It’s that time of year again, when South Africa’s creative industry put on their most confident faces and say (pronounced ‘hope’) that this is definitely our year at Cannes. On Tuesday 19 May, the IDIDTHAT Cannes Predictions Dinner returns, bigger than before, bringing together agencies, marketers, and production partners for the live reveal of South Africa’s Cannes Lions contenders for 2026, as predicted by IDIDTHAT’s carefully selected industry pro-judges. Make sure you secure a table for your team.

For over a decade, IDIDTHAT has been predicting Cannes Contenders for South Africa, with last year being the first time we turned the reveal into a live announcement at the Cannes Predictions Dinner, and the response was huge. The room was packed with some of the industry’s top creatives, all coming together to celebrate and back the work South Africa was sending to Cannes. It was one of those rare industry nights where the focus was on the collective excitement around the work and the people behind it. It felt like a real heartwarming send-off for Team SA, and well, it was just flippen lekker man!

IDIDTHAT’s Cannes Predictions Dinner 2025

This year, the IDIDTHAT Cannes Predictions Dinner returns and thanks to many requests, we have found a bigger venue. Mark in your diary the 19th of May 2026, yes that’s soon! The dinner will take place at La Boqueria restaurant in Joburg, this time bringing together agencies, but also their production partners, filmmakers, post houses, and marketers, before we hit the Croisette.

“We’re incredibly grateful to partner with brands that don’t just lead creatively through the work they put into the world, but who genuinely back South African creativity and what it takes for our industry to compete on the global stage. These are partners invested in helping give South Africa the edge, creating spaces for the industry to come together, celebrate the work, and keep pushing forward. We’ve built really meaningful relationships with the brands we work alongside and always look forward to how, together, we can help move the industry forward. This year, we’re proud to be partnering with Nedbank, Heineken Beverages and VRtuosus, with a few more exciting partners still to be announced. Thank you – all of this is only possible because of your support,” says Julie Maunder, Founder of IDIDTHAT.

(From L to R) 2026 IDIDTHAT Cannes Lions Predictors for South Africa: Nkanyezi Masango, CCO at Ogilvy Cape Town; Roanna Williams, CCO & Co-founder of Boundless; Neo Mashigo, CCO at The Up&Up Group; Andrea Quaye, MD at Heineken Beverages; and Dr. Pepe Marais, Founding Partner & Group CCO of Joe Public.

Ahead of the dinner, each of the 2026 Predictions judges independently reviews the South African Cannes entries and selects the work they believe has the strongest chance of cutting through globally and turning heads in Cannes. Those predictions are locked in before the event and will be revealed live on the night as the selected work is screened to the room.

Following the predictions announcement, guests will have a sit-down dinner, there will be pre-drinks on arrival, and a few surprises across the evening. See you there!

To secure a table for your team, get hold of Julie at julie@ididthat.co. Tables of ⁠6, 8 or 12 are available to book, R450 per person (includes welcome drink, starters + sit down dinner). Tickets are limited.