14 Years of Excellence

The WesBank New Generation Social & Digital Media Awards continue to serve as the definitive benchmark for South Africa’s digital landscape. Recognized as the country’s largest independent, performance-based accolades, we celebrate the pinnacle of achievement across social-first marketing, digital media, AI, creativity, integrated marketing, and online technology.

We shine a spotlight on the visionaries who bridge the gap between human connection and advanced technology—redefining brands, maximizing ROI, and meeting the evolving demands of today’s modern consumer with brilliant, creative strategy.

Over the past 13 years, New Gen has processed over 6,000 submissions from corporates, agencies, students, individuals, and brands and bestowed more than 1,700 accolades, codifying the industry’s most impactful work into a lasting legacy. Across 60 specialized categories, we provide a rigorous platform for leading brands and agencies to showcase the 'Architecture of Leadership'—demonstrating how disruptive creativity and cutting-edge tech drive measurable ROI.

For the second consecutive year, we are honoured to welcome back WesBank as our Platinum Headline Naming Sponsor. In celebration of this continued partnership, the awards will be named The WesBank New Generation Awards through May 2027, reflecting our sustained commitment to excellence in the digital landscape. The WesBank New Generation Awards: 'We move with you."

"New Gen is also thrilled to welcome Mettlestate and Naritive as official Brand Sponsors for the 2026 Awards."

🏆 "More than an accolade, a New Gen Award validates true excellence amidst a rapid digital shift. It represents the intersection of pure data and creative brilliance—the space where impactful strategy, human connection, and advanced technology come together to redefine brands that become part of our industry's legacy." — Stephen Paxton, Awards Founder.

CRUCIAL 2026 ENTRY MILESTONES:

  • Core Window: Entries will be considered for work that has been commercially launched in South Africa between May 1st, 2025, and June 12th, 2026.
  • Standard Entry Fee Phase: 01 May – 03 July 2026, midnight. Entries submitted on 3 July must be paid in full by 10 July to secure the standard rate. Late payments will incur a 10% surcharge. (This window has closed)
  • Late Entry Fee Phase: (10% Surcharge added to standard entry fees): 06 July – 17 July 2026, midnight. Entries submitted on 17 July must be paid in full by 24 July. (This window is open)

Witness the evolution of the awards at our most immersive Johannesburg ceremony yet!

“The 2026 Awards Gala marks a bold new era for the New Gen legacy. We have refined every detail to create a sleeker, sharper, and more impactful ceremony that honours the pace of the digital world. New Gen is shedding the traditional to embrace the dynamic, creating a stage dedicated to the work and people behind it. Mark your calendars for September 23rd at NH Sandton, in their newly transformed event space, which is set to become one of Sandton's most talked-about event destinations. This is the night Johannesburg witnesses the pinnacle of South African digital achievement.” 

Interested in elevating your brand at the 2026 awards? To explore our bespoke sponsorship packages, please email stephen@newgenawards.co.za 

Previous Sponsors include: Endemol, Old Mutual, Liquorice, Standard Bank, Brave Group/Forge by Brave, MultiChoice, DStv, Volkswagen Financial Services South Africa, MediaCom, FujiFilm SA, Supersonic/MTN, WeGather, Futuretech Media, YOUKNOW Digital, Brandwatch, JustPalm TV, Arc Interactive, Joe Public, Disrupt Technology Advisors, Wunderman Thompson/VML, Helm Digital, Wimpy South Africa, Algorithm Agency, WesBank, our current Headline Naming Sponsor in 2025 & 2026, Mettlestate and Naritive, our 2026 Brand Sponsors, and Unilever South Africa, our 2026 Bronze Sponsor.

SCROLL DOWN FOR THE ENTRY FEES AND JUDGING PANEL. CLICK BELOW FOR THE CATEGORIES & ENTRY GUIDELINES.

