2026 Leadership Award
Rising Star of the Year
South Africa's best marketer under 35 - redefining what great marketing looks like.
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Most young marketers are told to wait their turn. Rising Stars don't.
This award is for marketers 35 or younger who've already delivered - strategic thinking that works, commercial acumen that shows, creative solutions that land.
You've integrated disciplines. You've led without a title, or with one you earned early. You've made your organisation better at marketing.
The Rising Star of the Year celebrates exceptional young marketers who think differently, challenge the status quo, and push the discipline forward with measurable results. Not potential. Proof.
If your work has already changed the conversation, this award is for you.To qualify for the Rising Star of the Year Award, you must:
- Be 35 years of age or younger at the date of entry
- Have been in a marketing role for at least four years
- Be nominated or endorsed by a senior executive from within your organisation
- Have executed a company-wide integrated campaign or marketing initiative with many moving parts
If you own your own business, a letter of nomination must be submitted by a senior executive in a partner organisation.
Your entry has three parts:
- A short video under 5 minutes covering: what makes you a great marketer, your role in your organisation's marketing, how you keep your skills sharp, how you develop others, and what you see as the core skills of a marketer in 2030
- A brief bio of 750 words or less detailing career highlights - your wow moments, recent lowlights, and lessons learned. Include up to 5 links to projects you're proud of
- An integrated case study in PDF format, no more than 10 pages including images, covering what you set out to do, how you did it, and what your results were
Entry fee: R500
- Nominations for this season are now closed
As a senior executive, you will be asked to complete a short nomination form on behalf of your nominee. The form covers:
- How this person's efforts have contributed to value creation, growth, and business outcomes in your organisation
- What makes them different to other young marketers
- Their personal and leadership characteristics in their marketing function
- How they embrace the art and science of marketing
Once nominated, your nominee will receive everything they need to complete their entry.