IDIDTHAT reveals South Africa’s Cannes Lions Predictions 2026
Last night, at a packed Cannes Predictions Dinner hosted by IDIDTHAT in Johannesburg, South Africa’s 2026 Cannes Contenders were revealed live to the industry.
Each year, IDIDTHAT gathers the South African work entered into Cannes Lions and asks a select group of the industry’s top creative leaders to independently choose the work they believe has the strongest shot at cutting through on the world’s biggest creative stage.
This year’s IDIDTHAT’s prediction panel brought together five of the industry’s best, all with deep Cannes Lions experience.
Andrea Quaye, Marketing Director of Heineken Beverages
Neo Mashigo, Chief Creative Officer of The Up&Up Group
Nkanyezi Masango, Chief Creative Officer of Ogilvy Cape Town
Dr. Pepe Marais, Founding Partner & Group Chief Creative Officer of Joe Public
Roanna Williams, Chief Creative Officer & Co-founder of Boundless
Between them, they’ve judged, won, defended, debated, and celebrated work at the highest level of global creativity. They know what lands in Cannes, what gets overlooked, and what has the power to shift a jury room.
What’s been especially exciting this year is the sheer breadth of work selected. We’re excited to see how all of this plays out in Cannes. Hopefully with a few celebrations, a couple of Lions, and some questionably priced rosé on the Croisette with all you Saffas.
Massive thanks to our IDIDTHAT partners Heineken Beverages, Nedbank, and VRtuosus for championing South African creativity, and continuing to move our industry forward with us.
The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2026 returns to the Palais in Cannes from 22 to 26 June 2026. Until then, we’ll be loudly and proudly championing the South African work and the people that will be making the trip to France.
Don’t miss a single moment of the rosé-fueled action – follow us on Facebook and Insta, subscribe to our newsletter, and join the ride. And if you’re going to Cannes but you’re not part of the South Africans in Cannes WhatsApp group (yes, another WhatsApp group), please pop Julie a message at julie@ididthat.co (yes, just co), and she’ll add you.
It’s Cannes, baby!
Andrea Quaye 
Marketing Director of Heineken Beverages
Andrea has driven creativity and effectiveness across multiple markets, with recognition at the Loeries, Cannes Lions, Effies, D&AD, and Clio Awards to show for it. A marketer who genuinely champions good work, at scale, under pressure, without compromising on craft.
The Philipstown WireCar Foundation & Accenture ‘The Philipstown WireCar Grand Prix’
(Entered by Accenture Song)
It takes a deeply hyper-local cultural truth, a symbol of ingenuity born out of an underprivileged lifestyle in the form of a wire car, and elevates it into a universally understood format through a Grand Prix race, resulting in measurable economic upliftment for a forgotten town. This is not only a scalable idea, where partnerships across community and tourism help drive longevity, but also an optimistic do-good idea, backed by strong execution, impressive craft, and a solid case study.
Chicken Licken ‘Mr Indecisive’
(Entered by Joe Public)
A hyper-local insight that travels globally and will resonate with many of the judges. It takes an everyday, mundane occurrence and blows it up into a beautifully shot and entertaining piece of film. The humour is highly watchable, with great performances throughout.
Heineken ‘Bar de Change’
(Entered by Le Pub)
An unexpected commerce hack that only Heineken, as a global beer brand, could pull off. It’s built on a highly relatable human insight, especially for countries in the Southern Hemisphere dealing with weaker currencies. The idea has the kind of plug-and-play potential that could travel far beyond South Africa.
Vaseline ‘Mntana ka Gogo’
(Entered by VML South Africa)
It draws on a deep cultural African insight that rarely gets brought to the forefront in international settings. Captured through an uncomfortable yet loving moment, it’s the kind of work that immediately catches judges’ attention and invites people to lean in and understand it more deeply. It also stands in strong contrast to many of the usual beauty lotion tropes and category conventions. Its success will ultimately depend on the openness and curiosity of the judges, and their willingness to explore something less familiar.
Heineken Beverages South Africa – JC Le Roux ‘Corks – Ceiling, Haircut, Puzzle’
(Entered by TBWA Hunt Lascaris)
It brings an unexpected message and idea to the exclusive sparkling wine and champagne category, where most advertising tends to rely on glamour shots of the bottle itself. The idea of democratising celebration is something many brands aspire to, but this execution solves it in a beautifully restrained and magnetic way, using a mirror rather than overexplaining the point. The craft shows real confidence in its restraint.
Neo Mashigo Chief Creative Officer of The Up&Up Group
Grand Prix winner. Co-founder of I See A Different You, which is helping reshape how African stories travel. Former Chairperson of both the Creative Circle and the Loeries. Neo knows what lands internationally and why, and he’s not afraid to say so.
