Effie South Africa, hosted by the Association for Communication and Advertising (ACA), has announced the full jury panel for the 2025 Effie Awards programme, with this year’s theme reminding us that “You Can’t Fake Real Impact.” The Effie Awards remain the globally recognised benchmark for marketing effectiveness, rewarding ideas that are grounded in insight, fuelled by creativity, and proven to deliver real business results.
Returning to lead the adjudication process are jury co-chairs Refilwe Maluleke, executive head of marketing at Discovery Health, and Ahmed Tilly, creative advisor and director at Number 10 – A Creative Consultancy.
Refilwe Maluleke commented:
“Great marketing doesn’t just make noise—it makes impact. The Effies celebrating marketing effectiveness is critical to our industry because it proves that creativity can drive results, strategy can spark growth, and every campaign can be a catalyst for real-world impact…”
Ahmed Tilly added:
“Advertising that works has been the order of the day for the past 10 years. Now, the need from brands is for advertising and marketing to go beyond just working. We need to shift needles. The survival of business depends on it, especially in a new and unpredictable world. And for that to happen, wildly creative, delightfully surprising and shockingly authentic creativity is required. Effies 2025 will celebrate that calibre of work because that’s what it will take to give our community any place in the future.”
2025 Effie Jury
The Effie South Africa jury comprises leaders across the marketing and communications ecosystem-drawn from brand, agency, media, research, and strategic roles. Judges are selected for their track record, depth of experience, and understanding of effectiveness.
Round One judges will review all eligible cases, with Round Two handled by a more senior group of jurors tasked with evaluating the highest-scoring campaigns to determine the finalists and winners. The Grand Effie Jury – a separate and senior panel – will be announced in the coming weeks.
Round One Judging takes place on 10 July, followed by Round Two on 24 July. The Effie Awards Gala will be held on 23 October 2025.
A full list of 2025 Effie Judges is included below.
JUDGEDESIGNATIONAGENCY/COMPANYRefilwe Maluleke (Jury Co- Chair)Executive Head of MarketingDiscovery HealthAhmed Tilly (Jury Co- Chair)Creative AdvisorNumber 10 – A Creative ConsultancyAkona GolimpiCreative DirectorBrave GroupAlex GoldbergCreative PartnerOgilvy South AfricaAlleric KalicharanHead of MarketingLocation BankAmmarah IssufoMarketing Manager – Digital, PR & Social InfluenceUnilever Home CareAna Maria PanaitSenior Manager LaundryUnileverAndreas “Dre” ShifotokaHead of Digital and InnovationPublicis Groupe AfricaAnele Nzimande-MaphangaHead of PRUnileverAnietie Udoh Divisional Director Marketing/Editorial Marketing Edge Publication LtdAntonio Petra Marketing Strategy & Innovation SpecialistVML South AfricaArpan SurCMO, Sub Saharan Africa Business UnitMondelezAtiyya KarodiaStrategy DirectorAKQABabalwa NyembeziStrategy Partner DentsuBarend StrydomSenior Digital Lead | Strategy & E-CommerceMindShare (WPP)Bianca SidelskyGroup Innovation DirectorPHD MediaBoitumelo MoeketsiIntegrated Creative Group HeadDuma Collective Brenda KhumaloFounder & Managing DirectorLobengula AdvertisingBuli NdlovuExecutive Head: Retail & Business Banking MarketingNedbankBuyi MafokoCo-founder/ Managing DirectorMatte BLKCandice GoodmanManaging DirectorMobitainmentCharles SitholeInsights ExecutiveIQ Business InsightsCleo CampbellHead of Media & Creative Capabilities AfricaThe South African Breweries (ABInBev)Coenie GrebeExecutive Creative DirectorHaloDashni VilakaziManaging DirectorThe MediaShopDermot LatimerFounder and Group CEO of Iconic CollectiveIconic CollectiveDesh GovenderGlobal Culture MarketerEx-TikTok Global Marketing LeadDhatchani NaidooManaging DirectorDelta Victor BravoDimpho KholaBrand and Comms StrategistHaloDono WhiteStrategy DirectorVML South AfricaDudu MokholoCMO East and Southern Africa (ESAR)Nestle ESARElihle ObiMarketing Director Schneider Electric South Africa and Anglophone Africa Erna GeorgeSA Insights & Analytics Senior DirectorPepsiCoEthel RamosManaging Director Evan KottonDigital Media StrategistMediologyIlle PotgieterManaging DirectorM&C Saatchi Abel, Cape