Everlytic’s 2026 You Mailed It Email Marketing Awards have recognised South Africa’s best email campaigns, highlighting the brands that used strategy, data, design, and creativity to turn everyday inbox moments into effective communication.
Now in its fourth year, the awards continue to spotlight a channel that remains one of the most powerful tools in the marketing mix.
A panel of experts in communication, behavioural science, design, technology, and email strategy reviewed all entries. The panel included Tegan Crymble (BreadCrumbs BrAIn), Hannes Esterhuizen (Sideways10Up), Amanda Hoosen (WPP Media), and Wilene van Greunen (Everlytic), with the judging discussion facilitated by Everlytic.
The judges evaluated the complete email experience, not just open rates. Winning entries demonstrated clear strategy, audience insight, effective messaging, data-driven decisions, engaging design, meaningful personalisation, and measurable results.
“Judging this year’s entries was a reminder that attention comes before action,” Tegan Crymble said. “In inboxes where many people receive over 100 emails a day, the best brands cut through the noise with clear, behaviourally smart communication that made opening, and acting, feel easy.”
Old Mutual Personal Finance received top honours for an email that presented a complex financial topic in a clear, practical, and actionable manner.
The judges commended the campaign for its strategic approach and effective behavioural elements, such as a personalised subject line, benefit-focused messaging, time-sensitive features, a countdown timer, GIF, calendar integration, and a callback option.
The campaign stood out for simplifying financial advice while maintaining credibility. The email provided a clear reason to engage, an easy path to action, and sufficient detail to build trust without overwhelming recipients.
"We're incredibly proud of this recognition, and I'm especially proud of my team's passion, creativity, and commitment to delivering meaningful customer communication that truly makes a difference. We'd also like to thank Everlytic for their ongoing support and partnership, and we're honoured that our work has been recognised with this award," said Louise Retief, Internal and Customer Engagement and Retention Management executive at Old Mutual.
Sanlam secured silver for a campaign that made a challenging financial topic feel clear, relevant, and engaging without losing credibility.
The judges highlighted the campaign’s conversational tone, compelling storytelling, authentic imagery, social proof, animation, video, and interactive features such as calculators. Despite the volume of information, the design and structure prevented fatigue and improved navigation.
Old Mutual Rewards received bronze for its effective use of data, behavioural personalisation, gamification, and dynamic template design.
The campaign used personalised points and tier-status messaging to increase relevance for each recipient. Judges also commended the practical 'next-best-step' content, which guided recipients on how to earn, spend, and maximise their rewards.
Lancet Laboratories received a special honorary mention for a clinically credible awareness campaign that demonstrated strong audience understanding and thoughtful segmentation.
The campaign leveraged topical health-awareness themes, such as breast health and men’s health, to deliver relevant communication to distinct audience groups. The judges praised its clinical depth, educational value, and ability to tailor tone and content for healthcare practitioners, patients, the general public, and internal audiences.
The judges observed a clear shift toward more strategic email approaches among the strongest entries. The best campaigns demonstrated that brands understood their audience, defined desired actions, and used email to guide behaviour.
For Hannes Esterhuizen, it starts with understanding the audience. “Know your audience. If you understand your audience, you can build everything from that point forward,” he says. “It is as important to understand who you are speaking to as it is to understand the state of your data and how to use it.”
Amanda Hoosen says the opportunity lies in treating email as a more strategic medium. “Email is such an important channel, but many brands are not yet using it to its full potential,” she says. “There are so many tools, data points, and technology-driven opportunities available today, but the strongest results come when brands think more carefully about how people experience email.”
A recurring theme from the judging panel was that email should not be treated as a send-and-forget channel. Leading brands use data, testing, segmentation, and creative discipline to maximise every inbox interaction.
Everlytic launched the You Mailed It Email Marketing Awards to recognise excellence in email and improve the standard of digital communication in South Africa.
This year’s judging discussion showed that many brands are making significant progress, though opportunities for improvement remain. As AI becomes more prevalent in marketing, the judges noted that human authenticity, strategic intent, and brand-specific thinking will become increasingly important.
The awards continue to demonstrate that outstanding email campaigns blend strategy, creativity, and a deep understanding of the audience.
To learn more about email marketing best practices, visit Everlytic. The You Mailed It Awards will continue to recognise emails that elevate the standard of communication in South Africa.
