South Africa, Nov. 26 -- .

The agency last won the overall AdFocus Awards title in 2018 when Ogilvy Johannesburg took the title.

The period under review for the AdFocus Award 2025, from July 2024 to June 2025, saw the agency retaining their Volkswagen Group Africa and then winning a new account, Vodacom.

The Awards recognised Mike Abel, executive chairman and founder of The Up&Up Group, as its Lifetime Achiever. The jury recognised his rich contribution to the South African creative industry from his first agency to working on Volkswagen at Ogilvy, to becoming its youngest MD, and his move to Australia and back to South Africa to launch M&C Saatchi and, more recently, The Up& Up Group.

Industry Leader of the Year is Dawn Rowlands, chi...