a light on bold, authentic works that challenge the status quo and champion representation.
The 2025 awards ceremony will take centre stage on 2 September 2025, at FAME Week Africa in Cape Town, uniting finalists from across the African diaspora with global industry leaders attending Africa’s biggest film and television gathering.
Here’s the list of the 2025 Inclusive Lens Awards finalists.
This year’s event is poised to inspire complex dialogues and encourage a new wave of inclusive filmmaking in the African diaspora.
The 2025 Inclusive Lens Awards are happening on 2 September in the MIP Africa Theatre 1 at the Cape Town International Convention Center. For event details and finalist profiles, visit the Inclusive Lens Awards page.
NACA 2025 Nominees Officially Announced
The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC) proudly announces the official nominees for the National Arts and Culture Awards (NACA) 2025, a prestigious event that honours excellence across South Africa’s dynamic creative landscape. (Check the list here.)
From literature and design to visual arts, heritage, and performance, the NACA Awards shine a national spotlight on artists and institutions whose contributions have shaped, preserved, and reimagined our cultural identity. This year’s nominees reflect the rich diversity, imagination, and resilience that define South Africa’s creative sector.
“The National Arts and Culture Awards are about more than recognition,” said the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie. “They are about remembering who we are, celebrating who we’ve become, and encouraging what we can still be.”
The nominee announcement will be followed by a national digital campaign across DSAC platforms in the lead-up to the live awards ceremony on 22 August at Sun City.
Jacaranda FM’s ‘Her Perfect Pitch’ returns for a fourth year
Jacaranda FM award-winning women’s empowerment campaign, Her Perfect Pitch, returns for its fourth consecutive year with a powerful new theme, Unlock the Next Level.Entries open for 2025 Algoa FM Big Walk for Cancer presented by Isuzu Motors South Africa
Entries are open for the Eastern Cape’s biggest mass participation family charity event, the Algoa FM Big Walk for Cancer presented by Isuzu Motors South Africa.
The theme for the 27th annual Algoa FM Big Walk for Cancer, is to connect. “Every step by entrants and every Rand raised, is connected to our beneficiaries and those affected by cancer,” says Algoa FM managing director Alfie Jay.
“The Algoa FM Big Walk for Cancer is so close to the hearts of Algoa Country’s people because of the connection it creates between the many thousands of people who are affected by cancer, as people living with it, as survivors, and as family, friends, and colleagues,” he adds.
This year the event beneficiaries are Siyavuka for Kids, Project Flamingo, and Reach for Recovery.
“Isuzu Motors South Africa is honoured to be associated with Algoa FM Big Walk for Cancer as the presenting partner,” says Celestin Ndhlovu, executive vice president of corporate services at ISUZU.
“Our collaboration with Algoa FM demonstrates our commitment to create shared value and driving meaningful impact within our communities.”
“Walk, unite and fight with us by joining the 27th Algoa FM Big Walk for Cancer which will be held on Saturday, October 25, 2025. The start points for the mass walks are in Gqeberha, East London, and George, and with virtual participation nationwide,” he adds.
