Effie Awards South Africa Announces 2025 Jury Panel

Effie South Africa, hosted by the Association for Communication and Advertising (ACA), has announced the full jury panel for the 2025 Effie Awards programme, with this year’s theme reminding us that “You Can’t Fake Real Impact.” The Effie Awards remain the globally recognised benchmark for marketing effectiveness, rewarding ideas that are grounded in insight, fuelled by creativity, and proven to deliver real business results.

Returning to lead the adjudication process are Jury Co-Chairs Refilwe Maluleke, Executive Head of Marketing at Discovery Health, and Ahmed Tilly, Creative Advisor and Director at Number 10 – A Creative Consultancy.

Refilwe Maluleke commented: “Great marketing doesn't just make noise—it makes impact. The Effies celebrating marketing effectiveness is critical to our industry because it proves that creativity can drive results, strategy can spark growth, and every campaign can be a catalyst for real-world impact..”

Ahmed Tilly added: “Advertising that works has been the order of the day for the past 10 years. Now, the need from brands is for advertising and marketing to go beyond just working. We need to shift needles. The survival of business depends on it, especially in a new and unpredictable world. And for that to happen, wildly creative, delightfully surprising and shockingly authentic creativity is required. Effies 2025 will celebrate that calibre of work because that’s what it will take to give our community any place in the future.”

2025 Effie Jury

The Effie South Africa jury comprises leaders across the marketing and communications ecosystem—drawn from brand, agency, media, research, and strategic roles. Judges are selected for their track record, depth of experience, and understanding of effectiveness.

Round One judges will review all eligible cases, with Round Two handled by a more senior group of jurors tasked with evaluating the highest-scoring campaigns to determine the finalists and winners. The Grand Effie Jury—a separate and senior panel—will be announced in the coming weeks.

Round One Judging takes place on 10 July, followed by Round Two on 24 July. The Effie Awards Gala will be held on 23 October 2025.

To view the full list of 2025 Effie Judges, visit: https://www.effie.org/effie-awards-sa-announces-jury-panel-2025.

Gillian Rightford, Executive Director of the ACA, which hosts the Effie Awards South Africa, noted: “Effie Awards South Africa is proud to once again honour effectiveness as the true measure of marketing success. The calibre of this year’s jury reflects the diversity of disciplines that power great work—from data, strategy and media to creative and brand leadership. We thank them for devoting their time and expertise to this critical process. The value lies not only in awarding work that works—but in interrogating, uncovering and challenging the thinking behind it.”

Effie Awards South Africa is proudly sponsored by Nedbank, SAB, Unilever, GIB Insurance, and Investec.

Rightford concluded: “We look forward to uncovering the strongest campaigns, and in so doing celebrating the agency–client partnerships that have created the most effective campaigns in South Africa.”

For more information visit the Effie South Africa website at www.effieawards.co.za or visit www.acasa.co.za.

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