2026 JURY MEMBERS

  • ASTRD11

    Astrid Ascar – Chief Growth Officer at VML South Africa - Head Judge

    Head Judge Astrid Ascar has over 30 years of experience in marketing, communications, and media. She describes herself as a storyteller who has little time for jargon and complicated concepts when she’s helping clients sell their brands.
  • Image Mondre

    Mondrē Bremner, Senior Manager: Digital Channels Strategy | Integrated Marketing & Experience at Nedbank

    Mondré Bremner is an award-winning digital marketing strategist with over a decade of experience leading social, content, and digital transformation across Africa. 
  • Roxana

    Roxana Ravjee, Ex CEO of dentsu South Africa

    Roxana Ravjee is the ex CEO of dentsu South Africa. Her role as CEO saw her oversee six agencies and a team of over 422 people across Carat and iProspect, Dentsu Creative JHB and Cape Town, dentsu X, Dentsu Performance
  • Tristan Profile Pic

    Tristan Vogt, Head of Innovation at Ogilvy

    Tristan is Head of Innovation across Ogilvy South Africa, following his role as Head of Creative Technology and Creative Partner at Ogilvy One, where he led multidisciplinary teams, the Innovation Lab and the Creative Technology Academy.
  • Thato High Res

    Thato Soato, Senior Specialist: Digital Marketing at Vodacom

    Thato is known for delivering standout, multi-award-winning marketing campaigns that drive business results. With extensive experience at Vodacom, she’s led some of the company's most impactful work, including the 30th birthday campaign.
  • Lauren Boundless

    Lauren Dixon-Paver, Senior Social Art Director at Boundless

    Due to a tragic misreading of the 2001 cinematic masterpiece "Josie and the Pussycats", Lauren works in advertising. As a Senior Social Art Director at Boundless, Lauren gets paid to be chronically online, make cool things, and cause mischief. 
  • Nickolas pic

    Nick van Zyl-Smith, CEO of Naritive

    Nick van Zyl-Smith is the CEO of Naritive, an African-born advertising technology company focused on helping brands and agencies earn, measure, and convert human attention. 
  • Capture Dani

    Dani Morley - Executive Head, Growth - Shyft and Global Markets Retail, Standard Bank

    With over 20 years of experience in digital innovation and agency start-up environments, Dani joined Standard Bank in 2022, leading the growth strategy for the award-winning global retail forex & investment app, “Shyft”.
  • Xolisa

    Xolisa Koyana, Creative Director at Penquin

    Xolisa Koyana is a South African creative thinker with a passion for helping brands connect with people in ways that feel meaningful, culturally relevant, and human. Xolisa works across strategy, marketing, activations, content, and brand development.
  • MS Headshots 0077 Barry

    Barry Louzada, Founder & Managing Director of Mettlestate

    Barry Louzada is the Founder and Managing Director of Mettlestate, one of Africa's largest gaming and esports platforms, connecting brands with more than 7 million gamers through tournaments, creators, grassroots communities, universities and live...
  • IMG 8615 DASH

    Dashni Vilakazi, Managing Director of The MediaShop

    Dashni Vilakazi is a dynamic leader in the media and marketing industry, bringing over two decades of expertise to the field. As the Managing Director of The MediaShop, South Africa’s largest media agency, she has led the agency to numerous accolades.
  • Jacques MDLZ

    Jacques Bezuidenhout, Equity Manager: Chocolate South and East Africa at Mondelēz International

    Jacques specialises in brand, communication, content, and creative strategy, big creative idea origination, and integrated marketing communication. He's currently unlocking growth for some of South Africa’s most iconic snacking brands...
  • Celia pic

    Celia Collins, Commercial Officer & Digital Transformation at Omnicom Media

    With more than 25 years of experience in the media, advertising, and communications industry, Celia Collins is a highly accomplished business leader known for driving growth, transformation, and innovation across Africa. 
  • Yvette Naidu Profile Pic

    Yvette Gengan, Managing Director at Lucid Performance

    Yvette leads Lucid, a digital performance agency of 60 specialists built for what marketing needs now — clarity, action, and results. I've spent the last 10+ years working across various roles in the digital landscape.
  • Rob Garden

    Rob Garden, Creative & Communications Director at Mscsports

    With more than 13 years’ experience in sponsorship and sports marketing, Rob has worked with leading brands in South Africa and the UK, including Heineken, Engen, Telkom, SuperSport, Nedbank and KFC.
  • PHOTO 2024 11 14 09 16 53 courtney

    Courtney Chapple, Director of AI and New Business, Forge by Brave / Brave Group

    Courtney Chapple is an award-winning marketing and innovation leader with over 15 years of experience spanning creative strategy, client leadership, and AI-driven transformation. Currently serving as the Director of AI
  • Katie

