The 2021 Africa SABRE Awards, which recognises superior achievement in branding, reputation, and engagement, was announced at a virtual award ceremony on 27 May 2021. The campaigns were evaluated by a jury of industry leaders.
Platinum SABRE Award for Best in Show
Finalists:
- Kazi Mtaani — State Department for Housing and Urban Development with Oxygène Marketing Communications
- Project Fabric Campaign against the ban of second-hand clothes — Mitumba Association of Kenya with Hill+Knowlton Strategies Kenya
- Rebuilding Stakeholders' Trust in Kenya Airways — Kenya Airways with Edelman Africa
- Shoprite Group Corporate Image — The Shoprite Group Communications Team
- Touching Lives Through A Determined School Child - Dele Fathia — Lumos Nigeria with Modion Communications
Diamond SABRE Awards
Company of the year
Winner - JoJo: for water, for life — JoJo with KAMuses
CEO of the year
Winner - Profiling Sage Executive Vice-President for the Africa & Middle East region, Pieter Bensch — Sage with Idea Engineers
The SABRE Award for Superior Achievement in Brand-Building
Winner - Supporting Nigeria's Development Goals — Siemens with LSF
Certificates of Excellence:
- Clarity Charter — BDO in South Africa with Razor - M&C Saatchi Group South Africa
- JoJo: for water, for life — JoJo with KAMuses
The SABRE Award for Superior Achievement in Reputation Management
Winner - Clarity Charter — BDO in South Africa with Razor - M&C Saatchi Group South Africa
Certificates of Excellence:
- Mwatipanga Panali Panali - A Zambian Story — MultiChoice Zambia with Adlab, Khavongwe Moyo, Studio Zoo, Becky Ngoma, Centipetal Media, MultiChoice Talent Factory
- Sage: Responding to the Covid-19 pandemic — Sage with Idea Engineers
The SABRE Award for Superior Achievement in Research and Planning
Winner - Diversity & Inclusion - Dive In Nigeria 2020 — AON Lloyd's with Phyllion, Gong Communications
Certificates of Excellence:
- Project Fabric Campaign against the ban of second-hand clothes — Mitumba Association of Kenya with Hill+Knowlton Strategies Kenya
- Work.Reworked — Microsoft MEA with WE Communications
Geographic
Northern Africa
Winner: Philips Work The Beat — Philips
Western Africa
Winner: Supporting Nigeria's Development Goals — Siemens with LSF
Certificates of Excellence:
- #MeetArabaHollard #GhanaFirstVirtualInsurer (Launch of Hollard ChatInsure chatbot) — Hollard Insurance Ghana
- AfDB Covid-19 Response — African Development Bank with African Media Agency
- Nigeria Tech Innovation Challenge and MyClinic COVID-19 Solution — The National Information Technology Development Agency with Image Merchants Promotion
- Strong & Beautiful — Mega Growth with LSF
Eastern Africa
Winner: Project Fabric Campaign against the ban of second-hand clothes — Mitumba Association of Kenya with Hill+Knowlton Strategies Kenya
Certificates of Excellence:
- #AStarisborn — Toyota Kenya with Engage BCW, Kenya
- Kazi Mtaani — State Department for Housing and Urban Development with Oxygène Marketing Communication
- Komesha Corona — Ministry of ICT with Oxygène Marketing Communication
- The Believers — AfrAsia Bank with Contentify & Pixel
Southern Africa
Winner: Microsoft Safe@Home — Microsoft South Africa with FleishmanHillard South Africa
Certificates of Excellence:
- African Youth Survey 2020 — Ichikowitz Family Foundation with BCW Africa with Amsterdam Group
- Brut Elevator Pitch — Unilever with Edelman Africa
- HMD Media Relations — HMD / Nokia with FleishmanHillard South Africa
- Stay Well with SOLAL — SOLAL with Tribeca
Practice areas
Business-To-Business Marketing
Winner: Work.Reworked — Microsoft MEA with WE Communications
Certificate of Excellence:
- First Responders to the First Responders — Microsoft MEA with WE Communications
Cause-Related Marketing
Winner: Brut Elevator Pitch — Unilever with Edelman Africa
Certificates of Excellence:
- #OPPOcares — OPPO Kenya with Engage BCW
- #Sarovacares — Sarova Hotels with Engage BCW, Kenya
- ISN Medical Laboratory Scientist of The Year— ISN Medical with Integrated Indigo
