Meet South Africa’s Cannes Lions Jury 2026

Being invited to judge at Cannes Lions is one of the highest honours in our industry. It’s recognition from your global peers that your perspective deserves a seat at the table. But it also comes with enormous responsibility. These are the people entrusted with evaluating the world’s best creative work and helping decide what excellence looks like for the year ahead. No pressure…

This year, South Africa has 31 industry folks participating in the Cannes Lions judging process, spanning both the shortlisting juries and the awarding juries. Leading the way is Gugu Mthembu as Jury President for Creative Business Transformation. She is joined on awarding juries by some of South Africa’s most respected industry voices, including Tseliso Rangaka judging the coveted Titanium Lions and Suhana Gordhan helping award the Glass: The Lion for Change.

Between IDIDTHAT & Nedbank’s Jury Duty and the South African Creative Showcase, we’ve had the chance to spend time with a number of this year’s jurors as they shared knowledge and prepared for the conversations ahead. So we know they’re heading into those global jury rooms ready to do South Africa proud.

From marketers and strategists to filmmakers, designers, creative leaders and founders, they will bring South African perspectives into some of the industry’s most important conversations. We couldn’t be prouder of the group representing us this year.

Let’s meet South Africa’s Cannes Lions jury for 2026. And if you spot one of them in Cannes, buy them a drink. They’ve earned it.

Bogosi Motshegwa is Founder, CEO and Chief Strategy Officer at Thinkerneur, a strategy consulting and impact group. His core expertise lies in strategy development, brand building, and impact led, culture shifting marketing delivered through the philosophy of Brand Dominance. This approach gives brands clarity on architecture, narrative, and decisive market activities.

Bridget Harpur is the head of marketing at Volkswagen South Africa (VWSA), She is a seasoned marketing expert and her expertise spans brand development, campaign execution, and team leadership, with a proven track record of success in the competitive automotive industry.

Bronwen Rautenbach is Co-founder and Creative Partner of Sunshinegun. An independent, strategic design studio, based in Johannesburg, London and Melbourne.

Danni Pinch (She/They) is an ECD at Accenture Song in Cape Town and responsible for much of the agency’s digital innovation and social media work across South Africa.

Dashni Vilakazi is a dynamic leader in the media and marketing industry, bringing over two decades of experience. As Managing Director of The MediaShop, South Africa’s largest media agency, she has led the business to sustained success, including recognition as a Top Agency for over 10 years and multiple Media Agency of the Year wins at AdFocus, MOST Awards, and MarkLives in 2023 and 2024.

Dudu Mokholo is a Chief Marketing Officer with over 25 years of experience shaping brands and driving growth across Africa’s most dynamic markets. An MBA graduate from the Wits Business School, she has led marketing transformation across FMCG, retail, electronics, and premium spirits in South Africa, Nigeria, and beyond.

Galaletsang Kgoathe is a Creative Partner at Ogilvy South Africa. He believes in creating audacious work that resonates with local audiences and moves people globally.

Currently ECD at LePub Johannesburg. Doing some cool shit, having some fun.

A seasoned marketing leader with over two decades of experience, Gugu is as passionate about building brands that combine purpose, innovation, and impact as she is about facilitating diversity in the creative industry. With a background in information technology, she integrates data, technology, and creativity into her strategic planning, driving both short-term performance and long-term brand and business sustainability.

Jabulani Sigege is the Group Executive Creative Director at Machine_, South Africa.

As a young child, Justin’s parents denied him a Superman suit. Undeterred, his Christmas list that year featured blue pyjamas, red socks, red underpants and a red towel. Come Christmas morning, Justin strutted through the house feeling like the Man of Steel, his red towel not quite billowing in the wind. But most importantly, Justin discovered what it felt like to solve a problem using the power of creativity. He’s made a living out of it ever since – and sometimes, not in red underpants.

I am Johannesburg born and based. Being a multidisciplinary creative sparked with a passion for stories and character. My journey as a filmmaker began as a creative, working mostly in design and motion graphics back in 2009.

Khangelani Dziba is a global brand and marketing leader with over a decade of experience shaping brand strategy, go-to-market execution, and integrated communications for multinational organisations across FMCG, automotive, beauty, luxury-adjacent, financial services, and technology sectors.

Khethiwe Makhubo is a strategic integrated creative group head. A shapeshifter in design and art direction with skills expanding to e-commerce, social media, print, mobile apps, TV etc. She has over a decade of experiences in advertising, working in different agencies from start-ups to big networks and across brands, ranging from FMCG to telecommunications.

