The winners of the 2025 Marketing Achievement Awards (MAAs) were announced Thursday evening at the prestigious Marketing Professionals’ Ball, held at the Sandton Convention Centre Ballroom. The gala event, a highlight of the marketing calendar, honoured the bold strategies, creative brilliance, and measurable impact of South Africa’s finest marketing talent.
Widely regarded as the benchmark for marketing excellence in South Africa, the MAAs celebrate the entire marketing value chain—from insight and innovation to execution and impact. Endorsed by the Marketing Association of South Africa (MASA), the MAAs stand alone in recognising marketing’s pivotal role in driving business growth, powering the economy, and shaping culture.
This year’s awards marked a new era for the MAAs, with Primedia Broadcasting joining as Presenting Partner, Brand South Africa as Strategic Partner, and support from Kantar, Old Mutual, Telkom, African Bank, Google, Reveel, and Fresh Advertising and Marketing. Gearhouse came on board as Technical Partner.
The evening itself was a success with South Africa’s marketing elite coming out in their droves to celebrate the winners who included some of the most innovative and game-changing leaders in the profession. For the first time, the category Lifetime Achievement was introduced to honour a person who has made a significant and lasting contribution to the industry throughout their career.
A Look at the 2025 Leadership Awards Winners
Marketer of the Year: Khensani Nobanda
The Marketer of the Year Award recognises an outstanding South African marketer who has delivered innovative marketing, impacted business results, and used their influence to drive the industry forward. This year’s selection committee were particularly impressed with the high calibre of all the finalists.
In recognising Khensani Nobanda as the 2025 Marketer of the Year, judges highlighted her unique ability to blend data-driven insight, digital transformation, and purpose-led marketing. Her innovative approach to structuring an agile marketing function and her consistent delivery of tangible results for Nedbank, coupled with her commitment to industry-wide transformation and talent nurturing, set her apart from her peers.
(Marketer of the Year 2024), Lethepu Matshaba (Marketer of the Year Committee Chairperson), and Kelvin Storie (Chief Commercial Officer, Primedia Broadcasting)]
Nobanda’s win was complemented by Nedbank’s award for Marketing Organisation of the Year, recognising their commitment to disruptive thinking, remarkable agility, and efficiency, with impressive metrics demonstrating how marketing directly drives their business success and positions them for continued future wins.
Rising Star of the Year: Jody Ashworth
Jody Ashworth, Senior Marketing Manager at Discovery, was named the 2025 Marketing Achievement Awards Rising Star of the Year. This accolade is a testament to her strategic foresight, innovative execution, and leadership qualities while managing a strategic portfolio for Discovery Bank. Definitely a young marketer to keep an eye on in the future!
Lifetime Achievement Award: Jeremy Sampson
This year, the MAA was honoured to present the inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award to Jeremy Sampson—a true icon in the world of marketing and branding. With an illustrious career spanning nearly five decades, Jeremy has left an indelible mark on the industry. His exceptional talent, visionary leadership, and unwavering dedication have shaped brands and inspired generations of professionals across South Africa. The Lifetime Achievement Award celebrates Jeremy’s extraordinary legacy and the enduring impact he has made on the South African marketing landscape—a fitting tribute to a remarkable career.
About the Marketing Achievement Awards
This year’s MAA entries, spanning 16 different award categories, were judged by more than 50 industry experts against strict criteria, including the impact of the marketing initiatives on business objectives and bottom-line results. Each written submission was evaluated against specified criteria; the merits of each top-scoring entry were assessed in peer quorums; and in the case of some leadership categories, online interviews were conducted with nominees and their colleagues to understand the finalists and their work.
While other awards often focus on elements of marketing such as communication, the MAAs remain the only programme that recognises and celebrates the entire marketing value chain and its contribution to business success. This is why they remain the benchmark for marketing excellence in South Africa.
Ivan Moroke, Chairperson of the Marketing Achievement Awards, said: “In my role as Chairperson, I’m consistently reminded of the remarkable influence marketing wields in South Africa. Our winners and finalists this year truly exemplify how marketing transcends commercial objectives, driving business results, fostering economic growth, and profoundly shaping our society. They stand as a testament to the fact that marketing in South Africa is not only globally competitive but also a vital force for nation-building and positive change.”
The 2025 Marketing Achievement Award winners are:
| CATEGORY | AWARDED | FOR | AGENCY PARTNER | AWARD SPONSORED BY |
| Excellence in Purpose Led Marketing Award | SASKO | SASKO Siyasizana: Better Play for Better Tomorrows | MullenLowe | Old Mutual |
| Excellence in Strategic Sponsorship Marketing Award | Telkom | Telkom, Stand Tall | Levergy | |
| Excellence in Brand Positioning Award | Nedbank | Bank Your Time | Kantar | |
| Excellence in Marketing Innovation Award | Audi South Africa | Audi Curated Collection | Ogilvy | |
| Excellence in New Product or Service Launch Award | ShopriteX | Xtra Savings Plus | 99C | Gearhouse |
| Excellence in Brand Marketing B2B Award | Unilever Professional | Better Clean Better Business – Food Safe Launch | Attic House | African Bank |
| Excellence in South African Resonance Marketing Award | NikNaks | OwnYourNak | Accenture Song | Brand South Africa |
| Excellence in Resourceful Marketing Award | Marmite | Election Smear Campaign | Accenture Song | Telkom |
| Excellence in Reputation Management Award | No trophy awarded * | |||
| Excellence in Integrated Marketing Award | Telkom | Telkom, Stand Tall | Levergy | Reveel |
| Excellence in Internal Marketing Award | Absa | Let’s Write This Story Together | Avatar | |
| Excellence in Digital Brand Marketing Award | Sea HarvestaHar | Fish Friday – Everyone’s Favourite Day | CRT Create | |
| Excellence in Brand Launch Strategy Award | Discovery Vitality | Vitality HealthyFood Relaunch | ||
| LEADERSHIP AWARDS | ||||
| The Marketing Achievement Awards Rising Star of the Year Award | Jody Ashworth | Senior Marketing Manager – Discovery Limited | ||
| The Marketing Achievement Awards – Lifetime Achievement Award | Jeremy Sampson | |||
| The Marketing Achievement Awards Marketing Person of the Year Award | Khensani Nobanda | Group Executive: Marketing and Corporate Affairs at Nedbank | ||
| The Marketing Achievement Awards Marketing Organisation of the Year Award | Nedbank |
