MMA Smarties South Africa 2026 winners announced

The Marketing + Media Alliance (MMA) Smarties South African winners for 2026 were announced last night. Picture: Ogilvy was awarded Best in Show for Audi TikTok Test Drive (Image supplied)

Yum! was named Brand of the Year, while Ogilvy was named Agency of the Year, and its campaign, Audi TikTok Test Drive, was awarded Best in Show.

Another standout winner was Turning SEO into GEO, created by Rogerwilco for Stellenbosch Business School. The campaign won four top awards and was recognised for its innovative use of Generative Engine Optimisation, helping the brand move from traditional SEO visibility to AI citation leadership.

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The Smarties celebrate the brands, agencies and campaigns setting the standard for marketing effectiveness.

This year’s entries reflected the strength of South Africa’s marketing industry, with judges recognising outstanding work across creativity, innovation, data, technology and measurable impact. The jury was particularly impressed by the quality of the submissions and the ambitious thinking behind many of the campaigns.

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“The 2026 Smarties South Africa winners show how fast marketing is evolving,” said Luisa Mazinter, Smarties 2026 jury chair.

“The judges saw work that was bold, effective and genuinely innovative, with campaigns that demonstrate the impact marketing can have on business growth.”

“Smarties celebrates marketing that moves the needle,” said Melis Ertem, MMA MEA & Dach CEO. “South Africa continues to deliver work that effectively integrates creativity, commercial discipline and global relevance.”

All the winners

MMA extends its thanks to all Smarties South Africa 2026 judges for their time, expertise and commitment to recognising the work shaping the future of marketing in South Africa.

Special thanks to the 2026 Grand Jury entrusted with selecting the industry’s highest accolades at this year’s Smarties Awards:

Bronwyn Pretorius, chief marketing officer, Ackermans; Karla Levick, chief marketing officer, Takealot; Dudu Mokholo, chief marketing officer, Pernod Ricard; Beyers van der Merwe, chief marketing officer, Pep; John Bradshaw, chief marketing officer, Spar; Vilosha Soni, chief marketing officer, PepsiCo; Diana Springer, head of group brand and marketing, Standard Bank; and jury chair Luisa Mazinter, chief growth officer, MeshTrade.