- Learning through a pandemic with Vodacom e-School #ConnectingForGood — Vodacom with WE Communications
Corporate Image
Winner: Shoprite Group Corporate Image — The Shoprite Group Communications Team
Certificates of Excellence:
- Clarity Charter — BDO in South Africa with Razor - M&C Saatchi Group South Africa
- Driving business stability and stakeholder confidence through a consistent and contextual narrative — Bryte Insurance with Instinctif Partners Africa
- Rebuilding stakeholders' Trust in Kenya Airways — Kenya Airways with Edelman Africa
- The Believers — AfrAsia Bank with Contentify & Pixel
Corporate Social Responsibility
Winner: Touching Lives Through A Determined School Child - Dele Fathia — Lumos Nigeria with Modion Communications
Certificates of Excellence:
- KCB Group - 2jiajiri — KCB Foundation with Oxygène Marketing Communication
- Maltina Teacher of the Year — Nigerian Breweries Plc with Integrated Indigo
- MUA Learners Challenge — MUA with Circus! Advertising
- The Virtual Rotary Cancer Run 2020 — Centenary Bank with brainchild Burson Cohn & Wolfe
Crisis/Issues Management
Winner: How R5 turned into millions — The Shoprite Communications Team
Certificates of Excellence:
- #NWHbouncesback — Nairobi Women's Hospital with Engage BCW, Kenya
- EndSARS: Tackling Fake News for National Security — Department of State Security Service with Image Merchants Promotion
Digital Campaign
Winner: MUA Learners Challenge — MUA with Circus! Advertising
Certificates of Excellence:
- #BeautyAtHomeWithU — Unilever with Edelman Africa
- Netflix Blood & Water — Netflix with Clockwork, Eclipse Communications
Employee Communications
Winner: The Shoprite Group 2020 Employee Communications — The Shoprite Group Communications Team
Certificates of Excellence:
- “Building the Hollard in Hollardites” Employee Communications: Hollard Ghana — Hollard Ghana
- How Rugged Is Your Jeep? — Old Mutual Nigeria with Modion Communications
Financial Communications
Winner: #MeetArabaHollard #GhanaFirstVirtualInsurer (Launch of Hollard ChatInsure chatbot) — Hollard Insurance Ghana
Certificates of Excellence:
- Believe Different | Believers in a Better Tomorrow — AfrAsia Bank with Contentify and Pixel Render
- FBN Holdings Divestment — FBN Holdings with Chain Reactions Nigeria
- Virtual Vouchers — The Shoprite Group Communications Team
Integrated Marketing
Winner: #AStarisborn — Toyota Kenya with Engage BCW, Kenya
Certificates of Excellence:
- Dulux Colour Futures 2021 Integrated Marketing — Dulux South Africa with FleishmanHillard South Africa
- Launching Sage’s CFO 3.0 research and Sage Intacct — Sage with Idea Engineers
- Tansion nou pansion When businesses harness citizen support to influence Government's pension policy — Business Mauritius with Blast BCW
- Unity In Adversity — Jobberman with Media Panache Nigeria
Marketing to Consumers (New Product)
Winner: Sixty60 — The Shoprite Group Communications Team
Certificates of Excellence:
- Halo Heritage Boity Collection Launch — Halo Heritage with Eclipse Communications
- Vodabucks Rewards Programme — Vodacom with WE Communications
Marketing to Consumers (Existing Product)
Winner: Stay Well with SOLAL — SOLAL with Tribeca
Certificate of Excellence:
- Re-igniting a conversation around technology and education #ConnectingForGood — Vodacom with WE Communications
Media Relations
Winner: Local Initiatives Against Global Pandemic — City of Djougou with Opinion&Public
Certificates of Excellence:
- Brand Awareness — Adams with WE Communications
- Kagiso Trust In Media Relations — Kagiso Trust
Public Affairs/Government Relations
Winner: Kazi Mtaani — State Department for Housing and Urban Development with Oxygène Marketing Communication
Certificates of Excellence:
- Taking back the wheel — CAP'RUN with Blast BCW
- The Doka-Kajuru Peace Deal Against Ethno-Religious Crisis — Kaduna State Ministry of Internal Security with Image Merchants Promotion
Public Education
Winner: Diversity & Inclusion - Dive In Nigeria 2020 — AON Lloyd's with Phyllion, Gong Communications
Certificates of Excellence:
