Now in its ninth year, the African Excellence Awards, presented by MEA Markets, recognise high-performing organisations and business leaders making an impact across the continent. Winners are determined through an independent, research-led selection process, with nominees assessed on business performance, innovation, leadership, market impact and their contribution to advancing their respective industries.
Founded in 2019, HLS has fast established itself as an award-winning independent PR agency, building on its reputation for a fresh, creative and digital approach to communications.
The latest accolade adds to a growing list of industry and business recognition for HLS. At the 2025 Prisa Prism Awards, the agency scooped three Gold awards for PR Leadership, Best B2B Campaign and Best Healthcare Campaign. HLS was also named South Africa’s Entrepreneur Champion at the 2024 ABSA NSBC Awards, while Corporate Vision recognised HLS as Best Creative Agency in South Africa in both 2024 and 2023.
In 2023, HLS received Silver for South Africa’s Best Small PR Consultancy at the Prism Awards and was named a finalist for South Africa’s Business Entrepreneur of the Year by Business Partners Ltd.
The agency has also continued to expand its footprint beyond South Africa, supporting local and global brands across Africa, Europe and the Middle East. HLS managing director Adam Hunter says the award comes at a defining time for the PR industry, as the traditional boundaries of communications continue to disappear.
“PR has changed dramatically. Brands don't need a PR agency that thinks only about media coverage anymore. Reputation is being built across newsrooms, LinkedIn, social platforms, search, podcasts and increasingly AI-driven discovery. The agencies that will lead this next chapter are the ones that understand how all of those channels work together to influence what people see, think and ultimately do.
“For us, integrated PR isn't about bolting digital services onto a traditional PR model. It means starting with the business objective, then using the right mix of earned, owned, social and digital communications to deliver against it. That's where the industry is heading, and we've deliberately built HLS around that shift.
“PR has changed dramatically. Brands don't need a PR agency that thinks only about media coverage anymore. Reputation is being built across newsrooms, LinkedIn, social platforms, search, podcasts and increasingly AI-driven discovery. The agencies that will lead this next chapter are the ones that understand how all of those channels work together to influence what people see, think and ultimately do.For us, integrated PR isn't about bolting digital services onto a traditional PR model. It means starting with the business objective, then using the right mix of earned, owned, social and digital communications to deliver against it. That's where the industry is heading, and we've deliberately built HLS around that shift.
Being named Best Integrated Agency in South Africa tells us we're getting that formula right. But more importantly, it challenges us to keep moving. PR is evolving too quickly for any agency to rely on what worked yesterday, and I believe the next few years will completely redefine what a great PR agency looks like.”
HLS’ integrated approach brings together strategic thinking and creativity across traditional media relations, digital strategy, executive thought leadership, social media, influencer engagement, SEO and content creation. The agency also develops large-scale consumer activations and brand experiences, taking campaigns beyond earned media and creating opportunities for brands to connect with audiences across multiple touchpoints.
Further strengthening its offering is HLS’ strategic alliance with iLEAD, extending the agency’s capabilities across the broader digital marketing ecosystem and providing clients with specialist expertise at scale.
In 2025, HLS launched its own in-house podcast and TV production unit, HLS Studios, expanding the agency’s ability to produce high-quality owned multimedia content and digital storytelling for brands and business leaders.
Over the past six years, HLS has built a diverse client portfolio spanning technology, hospitality, sustainability, retail, finance and the corporate sector, working with brands and organisations including SAP, Cisco, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), United Nations (UNDP), Radisson Hotel Group, Top Employers Institute, and DKMS South Africa.
Six years later, HLS is now taking its home-grown approach to international markets, while continuing to grow its local client portfolio. For the agency, the 2026 recognition is less a culmination of what it has achieved and more a marker of where it intends to go next.
“We never wanted to build an agency that follows standard agency practice. We want to be part of defining where it goes next. Winning Best Integrated Agency in South Africa is a proud moment for HLS, but there is still plenty more we want to do, create and innovate,” concludes Hunter.
To find out more about Hook, Line & Sinker’s award-winning services, visit: www.hooklinesinker.co.za