Castle Milk Stout ‘The Revealing Pour’
(Entered by Joe Public)
A powerful idea with brilliant innovation. An execution that turns every pour into a unique poster. I mean, come on! What makes it special is how effortlessly culture lives within it. Feels like our ancestors at work.
Nedbank ‘Hardworking Professionals’
(Entered by Joe Public)
I’m a sucker for great storytelling and this campaign delivers. It feels more like a brilliant movie trailer than an ad. The twist? It’s for a bank.
Standard Bank ‘Track Your Racks’
(Entered by M&C Saatchi Abel)
Such a smart way for a bank to engage youth without talking down to them. It gets young people to care about money through what they already care about. Fun, engaging, and feels like what advertising should be. I can get down with this.
Heineken ‘Max Speed’
(Entered by Le Pub)
Such great engagement. Rather than sitting on the sidelines as branding wallpaper, Heineken becomes an active part of the race experience. Clever, immersive, and effective. Just give them their sweets!
Vaseline ‘Mntana ka Gogo’
(Entered by VML South Africa)
There’s nothing like an ad that transports you back to a time and place. Simple, familiar, deeply resonant. The kind of work that quietly says, “We get you.” Timeless. Old school. This is us.
Heineken ‘Bar de Change’
(Entered by Le Pub)
Now here’s an idea we can all rally behind, Heineken anywhere in the world at local prices. I love it. And honestly, South Africans could use this in Cannes. Hint hint.
Nkanyezi Masango Chief Creative Officer of Ogilvy Cape Town
A creative leader with experience across categories, cultures, and continents, including a stint at TBWA Hong Kong working on adidas during the Beijing Olympics. Before joining Ogilvy, he held senior roles at TBWA Hunt Lascaris, Y&R Cape Town, King James/Accenture Song, and Dentsu Creative, judged at D&AD, and spoken on the Cannes stage. He also founded Blackboard Community, focused on opening the industry to underrepresented young talent.
The Philipstown WireCar Foundation & Accenture ‘The Philipstown WireCar Grand Prix’
(Entered by Accenture Song)
The WireCar GrandPrix has the rare combination of every element that makes a Cannes Lion winner. On top of that, multiple tentacles that touch on every category of craft you can imagine. It’s a beautiful piece, and may it deliver a Grand Prix.
Spotify ‘Don’t.Stop.The.Music’
(Entered by Machine_)
Brutally simple, yet impossible to ignore. Visual-centric work like this will glide through seamlessly in a Cannes Jury room, with minimal debate.
Volkswagen Amarok ‘Eyes where you need them – Rake, Nail and Lego’
(Entered by Ogilvy South Africa)
In a landscape of billboards with car shots, it becomes hard to distinguish a BMW from a BYD. Enter VW Amarok. No car shot, just eyes protruding from toes. The work stood out on the roads and hopefully it will do so in the jury room.
AB InBev – Hansa Pilsner ‘You Deserve a Beer’
(Entered by Joe Public)
Radio Lions have become elusive for us Saffas. The category hardly rewards anything outside of Innovative Use of Audio. But this Hansa campaign, while traditional, manages to deliver a fresh insight with killer writing. It will be hard to deny this campaign a Lion.
Heineken ‘Bar de Change’
(Entered by Le Pub)
Bar de Change solves an unfortunate issue faced by South Africans traveling to Europe. It’s just clever and satisfying. I wish I did it.
Vaseline ‘Mntana ka Gogo’
(Entered by VML South Africa)
Sometimes, an idea that happens at the right time, resonates so deeply that no one can stop its momentum. Any judge that tries, will be flattened by ‘Mntana ka Gogo’.
Dr. Pepe Marais Founding Partner & Group Chief Creative Officer of Joe Public
Yes, Doctor. Pepe founded one of South Africa’s most consistently awarded independent agencies and has spent decades building work around a simple idea: it has to actually work. He’s recently released his latest book, ‘One Word, The Power of Simplicity in a Complex Business World’, about his journey building Joe Public. A former long-serving Creative Circle Executive Committee member, he’s been voted SCOPEN’s Most Admired Creative Agency Professional of the Decade in Africa. Every Cannes Lions week, you’ll find him somewhere in the south of France on a scooter.
The Philipstown WireCar Foundation & Accenture ‘The Philipstown WireCar Grand Prix’
(Entered by Accenture Song)
Hands-down my favourite piece of work. The one I wish Joe had done. It has a noble idea at its heart, beautifully executed, they managed to weave tech into the story and solution and give back to the community at the end. It’s going to make our country proud.
Vaseline ‘Mntana ka Gogo’
(Entered by VML South Africa)
A major global Unilever brand seen in a way that’s never been seen before. Cultural insight. Arresting visual. Simplicity. Judges will love it.
