Sunday Times GenNext Awards' winners announced

Image supplied. The 18th Sunday Times GenNext Awards’ winners

The brand also bagged the Coolest Clothing Brand and Coolest Footwear Brand awards. BMW placed overall second, while adidas moved into overall third spot from its 7th place position in 2021.

The winners across 70 categories of the Sunday Times GenNext survey, conducted by Yellowwood, were announced during a hybrid event celebration on 15 September 2022.

Barometer of the youth

The Sunday Times GenNext survey is a barometer of what South Africa’s youth find on-trend and aspirational, and delivers insights that are valued by brand management, advertising, and marketing professionals.

The 2022 survey polled 5,933 young people aged 8-13 years (Tweens), 14 to 18 years (Teens), 18 to 24 years (Young Adults), and 25 to 30 years (Young Professionals).

This year also saw the introduction of new categories reflecting rapid innovation and consumer technology adoption: Coolest Online Accommodation Booking Sites (winner: Trivago) and Coolest Savings & Investment Platform (winner: Capitec).

Another new category was introduced to reflect young people’s strong desire to make a difference: Coolest Brand That Cares about the Community (winner: KFC).

In addition to polling consumer brand preference, the survey also polls youth on the personal brands of celebrities, entertainers and sportspeople. World Cup-winning Springbok rugby captain Siya Kolisi was once again named Coolest Local Sportsperson, while Somizi Mhlongo was awarded as the Coolest Online Influencer.

MetroFM once again triumphed as the Coolest Radio Station, with The River being the Coolest Local TV Programme.

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A significant birthday

Eben Gewers, head of sales at Arena Holdings – which owns Sunday Times GenNext – says this year marks the 18th year of the GenNext survey.

“This is a significant birthday and one we intend to celebrate in style, especially since we are now able to host the in-person event again. We are absolutely looking forward to this as well as the feedback from our various marketing partners on the insights delivered by the youth.”

Nolitha Mkhwanazi, head of youth strategy at Yellowwood adds that the Sunday Times GenNext Youth Behaviour Report offers brand custodians a cheat sheet on the South African youth.

“The Report allows us to track the shifts in attitudes and needs satisfaction from 2021 giving a richer perspective into the hearts and minds of young people. It is a fact-based report that helps drive your brand's ambitions using data from over 5,000 young people.”

The Sunday Times GenNext supplement will be published in the Sunday Times on 18 September 2022.

The winners

The full list of winners and rankings can be found here.