Effie South Africa is introducing two new local rankings for its 2026 awards season: Agency of the Year and Marketer of the Year.
The new recognitions will be announced at the 2026 Effie Awards South Africa Gala alongside this year’s winners. According to Effie South Africa, the move is aimed at adding another layer of recognition for consistent performance across the local marketing industry.
Unlike category awards, these rankings will be based on overall performance across the South African programme. Finalists and winners will earn points using a system aligned with the global Effie Index methodology, but the local rankings will remain separate from the international index.
That means agencies and marketers will be recognised for sustained effectiveness across multiple campaigns, rather than a single standout project.
Gillian Rightford, executive director of the Association for Communication and Advertising, which runs Effie South Africa, said the change is intended to reward work that can prove its impact.
“By introducing Agency of the Year and Marketer of the Year rankings locally, Effie South Africa is adding another meaningful layer to our awards celebration,” – Gillian Rightford.
She added, “It recognises consistency and performance across the programme”.
The announcement comes as entries for the 2026 awards are now officially open.
Campaigns are eligible if they ran in South Africa between 1 February 2025 and 31 January 2026. For the Sustained Success category, campaigns must have run between 1 February 2023 and 31 January 2026.
Entry dates are:
- Early Bird: 1 April to 30 April
- On-Time: 1 May to 14 May
- Last Minute: 15 May to 29 May
Effie says finalists and winners will also continue to earn points on the global Effie Index, which tracks marketing effectiveness across international markets.
For local agencies and brands, the new rankings add another incentive to enter work that can demonstrate clear results.
