Pendoring general manager, Franette Klerck, says: “All campaigns from 16 July 2013 to 21 July 2014 are eligible to be entered. Judging will take place 21, 22, and 23 August. It is anticipated that, as in previous years, the awards will garner much interest, especially for the two main awards – the Prestige and Umpetha Awards.”

Umpetha means champion or the best in Zulu and only the best overall entry in the Truly South African categories can win this award. The 2013 Umpetha Award went to Black River FC for its Nando’s campaign.

The agency’s ECD, Ahmed Tilly says the award is special because if its single-mindedness with regard to creative solutions specifically for a South African audience. “The Pendoring Awards have also grown in stature over the past few years and are another barometer that measures creativity, but with a heavy slant towards the South African context.”

Tilly says winning the Umpetha Award was one of the agency’s proudest moments. “As an agency, Black River FC strives to be relevant to a South African audience. Recognition for being best in class in this particular category is one of our proudest achievements.”

He believes that the agency was successful because it is consistent. “We have always produced work that is truly South African and always strive to do what we do in a fresh, brave and unexpected way. Winning this award was one of many ways that proved that this focus has paid off.”

The Prestige Prize winner will receive an overseas study trip worth R50 000, among others, while the winner of the Umpetha Award will again take home a cash prize of R20 000. Gold and silver winners also receive a cash prize and the top student receives a study bursary worth R10 000.

Bruce Sturgeon, CEO of Caxton Community Papers, and one of the sponsors of Pendoring says achieving excellence in our industry is in all the participants’ best interests. “Therefore not only do we invest a significant sum of money in our in-house excellence awards each year, we support similar industry events too.”

The company supports Pendoring as Afrikaans is the dominant language of communication in many of its local newspapers and the home language of a significant number of its readers. “It therefore makes business sense for us to support Pendoring which has established itself as the pre-eminent vehicle to promote and reward Afrikaans advertising,” says Sturgeon.

He adds: “Although excellence in Afrikaans advertising remains Pendoring’s primary mission, in recent years categories have been introduced which expand this focus to include any indigenous language and Truly South African advertising, which we feel are also worthy of support.”

Klerck says: “The Pendoring Awards are indicative of a dynamic advertising industry that recognises the value of advertising in one’s mother tongue, be it Afrikaans, Zulu, isiXhosa or another local language, and will continue to promote greater awareness of this.”