The announcement was made during the final awards ceremony of the Loeries® 2016 on Sunday, 21 August, at the Durban International Convention Centre.
Loeries® CEO, Andrew Human, said the award recognised Ntshingila-Njeke’s unwavering commitment to the creative spirit of the industry over many years.
A veteran of the South African advertising space, Ntshingila-Njeke helped turn Ogilvy & Mather South Africa into the formidable agency player it is today. In her new role as head of Africa for Facebook, she’s charged with building the social network’s commercial presence in South Africa and the continent as a whole.
In her many years at Ogilvy, becoming chairman in 2012, she oversaw the agency’s evolution into a diversified communications group that delivered integrated, effective and award-winning work for South Africa’s biggest and most well-recognised brands, including DStv, SABMiller, KFC, Cadbury, BP, Volkswagen, and Coca-Cola.
She has served as a director on the Boards of Old Mutual, the V and A Waterfront, and Transnet.
Ntshingila-Njeke also worked as the communications director for Nike South Africa, and holds an MBA from America’s Morgan State University. She has received numerous awards over the years, including a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Financial Mail and an AdReview Lifetime Achievement Award for her contribution to the advertising community and industry of South Africa.
“It is an incredible honour and career highlight to receive this award from the creative fraternity. I hope this award continues to inspire young women to find their voice and to ensure opportunities for them to thrive in the creative industry”, said Ntshingila-Njeke on being awarded the accolade.
“I am excited about the journey that Facebook and Loeries® are taking to invest in and grow the next generation of creatives in a world that is more open and connected. I believe in the power of technology to enable and drive creative ideas that will ultimately change humanity for the better.”
The annual Loeries® Creative Week took place in Durban between Monday, 15 August until Monday, 21 August . First staged in 1978 to support South Africa's television advertising industry, the Loeries® have since expanded to encompass all areas of brand communication throughout Africa and the Middle East.
The Loeries® first introduced the Hall of Fame in 2008. Past winners include:
2008 - Mike Schalit (chief creative officer, BBDO South Africa);
2009 - Nkwenkwe Nkomo (group chairperson, DRAFTFCB);
2010 - Robyn Putter (1950 - 2010) (Former WPP creative head);
2012 - John Hunt (worldwide creative director, TBWA/Worldwide);
2013 - Graham Warsop (founder and chairperson, The Jupiter Drawing Room);
2014 - Keith Rose (director and founding partner, Velocity); and
2015 - Tony Koenderman (editor of AdReview and associate editor of Finweek).