South African retail marketing agency EBM Group (EBM) has once again demonstrated its ability to excel alongside the world's best, earning 8 international awards and 12 finalist recognitions at the prestigious 2026 Solal Marketing Awards, that took place in Budapest, Hungary this week.
The latest results demonstrate EBM's consistent track record of local and international excellence, with the agency having secured an impressive stack of industry accolades over the past few years. From the SACSC Footprint Marketing Awards in South Africa to the ICSC Global Awards in Las Vegas and now the Solal Awards in Europe, EBM has earned a reputation for delivering creative, commercially focused retail marketing campaigns that compete at the highest global level.
This year's Solal Awards attracted 127 entries from 56 companies representing 18 countries, making it the largest edition of the competition to date. South Africa was among the top-performing countries, with EBM the only South African agency to win more than one award.
EBM secured two Gold, four Silver and two Bronze Solal awards, alongside 12 finalist recognitions, for campaigns developed and executed at shopping centres around South Africa. Gold awards went to Mall of Africa's Hair-itage Pop Up, and Fourways Mall's Destination Fourways campaign, while Sandton City's Words That Heal received two Silver awards for Corporate Social Responsibility and Public Relations. Further Silver awards went to Sandton City's A Beacon of Hope and Eastgate Shopping Centre's The Scoop Shop.
Bronze awards were presented to Gateway Theatre of Shopping for Lego Biggest Build Ever, and Eastgate Shopping Centre for Eat Out at Eastgate.
For Darren Katz, CEO of EBM Group, the significance of the latest recognition lies in the consistency of the agency's performance. "Winning awards is always rewarding, but what matters most to us is the consistency of the results we're achieving, year after year, for different clients and across very different shopping centre environments. These are not isolated successes. They reflect the strength of our strategic approach, the quality of our people and the long-standing relationships we've built with our property-owner partners. To see South African work recognised among the best in the world, time and again, is something we're extremely proud of," says Katz.
The Solal success follows another exceptional year for EBM, which secured 42 awards at the 2026 South African Council of Shopping Centres (SACSC) Footprint Marketing Awards in September. These included eight Gold, 22 Silver and 11 Bronze awards, as well as a Special Recognition Award for an impactful campaign delivered on a budget below R25,000.
Earlier this year, EBM also earned two Gold awards, two Silver awards and two Finalist recognitions at the ICSC Global Awards in Las Vegas, further revealing the agency's dexterity to execute internationally competitive work.
Adding to this recognition, EBM was recently named a finalist in three categories at the 2026 Loeries Awards, which celebrate creative excellence in brand communications throughout Africa and the Middle East. The finalist campaigns were Sandton City's Festive Decor in Design Crafts: Illustration, Sandton City's Words That Heal in Digital: Co-creation & User Generated Content and Mall of Africa's Hair-itage in Graphic Design.
EBM Group COO Michael Wilson also participated in a panel discussion titled Winning The Social Game - Tiktok, Instagram & Beyond at the Solal Awards in Budapest, contributing to conversations with international industry leaders about the future of shopping centre marketing and the opportunities facing the sector. "Being part of these international discussions is incredibly valuable because it gives us the opportunity to exchange ideas with some of the best minds in retail marketing. What's particularly encouraging is seeing how well South African thinking and creativity stand up internationally. Our teams consistently produce work that is innovative, strategically sound and commercially relevant, and the recognition we're receiving reflects that," says Wilson.
EBM's integrated offering brings together expertise in marketing strategy, creative, public relations, social media, activations and non-GLA sales support. The agency currently oversees marketing for shopping centres within the Liberty Standard Bank Group, Old Mutual Property and Burstone portfolios, as well as major shopping destinations including Mall of Africa and Fourways Mall.
As EBM expands its international portfolio, its sustained record of award-winning work provides a strong foundation for further growth, demonstrating that South African retail marketing expertise can compete successfully on the global stage.