- #ChangeforHer — Newzroom Afrika with Razor - M&C Saatchi Group South Africa
- COVID - 19 Public Education Campaign — Mahogany Consult
- Kagiso Trust in Public Education — Kagiso Trust
- Koo The COVID Prefect — Ghana
Social Media Campaign
Winner: Xbox Hall of Fame — Microsoft with Clockwork
Certificates of Excellence:
- Absa LinkedIn Live Financial Results — Absa Group with FleishmanHillard South Africa
- Acer InstaPitch — Acer with Clockwork
- COVID-19 Social Media Plan — Newmont Ghana with Mahogany Consult
- Standard Bank It Can Be — Standard Bank with Clockwork
Special Event/Sponsorship
Winner: Applaud our Heroes — Lagos State Government with Chain Reactions Nigeria
Certificates of Excellence:
- Mega Growth x Me Time Summit — Mega Growth with LSF
- Phyllion Tech PR Conference 2020 — Phyllion IMC
Industry sectors
Associations
Winner: Tansion nou pansion When businesses harness citizen support to influence Government's pension policy — Business Mauritius with Blast BCW
Consumer Products/Services
Winner: HMD Media Relations — HMD / Nokia with FleishmanHillard South Africa
Certificates of Excellence:
- Dulux Colour Futures 2021 Social Media — Dulux South Africa with FleishmanHillard South Africa
- L'oreal Come Back Strategy — L'oreal With Strategic Communications Africa
Fashion & Beauty
Winner: Halo Heritage Boity Collection Launch — Halo Heritage with Eclipse Communications
Financial & Professional Services
Winner: KCB Group - 2jiajiri — KCB Foundation with Oxygène Marketing Communication
Certificates of Excellence:
- 50 Shades of Happiness — Leadway Assurance with Modion Communications
- Beyi Powa — Post Bank Uganda with brainchild Burson Cohn & Wolfe
- Diversity & Inclusion - Dive In Nigeria 2020 — AON Lloyd's with Phyllion, Gong Communications
- Sage: Responding to the COVID-19 pandemic — Sage with Idea Engineers
Food & Beverage
Winner: Danone Algeria Plant Closure — Danone Djurdjura Algerie with TBWA DJAZ
Certificates of Excellence:
- #Sarovacares — Sarova Hotels with Engage BCW, Kenya
- State of Nutrition - Eat Well Live Well — Tiger Brands with Razor - M&C Saatchi Group South Africa
Healthcare
Winner: Stay Well with SOLAL — SOLAL with Tribeca
Industrial/Manufacturing
Winner: Tomorrow’s Grid, Today — Eaton with Tribeca
Media, Arts & Entertainment
Winner: Netflix Blood & Water — Netflix with Clockwork, Eclipse Communications
Certificates of Excellence:
- Cartoon Network to the Rescue! — WarnerMedia with BCW Africa
- MultiChoice Uganda Media Showcase — MultiChoice Uganda with brainchild Burson Cohn & Wolfe
- Queen Sono Season One Launch — Netflix with Eclipse Communications
- TNT Original Movies - Escape from Pretoria — WarnerMedia with BCW Africa
Mining and Extractive Industries
Winner: How Siemens is spearheading Nigeria's power revolution — Siemens with LSF
Not for Profit/Charities
Winner: African Youth Survey 2020 — Ichikowitz Family Foundation with BCW Africa with Amsterdam Group
Certificates of Excellence:
- Its Up To Us — Mastercard Foundation with brainchild Burson Cohn & Wolfe
- Nat Nakasa Awards — SA National Editors Forum with Razor - M&C Saatchi Group South Africa
Public Sector/Government
Winner: Project Fabric Campaign against the ban of second-hand clothes — Mitumba Association of Kenya with Hill+Knowlton Strategies Kenya
Certificates of Excellence:
- #Askyouraviator — Kenya Civil Aviation Authority with Engage BCW
- Milestone communication to commemorate The 10-millionth passenger — Lagos Bus Services with Chain Reactions Nigeria
Technology
Winner: Microsoft Safe@Home — Microsoft South Africa with FleishmanHillard South Africa
Certificates of Excellence:
- Microsoft AI for media relations for technology — Microsoft South Africa with FleishmanHillard South Africa
- Philips Work The Beat — Philips
- Vodacom technology to support learning continuity during the COVID-19 pandemic — Vodacom with WE Communications
- Xbox Hall of Fame — Microsoft with Clockwork
Travel & Leisure
Winner: Rebuilding stakeholders' Trust in Kenya Airways — Kenya Airways with Edelman Africa
