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The 2025 FM AdFocus Awards are calling on agencies that don’t just create—but perform. This year, we recognise those who have mastered the power of Creative Capital to deliver both business growth and client ROI.

We’re looking for agencies that have built their own agency value through financial performance, talent acquisition, culture, and resilience—while delivering tangible results through strategic creativity and business acumen.

## Winners of the 2025 FM AdFocus Awards announced **Here’s which outstanding agencies and individuals took home top honours this year** After fierce deliberation among an esteemed jury of industry heavyweights chaired by Ogilvy MD Vicki Buys, the winners of the 2025 Financial Mail AdFocus Awards were announced at a gala dinner in Johannesburg on Wednesday. Launched in 1990, these prestigious annual awards have become a landmark event in the local marketing and communications landscape, celebrating agencies and individuals for their creativity, marketing skills and all-round business acumen. This year’s theme, “Creative Capital: Building Agency Value in a Complex World”, reflects the evolution of agencies from “just” creative shops to businesses that build value through strategic and impact creativity. Here’s who took home top honours: **AdFocus Small Agency of the Year** * Winner: Retroviral * Finalists: Boundless, Halo **AdFocus Medium Agency of the Year** * Winner: The Odd Number * Finalists: Clockwork, McCann Jhb **AdFocus Large Agency of the Year** * Winner: Joe Public * Finalists: M&C Saatchi Abel, Ogilvy **AdFocus PR Agency of the Year** * Winner: Ogilvy PR * Finalists: Magna Carta, Razor PR **AdFocus Specialised Agency of the Year** * Winner: Ogilvy One * Finalists: Design Bridge and Partners, Mscsports **AdFocus Media Agency of the Year** * Winner: Carat * Finalists: Connect, Juno **AdFocus Partnership of the Year** This category is sponsored by IAS — Independent Agency Search and Selection Company. * Winner: Ogilvy SA and Volkswagen * Finalists: The MediaShop and Shoprite Checkers, 99c and Checkers **AdFocus African Impact Award** * Winner: Dentsu * Finalists: M&C Saatchi — Up&Up Group, TBWA **AdFocus Transformation Award** * Winner: Park Advertising * Finalists: Lobengula, Ogilvy **AdFocus Group of the Year** * Winner: Ogilvy * Finalists: Dentsu, M&C Saatchi — Up&Up Group **AdFocus Student of the Year** * Winner: Abigael Cassell — Cape Town Creative Academy * Finalists: Alice Bosch — Cape Town Creative Academy, Danica Viljoen — IIE Vega Cape Town **AdFocus Agency of the Year** * Winner: Ogilvy **Lifetime Achiever** * Winner: Mike Abel, executive chairman and founder of The Up&Up Group **Industry Leader of the Year** * Winner: Dawn Rowlands, CEO of Dentsu Sub-Saharan Africa **Shapeshifter Award** * Winner: Melusi Mhlungu, founder and CCO of We Are Bizarre **FM Creative Challenge** * Winner: Joe Public for Chicken Licken’s “Tell us you’re South African without telling us you’re South African” campaign