# Entries for 2025 AdFocus Awards Open! **Entries for 2025 AdFocus Awards Open!** Entries for the 2025 Financial Mail (FM) AdFocus Awards will open on 12 June and close on 15 August. A landmark on the South African marketing and communications landscape, the AdFocus Awards are unique in that they recognise agencies and individuals in the business of creativity. #### THEME: CREATIVE CAPITAL 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 impactful creativity. “In today's complex environment, agencies must leverage their 'Creative Capital' to drive growth for their clients, if they want to drive growth for themselves,” says Vicki Buys, Managing Director of Ogilvy and this year’s AdFocus Awards chairperson. “The awards will celebrate agencies that demonstrate how they have successfully built their own agency value — financial performance, talent, culture, innovation — and delivered tangible business results for their clients through strategic and impactful creative solutions. “The focus will be on the business of creativity, not just the art of it,” explains Buys. #### 2025 JURY The jury comprises industry leaders from both agencies and clients. Jury members serve a two-year term. Buys will be joined on the jury by returning jurors: * Katherine Madley, Executive: Marketing, Brand & Digital, Pick n Pay * Sbu Sitole, CCO and Founder, The Odd Number * Chris Botha, Group MD, Park Advertising * Yatish Narsi, Chief Marketing Officer, MultiChoice Group * Dustin Chick, CEO, Razor PR, The Up & Up Group ### New Jury Members The AdFocus Awards also welcome the following new jury members: * Musa Kalenga, Group Chief Executive Officer, Brave Group * Carl Willoughby, Chief Creative Officer, TBWA\Hunt Lascaris * Paula Hulley, Managing Director, Digitas Liquorice * Tanya Schreuder, CEO, Juno * Mukondi Ralushayi Kgomo, Co-founder and CEO, Think Creative Africa “I am really looking forward to the debate in the jury room with this diverse panel of judges. “Everyone on the panel believes in the business of creativity and is well placed to judge who the leading agencies in their categories are,” says Buys. ### THE ADFOCUS AWARDS CATEGORIES ### AdFocus Agency Awards * Large Agency of the Year * Medium Agency of the Year * Small Agency of the Year * Specialised Agency of the Year * Public Relations Agency of the Year * Media Agency of the Year * Agency Group of the Year ### AdFocus Category Awards * Transformation Award * Partnership Award * Africa Impact Award ### AdFocus Individual Awards * Shapeshifter of the Year * Industry Leader of the Year * Lifetime Achievement Award * Student of the Year *The overall award, Agency of the Year, is selected by the jury from among the entries.* ### How to Enter the 2025 AdFocus Awards To enter the 2025 FM AdFocus Awards, you’ll need to complete an online questionnaire and submit supporting documents on the AdFocus Awards website. Here’s how to enter, step by step: 1. Register an account on the AdFocus Awards website. 2. You’ll receive a confirmation email. 3. Log in to the AdFocus Awards website. 4. Fill in the questionnaire for the award category you'd like to enter: * Select '**Agency Awards**' for agency award questionnaires. * Select 'Nominations' for individual award questionnaires. * For agency awards, first select '**Agency Details**' and ensure that the type of agency reflected in the drop-down menu (i.e., Large, Medium, Specialist, and so on) corresponds with the award category you'd like to enter. Then click '**Save'**. Next, select 'Entry Details' to access the questionnaire. 5. Once you've completed the relevant questionnaire, click the ‘**Submit**’ button. 6. Each questionnaire requires supporting documents (such as a case study or BEE certificate). To upload these, click the '**Upload Files**' button at the bottom of the page. Once uploaded, the filename will appear in a list below the button, serving as confirmation of your upload. Event Date: 26 November 2025 Email: adfocus100@gmail.com Website: www.adfocus.co.za