The iPendoring Awards has announced Thembalethu Msibi, Co-Founder and Creative Partner of BlackSwan, as Jury President for the 2026 awards programme, placing one of South Africa’s most respected purpose-driven creative leaders at the helm of this year’s adjudication process.
With a career spanning nearly two decades, Msibi has built a reputation for creating work that is culturally rooted, strategically sharp and emotionally resonant. Through BlackSwan, she has led through-the-line campaigns for brands including Telkom, KFC, Absa, Clicks, South African Airways and the Joburg Film Festival, while helping establish the agency as one of the country’s most influential independent creative businesses.
Her appointment comes at an important moment in the 2026 awards programme, as entries remain open until 28 August 2026 and the industry continues to submit work that celebrates the depth and diversity of South African creativity.
“Thembalethu brings a fresh perspective to this year’s adjudication and is a natural fit to lead the jury. She understands that language carries culture, context and connection, which is exactly what iPendoring exists to celebrate” says iPendoring General Manager Eben Keun.
Msibi has served as a judge at the Loeries, iPendoring and Effie Awards, and has held leadership roles including membership of the Creative Circle EXCO and the ABInBev Braintrust. Her experience spans integrated campaigns, brand design, live activations and sponsorship, giving her a broad understanding of how ideas connect with audiences across platforms and communities.
Speaking about the role, Msibi says: “The strongest creative work understands people beyond the brief. When communication is shaped by lived experience, it becomes more honest, more nuanced and more powerful. iPendoring plays an important role in recognising ideas that are not simply translated into indigenous languages, but conceived and felt within them.”
This year’s judging panel brings together leading creatives, strategists, designers, writers and storytellers from across South Africa’s advertising and communications industry. The judges will evaluate entries through a digital adjudication process, with formal judging taking place in Johannesburg on 3 and 4 September 2026.
Entries for the 2026 iPendoring Awards
Entries for the 2026 iPendoring Awards are now open and will close on 28 August 2026, with the awards ceremony taking place in November 2026. iPendoring remains one of the few creative platforms dedicated specifically to recognising excellence in indigenous language advertising and communication. Over the years, it has become a space where cultural authenticity is not treated as a niche category, but as a source of creative power.
As the industry prepares for this year’s awards, the message behind #SayMo is clear: the strongest ideas are often the ones that sound most like home.
Entries for the 2026 iPendoring Awards remain open until 28 August 2026.
For more information and entry details, visit www.pendoring.co.za