    Katie (Lu) Alomia, Fractional CMO

    Katie Alomia is a senior marketing and growth leader with over 20 years of experience across financial services and FMCG, having held leadership roles at Old Mutual, Discovery Vitality, SAB, Heineken and TNS Kantar. 
  • Lee Smith 9

    Lee Smith, Digital & AI Marketing Executive at RCL FOODS

    Lee has over 15 years’ marketing experience across various FMCG businesses where she has worked in markets across the African continent. Most recently, Lee has been leading RCL’s Digital and AI growth strategy.
  • Jeremy profile 1

    Jeremy Crowder - Managing Partner at Dialogue

    With 22 years of award-winning industry experience behind him as a suit and no-nonsense client-whisperer in some of SA’s top agencies, Jeremy knows all sides of the brand business better than most – both in terms of what works and what doesn’t.
  • IMG 0865

    Zanele Zwane, Managing Director at HaveYouHeard Marketing Agency

    Zanele is a seasoned advertising & marketing professional with 18+ years of experience managing advertising departments at local, regional, and global companies. 
  • Justine Headshot

    Justine Nienaber, CEO at PUNKYSTARFISH

    Justine Nienaber is the Co-Founder of Punkystarfish, an award-winning digital marketing agency known for helping brands build meaningful connections through social media, digital strategy, influencer marketing, content production.
  • Dudu Ngomane CREACHA

    Duduzile Ngomane, Creative Director at CREACHA

    Duduzile Ngomane is the Creative Director at CREACHA with almost 2 decades of experience in branding and visual identity. Being a hands-on creative means she judges from inside the process, with firsthand experience of the grit and grind behind delivering...
  • Jamie Profile

    Jamie-Leigh Barnett, Director of Growth & Development, Algorithm

    Jamie-Leigh is a dynamic leader in digital marketing, specialising in strategic growth, business development, and brand positioning. As Director of Growth & Development at Algorithm, she drives high-impact marketing initiatives.
  • Darren New 7110e457e919be2e5370508433e99da0

    Darren Morris, CEO at Lucky Hustle Agency

    Darren Morris is the founder and CEO of Lucky Hustle, a digital-first creative agency built for brands and bold CMOs ready to push boundaries.
  • MERISSA NEW

    Merissa Himraj, Independent Media and Marketing Strategist

    Merissa Himraj is an Independent Media and Marketing Strategist and former Client President, South Africa, at WPP Media. 
  • Blue Robot K Oosthuizen 240712 1

    Kyle Oosthuizen, Ceo of Blue Robot

    Kyle Oosthuizen is CEO of Blue Robot, a MarTech company delivering digital advertising solutions across EMEA, with recent expansion into APAC and LATAM. With 12 years in digital and advertising, he has led and contributed to thousands of campaigns...
  • Capture Kath16

    Kathryn McKay, Executive Creative Partner, Black&White (The Up&Up Group South Africa)

    Kathryn has been a strategic ECD, specialising in CRM/DM and Loyalty for more than 25 years, and has won more than 40 awards across a variety of blue-chip brands.
  • Jenna Fenix Marketing

    Jenna Chisnall, Co-Founder and Director at Fenix Marketing

    “As Co-Founder of Fenix Marketing, an independent owner-run marketing agency, I’ve spent the past 20 years helping brands grow through marketing that delivers measurable results.
  • Capturetara

    Tara Turkington – CEO, Flow Communications

    Tara Turkington founded Flow Communications in 2005. Flow specialises in social media, web and app development, content writing and editing, graphic design, digital marketing, public relations, and media training.
  • Darren

    Darren Leishman - Cofounder & CEO, Spitfire Inbound

    Darren Leishman is the Managing Director and Co-founder of Spitfire Inbound, a leading inbound marketing, sales, and service consultancy based in South Africa, with 30 years of experience in the advertising, digital, and design industries.
  • CIARAN 28

    Ciarán McKivergan, Chief Creative Strategist | Visionary Founder | Cultural & Tech Trend Analyst, 8909 Digital

    Ciarán McKivergan is a creative strategist, founder, and cultural trend analyst with over 13 years of experience leading award-winning digital campaigns across the globe and dual degrees in Psychology and Media Studies.
  • 1759040434067

    Stephen Paxton, Founding Director, New Generation Awards - Does not judge...

    With 30 years of international experience in marketing and media, Stephen Paxton is the architect behind South Africa’s largest independent awards program, 'The New Generation Awards.'

why enter the awards?

