2026 Sabre Awards EMEA winners: Clockwork, KFC take top honours

The 2026 EMEA Sabre Awards were announced on 21 May, Thursday evening with KFC Africa (The Recipe for Hope, Growth and Respect: How KFC Africa Redefined Brand Purpose) named the Diamond Sabre Awards Company of the Year and Clockwork the Africa winner.

25 May 2026

The Provoke Media Sabre Awards 2026 EMEA winners have been revealed (Source: @ Provoke Media Provoke Media)

The Awards recognise Superior Achievement in Branding Reputation and Engagement, and honour the Agencies of the Year and Best Agencies to Work For.

Clockwork’s Homes need Pets campaign for client, Byron Thomas Properties, won the Geographic Africa section.

The agency also won two more awards:

Engaging Society: Community Relations: The Pura Roadblock — Pura Soda with Clockwork
Engaging society: Sustainability Campaign: Behind The Label — Salvation Army with Clockwork

KFC Africa’s Lifting Leaders: How Open Chair and KFC Africa took mentorship to new heights was also the winner in the Experiential: Sponsorship section.

Sixty (60) young women in advertising and marketing connected with industry leaders in the sky on the iconic Cape Wheel at the V&A Waterfront during Loeries Creative Week 2025 as part of Open Chair’s Friends in High Places in partnership with KFC Africa (Image supplied)

Open Chair's Friends in High Places connects emerging talent with women leaders

17 Oct 2025

Other South African winners include:

Practice area: Marketing Communications: Corporate Reputation: Capital Markets Communications: Signals of strength — Anglo American with Razor PR
Industry sectors: Consumer Goods: Automotive: #ForeverGolf — Volkswagen South Africa with Ogilvy South Africa
Technology: Technology: Give Gogo Mzansi — Uber South Africa with Irvine Partners
Healthcare: Healthcare Providers: finDR (pronounced finder) — Profmed with Faith & Fear, and Retroviral