Keri-Ann Stanton is the Founder and Chief Strategist of the KAMuses Consultancy Group, an independent African offering challenging the conventions of public relations by treating reputation as a business driver. With more than two decades in the industry, she has built and scaled multiple agencies including Kezi Communications, Engage Joe Public and Avatar PR, before launching KAMuses in 2020 with a disruptive business model.

Liana Liebenberg is a Creative Partner at Design Bridge and Partners, working at the intersection of brand, experience and communication design. With over 15 years’ experience, she has built a practice centred on craft-led, concept-driven design that scales across markets and contexts. Her work reflects a deep interest in the detail and discipline of making – from typography and visual systems through to the execution of ideas across touchpoints.

Mandi is a creative entrepreneur who epitomises the balance between art and science. Mandi is widely recognised as a thought leader and expert in healthcare communication globally.

Mpume is currently ranked Number 1 Managing Director in Africa and the Middle East by Loerie Awards.
She joined the Joe Public team in 2013 as Business Unit Director, spearheading a portfolio that included the development of brand strategy and ATL campaigns for some of SA’s most iconic brands.

I am Chief Strategy Officer at Ogilvy South Africa, with over 20 years of experience in advertising and brand strategy across Africa. My work sits at the intersection of creativity, culture, and effectiveness, using strategy as the connective tissue between human insight and business growth.

Having worked for over a decade on local and global campaigns for some of the world’s most loved brands, at the helm of Africa’s leading multinational agencies, Nkgabiseng Motau co-founded Think Creative Africa, where she currently serves as Chief Creative Officer.

Nozipho Tshabalala is a best-selling author and the CEO of The Conversation Strategists, where she designs and facilitates high-stakes conversations in complex political, economic, and social environments.

Nunu Ntshingila (She/Her) is Founder and Chairperson of Ntinta Inc. and Global Chairperson for Women For Women International with a 35-year career spanning Technology, Marketing, Branding. She also has interests and investments in Technology, Infrastructure, Mining and Social Development across Africa.

Phiona is Head of Music for Sub-Saharan Africa at Spotify, where she leads the music strategy for one of the world’s most dynamic and culturally generative music markets. Over seven years at Spotify – first as Artist and Label Partnerships Manager for South Africa, then stepping up to Head of Music role – she has helped build the infrastructure through which African music now travels the world, amplifying the global ascent of genres like Afrobeats, Amapiano, and Afrohouse.

Sibu Mabena is the Founder and Chief Creative Officer of Duma Collective, a Johannesburg-based creative communications agency known for shaping culturally resonant work across Africa. With a career spanning brand strategy, influencer marketing, public relations and large-scale experiential campaigns, she has built a reputation for creating ideas that sit at the intersection of culture and commerce.

As the Executive Creative Director of SHIFT, Simone lives and breathes brand design. She believes in the power of design thinking to affect meaningful and transformative impact for businesses, brands, and people alike.

Stephanie is an award-winning Creative – art director, digital designer and creative leader with over 13 years in the industry. She’s sharpened her craft across through-the-line campaigns and branding, always aiming to find that sweet spot where art, technology and effectiveness work well together.

Suhana Gordhan is the Founder and Chief Creative Officer of LoveSong, an independent creative consultancy. She has spent the last 21 years navigating the advertising industry, from the University of Advertising – Ogilvy – her first agency, to the hallowed judging rooms of Cannes Lions.

Thabang ‘Tipi’ Manyelo is a multi-awarded Executive Creative Director at The Odd Number (Johannesburg, South Africa). Having started his communications journey as a copywriter, Thabang has soared to incredible heights winning a plethora of awards over the years.

Thembalethu is the Co-Founder & Chief Creative Partner at BlackSwan (BSA), a boutique agency based in Johannesburg. At BlackSwan, she has developed communication and brand experiences for some of South Africa’s most beloved brands, including Telkom, Absa, Glencore, Miway, Bidvest Group, and Clicks.

Tseliso Rangaka is the Chief Creative Officer of Accenture Song South Africa. He has spent more than two decades shaping some of the world’s most iconic brands, helping them find their voice and tell stories that connect. From Volkswagen and Audi to Coca-Cola, KFC, and Anheuser-Busch InBev, his work has driven brand love, cultural impact, and commercial success.

Veli Ngubane, is an award winning creative and entrepreneur, and one of the leading innovators and visionaries in Africa’s Marketing, Advertising and Media agencies.