TownJames CloeteChief Creative OfficerRAPT Creative AgencyJason HarrisonFounder & Chief Operating OfficerThe Up & Up GroupJohannes KeiperStrategy Director M&C Saatchi Abel Jonathan WolbergExecutive Creative DirectorHappy FridayJulia Ridderhof Integrated Strategic Planner Joe Public Kathleen DavisDivisional Executive – Film & Entertainment division at GIBGIB Insurance Brokers (Pty) LtdKhensani-Wonder MabundaCEOKW KreativesKyle CarsonMarketing Director: Snacks, Treats & BeveragesTiger Brands LimitedKyle OosthuizenCEOBlue RobotLanga KhanyileMarketing DirectorPepsiCoLara ChatzkelowitzStrategy DirectorTBWA Hunt LascarisLebo MokwenaCreative Producer WWP Group Africa Lesego KotaneCSOTBWA South AfricaLloyd WybrowStrategy DirectorOLIVER South AfricaLorraine LandonHead of Advertising Products and Solutions SSAGoogleLoyiso TwalaChief Creative OfficerMcCann JoburgMarcelle DuncanHead of BrandBMWMasego MotsogiManaging DirectorM&C Saatchi Abel JohannesburgMathabo Diale Managing Partner M&C Saatchi Abel Mathew WaltonMarketing Manager: Savanna CiderHeineken BeveragesMaxine Selmer-OlsenSenior StrategistHaloMia RoetsExperience Design DirectorJoe PublicMichael CostHead of Strategy and Client DevelopmentHumanzMike SharmanChief Creative OfficerRetroviralModjadji MashatolaHead of StrategyMcCann JoburgMogorosi MashiloFounder & Director TrendERNatalie Wilson Managing DirectorDENTSU CREATIVE South AfricaNoelle AugustusCreative Group HeadOgilvyNonkululeko MabenaHead of StrategyPromiseNtokozo NhlanhlaExecutive Creative DirectorDigitas LiquoricePaula HulleyManaging DirectorDigitas LiquoricePeter LangaFounder & CEOLanga ElevenRay LangaGroup Chief Executive Officer – South AfricaLeagas DelaneyRayhaan MehtarHead of StrategyThe Odd NumberReagen KokManaging Director FCB AfricaRene FowlerHead of Integrated Media Operations Juno/Joe PublicReshma Lakha-SinghHead: MarketingWits UniversityRuan Van BiljonStrategic Account Manager : Social & Influencer LeadEssenceMediacom South AfricaSaiesh AjudhiyaHead of Media, Creative & InnovationKantarSarah DexterCEO / CSOMullenLoweSenzo XuluHead of DigitalThe Odd NumberShelley-Ann AtkinsonCEOMurmurSibu MabenaCCODuma CollectiveSimphiwe SenyatsiSenior Art DirectorTBWAHuntLascarisSindiwe MbikoGroup Porfolio Lead: Group PR, Digital Content and Corporate Communications Momentum Group (Formerly Momentum Metropolitan Holdings)Siwelile ThusiLead Strategist M&C Saatchi AbelStruan Campbell Group Partner Octagon Africa Group Sunshine ShibamboIntergrated Director The Racket ClubTanya SchreuderCEOJuno Media Tarryn FowlerMarketing DirectorRainbow Chicken Ltd.Tegan HenchieHead of StrategyThe South African Breweries (ABInBev)Tlalane MakapeGeneral Manager: Brand & CommunicationsNando’s South AfricaToni HughesCreative Director (Snr)McCann JoburgTseliso RangakaChief Creative OfficerAccenture SongTshenolo KoloaneHead of Brand Strategy & PurposeAvon Justine South AfricaVeronica MoleeleCEOPenquinVilosha SoniChief Marketing OfficerPepsiCoVuyokazi HendaChief Marketing OfficerSpur CorpYuvisti RamgulamDirector, Client Service MEAOLIVER MEAYvonne MazengeraHead of BrandBusiness OwnerZachary KingstonChief Strategy OfficerFCBZahra MirzaManaging Director HKLMZakithi MncwangoCategory Marketing ManagerNestlé Zeenat MahomedHead of StrategyRed Corner
Gillian Rightford, executive director of the ACA, which hosts the Effie Awards South Africa, noted:“Effie Awards South Africa is proud to once again honour effectiveness as the true measure of marketing success. The calibre of this year’s jury reflects the diversity of disciplines that power great work – from data, strategy and media to creative and brand leadership. We thank them for devoting their time and expertise to this critical process. The value lies not only in awarding work that works – but in interrogating, uncovering and challenging the thinking behind it.”
Effie Awards South Africa is proudly sponsored by Nedbank, SAB, Unilever, GIB Insurance, and Investec.
Rightford concluded:
“We look forward to uncovering the strongest campaigns, and in so doing celebrating the agency–client partnerships that have created the most effective campaigns in South Africa.”
For more information visit the Effie South Africa website at www.effieawards.co.za or visit www.acasa.co.za.
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