Nedbank Travel Insurance ‘When in Rome’
(Entered by Joe Public)
Traditional radio at its best. Strong concept based on human truth, beautifully written and produced, humorous. After last year’s alternative ideas in this category, if the pendulum swings back to good old fashioned radio, this one will be recognised.
AB InBev – Carling Black Label ‘The Real Injury Time’
(Entered by Ogilvy South Africa)
Carling has built this proposition consistently over the years for an issue that should get far more attention.
Breast Cancer UK ‘Street Nipples’
(Entered by Joe Public)
Uncomplicated idea. New media. Great impact on no budget. Good cause.
Roanna Williams Chief Creative Officer & Co-founder of Boundless
The first female Chairperson of South Africa’s Creative Circle, and someone who used the platform to push the industry toward braver, more diverse work. In 2025, she took Boundless into the Loeries top ten ranked small agencies, and the Creative Circle named them both #6 Agency of the Year and #8 Overall Agency of the Year. Roanna has little patience for safe ideas or predictable outcomes. Loves a paintbrush.
Predicting Cannes Lions winners is incredibly difficult because so much happens inside the jury room that no one outside sees. The conversations, debates and cultural perspectives, can completely change the outcome. But here is my SA contender selection that I believe might have a chance (holding all my thumbs):
The Philipstown WireCar Foundation & Accenture ‘The Philipstown WireCar Grand Prix’
(Entered by Accenture Song)
I think the cause behind this idea will naturally resonate in a number of the categories it’s been entered into. What I really love about it is that it takes a deeply local childhood pastime and elevates it into something emotionally powerful and universally understood. At its core, it’s a reminder that human creativity will always matter more than technology alone. That imagination, ingenuity and passion are what truly drive innovation. It doesn’t just reference community spirit, it gives it a global platform in a way that feels respectful, authentic and genuinely entertaining, without losing the humanity at the centre of it. This may be one of the trends that we will see a lot of this year.
Heineken ‘Bar de Change’
(Entered by Le Pub)
Just love the insight that this is based on. “So true!” It’s fresh and an idea I wish I had done (for one of the beer brands that I work on). The one hope that I have for the idea is that the case study video can hold up against the vigorous rounds of judging.
Heineken ‘Max Speed’
(Entered by Le Pub)
A great example of using real-time live data in a smart, creatively effective way. Simple, intriguing and genuinely innovative. It turns F1 sponsorship into something people can experience rather than just see.
KFC South Africa ‘The Taste That Hits Home’
(Entered by Ogilvy South Africa)
What I really appreciate about this piece is how grounded and emotionally honest it feels. It’s built on a very strong cultural insight, but it never overplays it. The restraint in the execution is what makes it so effective. The editing carries so much of the emotional weight in a way that feels simple, confident and beautifully observed.
NSPCA ‘Rein in the Pain’
(Entered by Boundless)
Feels a bit weird adding this to my SA contender list as it’s a Boundless piece that I worked on. But, this campaign really punched above its weight because the idea was so clear, brave and emotionally hard to ignore. It proved that impactful purpose-led work doesn’t need massive scale to create real change. The fact that five board members resigned and a new chairperson was appointed, who is now working with the NSPCA to change the rules, shows just how powerfully the work moved beyond awareness into real-world action. Something all campaigns should aim for.
Nissan South Africa ‘Nissan Intelligent Playlist’
(Entered by TBWA Hunt Lascaris)
This feels like a strong audio/digital contender. What I like most is that the technology never overshadows the idea. It’s there to enhance a smarter, safer driving experience while still keeping people entertained. Smart tech-led creativity that feels intuitive and human is still relatively rare in South Africa, which for me, is what makes this a SA stand out piece, even if it doesn’t convert.
KFC ‘M ssing Piece’
(Entered by Bananas)
Not as strong as KFC ‘Cake’ from last year but a truly relatable and memorable piece. There’s a confidence in the storytelling that doesn’t try too hard to over-explain the idea. It just lets the audience recognise themselves in the moment. This and the casting of the lead character is what makes it work so well. It’s a reminder that sometimes the strongest brand stories come from small familiar human truths.
South Africa’s Cannes Coverage:
We’re sharing South Africa’s shortlists as they’re announced every day
IDIDTHAT will be announcing the South African shortlists and winners live from Cannes. Follow our live updates page during Cannes week, from June 22 to 26, to stay informed in real-time.
We’ll showcase South Africa’s winners live from the awards as they are announced
The awards run over all 5 nights during Cannes week, and we’ll be there back all the Saffas. Follow us on Facebook and Insta, subscribe to our newsletter to keep up-to-date on all South Africa’s results as they happen.
If you’re heading to Cannes this year, please let us know so we can add you to the South Africans in Cannes group to make sure you don’t miss out on our annual SA family portrait taken on the Croisette. See you on the other side Team SA!