The Benchmark for Marketing and Creative Excellence

1. Validate Your Strategic Architecture

In an era of AI-driven systems and shifting algorithms, winning a New Gen Award proves that your strategy isn't just "functional"—it’s architectural. It shows that your brand combines human creativity with technical mastery to deliver measurable results.

2. Elevate Your Market Authority

A New Gen accolade is more than a trophy; it is a commercial asset. Previous winners have seen a direct increase in agency and brand demand, and a total recalibration of how their platforms and services are viewed by stakeholders and competitors alike.

3. Attract and Retain Elite Talent

The "New Gen" brand is synonymous with innovation. Winning gives your team the earned confidence that their work delivers "Real Impact," not just engagement. It positions your organization as the premier destination for the industry’s top creative and technical minds.

4. Benchmark Against the Best

Join a 14-year legacy of excellence. With a judging panel of industry giants and a history of celebrating over 1700 accolades among top innovators, entering allows you to measure your work alongside your peers and against the highest standards of the South African digital landscape, from across the corporate & agency sectors. 

Don't take our word for it!

"The New Gen Awards have been a catalyst for our strategic evolution. Beyond validation, they've given our team data-backed confidence that our work drives measurable impact, not just engagement. This elevated market positioning has directly accelerated agency demand, elevating how our platform is viewed in the market, and solidified the high-value partnerships that fuel our growth."

Kyle Oosthuizen, CEO at Blue Robot Group. 

2026 ENTRY FEES & DEADLINES

Standard Entry Fees (excl. VAT) - Entries submitted between 01 May and 03 July 2026 - Midnight (Full payment by 10 July to secure the standard rate. Late payments will incur a 10% surcharge) - CLOSED

  • R2,500 per entry per category - Corporate Categories, Agency Categories, and Online Media & Tools Categories.
  • R2,700 per entry per category - Black Onyx Award Categories.

Late Entry Fees (excl VAT) - (10% added to standard entry fee). Entries submitted between 06 July and 17 July, 2026 - (Deadline day entries must be paid in full by 24 July) - OPEN

  • R2,750 per entry per category - Corporate Categories, Agency Categories, and Online Media & Tools Categories.
  • R2,970 per entry per category - Black Onyx Award Categories.

Student Rates: These rates will remain the same until the final entry deadline on 17 July. 

  • R1,150 per entry - Student Group Category  
  • R900.00 per entry - Individual Student Category
  • R850.00 per entry - NGO Rate

Please note: The categories "Digital Brand of the Year," "Large Agency of the Year," and "Overall Social & Digital Corporate of the Year" are free of charge, as winners are selected based on overall performance across the competition. You are not required to complete entry forms for these categories. 

Once we receive your entries, our accounts department will issue an invoice. Full payment is required before entries are marked.

Bank Transfer Payments only | Credit Card Payments not accepted | No Online Payments 

2025 Highlights

Awards Sponsors & Partners

  • WB Logo RGB
  • Red mettlestate
  • Naritive1
  • Flow Logo On White
  • Mmlogo
  • WM2024

Gallery

News

Article Image

The 14th Annual WesBank New Generation Awards Announces Esteemed Judging Panel

July 02, 2026

A premier awards platform requires a premier line-up of minds. The 14th Annual WesBank New Generation Awards are proud to reveal the official judging panel, a powerhouse collective of 31 South African...

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WesBank New Gen Awards Announces Naritive as a Brand Sponsor

June 21, 2026

✨ New Sponsor Announcement! ✨New Gen is proud to welcome homegrown adtech company Naritive on board as a Brand Sponsor for the 2026 WesBank New Generation Awards.

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WesBank New Gen Awards Announces Mettlestate as a Brand Sponsor

June 21, 2026

➡️ New Sponsor Announcement! ⬅️ New Gen is absolutely thrilled to announce Mettlestate as an official Brand Sponsor for the 2026 WesBank New Generation Awards!

The 14th Annual Wes Bank New Generation Awards Announces Early Bird Entries

The 14th Annual WesBank New Generation Awards Opens Entries

June 09, 2026

The WesBank New Generation Social & Digital Media Awards continue to serve as the definitive benchmark for South Africa’s digital landscape. Recognized as the country’s largest independent, performance-based accolades, we celebrate the pinnacle of achievement across...