The Pendoring Awards, renowned as South Africa's grandest homage to indigenous languages, took centre stage on Thursday night at the UJ Arts Centre, showcasing the remarkable talent within the nation’s creative industry. This year’s event, which echoed the vibrancy and significance of local languages, was themed #SayItInYourLanguage, challenging creatives to explore expressions that reflect their cultural roots.
Among the top accolades, Ogilvy South Africa, Joe Public United, and Halo distinguished themselves as the leading creative agencies of the night. Meanwhile, educational institutions making their mark included IIE-Vega, Red & Yellow Creative School of Business, and the AAA School of Advertising, recognised as the top three ranking schools.
The highlight of the evening, however, was when Promise captured the Prestigious Umpetha Award for their groundbreaking The Vluit Project campaign, developed in collaboration with AfriSam. In a testament to student innovation, Red & Yellow Creative School of Business also triumphed as the Overall Student Winner, with a spectacular package design for Toughees.
This year’s awards not only celebrated individual and agency achievements but also boosted the legacy of authorship in indigenous languages. New Africa Books earned a Gold Pendoring for the publication design of the children’s title, Ngabe udlala eziphi ezemidlalo uMpumi?, authored by established writer Lebohang Masango, whose work has been translated across South Africa’s diverse range of languages.
“The annual Pendoring Awards not only celebrates the creative sector's outstanding work produced in indigenous languages; it also highlights the transformative power of communication in these languages,” said Eben Keun, General Manager of the Pendoring Awards. “This year’s theme, #SayItInYourLanguage, perfectly captures how language connects us to our roots and allows us to express our true selves.”
The ceremony also featured a dazzling show directed by Ilana Cilliers, who is acclaimed for her work on The Lionness and Johnny is nie dood nie. Co-directed by MoMo Matsunyane—who has garnered acclaim as a Standard Bank Young Artist for Theatre—and co-hosted by Jefferson Tshabalala, the performance embraced the richness of South Africa’s indigenous languages. Each segment of the show resonated with a narrative that traced humanity’s journey from the Tower of Babel through the intricacies of language and culture.
By performing across all indigenous languages, the awards not only honoured creative achievements but also served as a poignant reminder that our languages and cultures are places of belonging, inviting us to carry our heritage proudly wherever we go.
Saturday Star