South Africa’s D&AD results are in, here’s the work.

South Africa picked up a handful of shortlist recognitions at this year’s D&AD Awards, with a Wood Pencil awarded to Accenture Song for Allan Gray’s ‘A Seat at The Table’. Love this work, go team! And while it wasn’t the country’s biggest year at D&AD, getting shortlisted here still means the work stood out among some of the best creative entries in the world.

D&AD Awards remain one of the industry’s toughest benchmarks for creative excellence across design, advertising, craft, and production. Here’s a quick look at the different D&AD Pencil levels:

Shortlist: Work that demonstrates merit, worthy of recognition and in the top echelon of entries. It’s awarded in all categories in the first instance.
Wood Pencil: The best of the year in advertising, design, craft, culture and impact.
Graphite Pencil: For stand-out work that rises above the rest, worthy of consideration for a Yellow Pencil.
Yellow Pencil: The iconic D&AD Yellow Pencil, awarded only to outstanding work that achieves true creative excellence.
White Pencil: For exceptional projects that use the power of creativity to drive behavioural, environmental, societal or policy change.
Black Pencil: The ultimate creative accolade, reserved for ground-breaking work. Only a handful of these are awarded each year, if any.

If you or your company worked on any of these projects and your credits aren’t listed, it’s probably because you’re not an IDIDTHAT member… which feels like a bit of a miss, considering you’re clearly doing some of the best work out there. Don’t pull a Van Gogh and wait to get famous later. Get seen now, by the people who matter. Take a look at our membership options or drop us a line [email protected] to get signed up and we’ll make sure your work gets the spotlight it deserves.

D&AD AWARD WINNERS

AWARDED
Wood Pencil: Spatial Design

 

https://ididthat.co/portfolio-items/the-philipstown-wirecar-foundation-accenture-the-philipstown-wirecar-grand-prix/

AWARDED
Shortlist:
Impact
Shortlist: Sports Entertainment

https://ididthat.co/portfolio-items/kfc-thailand-m-ssing-piece/

AWARDED
Shortlist: Direction

AWARDED
Shortlist:
Radio & Audio

AWARDED
Shortlist: Photography

 

IDIDTHAT Directory

Quickly find the right people to work with by searching through our curated Directory. We make the process of sourcing South African companies to work with easy, simple and downright sexy. Basically, if you’re not listed on IDIDTHAT.co, you simply don’t exist, like Bruce Willis in that movie with the kid that sees dead people, except nobody will see you…#Shame

IDIDTHAT Featured Stories

Find out who we’re talking about. Read the latest advertising, production, and creative news. We write it so it’s not kak. Let us know if you’d like us to feature your big stories.

Expect the unexpected with Robot’s Ayanda Duma, new work

Robot director Ayanda Duma has a habit of finding the version of a story you didn't know was there. Her latest work for Meow Meow Woof and Mukuru blends genres, humour and beautifully observed human moments into a film that feels unmistakably like Ayanda.

Playlists to pitches: choosing directors, earning trust and making memorable work

In this conversation, Zanele Kabane, M&C Saatchi Abel Associate Creative Director, shares what she looks for in directors, why trust between agencies and marketers changes everything, the ads she wishes she'd written, her complicated relationship with AI, and the unexpected hobby that's teaching her a surprising amount about creativity. Don't miss her shout-out to some of her favourite creatives doing work in our industry right now.

Live Updates: South Africa’s Winners & Shortlists at Cannes 2026

IDIDTHAT will be the first to bring you the Cannes Lions shortlists for South Africa as they are announced from the 11th – 26th of June 2026. Not only will we list those involved in creating the magic, we’ll also be showcasing the actual work that’s being recognised globally and link it back to the IDIDTHAT companies behind the work. This way, you’ll know exactly who the top creative minds to collaborate with are.

IDIDTHAT Monthly Craft Awards

Find out who’s doing the best work in South Africa. Every month we team up with industry leaders to award South Africa’s best in Production Craft. Huge thanks to our recent guest judges who’ve taken the time to judge IDIDTHAT Craft Awards. Look how sexy they are in these black and white pictures we put up – FYI we used the ‘Inkwell’ filter.

IDIDTHAT Craft Awards February 2024

This month’s IDIDTHAT.co Craft Awards were judged by industry legends Roanna Williams, CCO & Co-Founder of South Africa’s brand new agency Boundless and Kim Geldenhuys, Director at 0307 Films. Congratulations to Monde who is taking away top honours this month!

IDIDTHAT Craft Awards January 2024

This month's IDIDTHAT.co Craft Awards were judged by the Judge Judy's themselves, order in the court for Alan Irvin, Director at They Films  and all rise for Danni Pinch, ECD at Accenture Song. Congratulations to Darling Films' Chloe Coetsee and independent director Dave Meinert who both took home Best in Craft.

IDIDTHAT Craft Awards December 2023

This month’s IDIDTHAT.co Craft Awards were judged by the ever red-carpet ready Jacquie Mullany, ECD at FCB Africa & Bruno Bossi, Director at Carbon Films. Congratulations to VFX maestros Eddie Addinall and Rory Mark from The Refinery and directing wizard Greg Rom from Gentlemen Films.