Less than two years in, Bananas is working with Castle Lager, KFC, Heinz and now Truworths. We spoke to the OG Bananas, Saf Sindhi and Justin Gomes about why some very established brands are putting their trust in a very new kind of agency.
Castle Lager’s new campaign is a tribute to the supporters who stood by Bafana Bafana through three decades of triumph, heartbreak and hope. Created by Bananas and Retroviral and directed by Paul Ward from Giant Films, the recreation is so authentic that many viewers have mistaken it for archive footage. Here's how the team brought three decades of Bafana Bafana fandom back to life.
More than 200 people gathered for the first-ever South African Creative Showcase where 14 agencies and their clients presented the work they hope will make South Africa proud at Cannes Lions 2026. It was a rare and wonderful sight: competitors and clients all in one room, cheering each other's work on. A rare chance for the industry to come together and get behind Team South Africa.
Being invited to judge at Cannes Lions is one of the highest honours in our industry. This year, 31 South Africans help shape the festival's most important conversations, serving on both shortlisting and awarding juries across categories ranging from Titanium and Glass to Film to Media, Design, PR and a Jury President in-between. Meet the marketers, strategists, filmmakers, designers and creative leaders representing South Africa on the global stage. Thank you legends for making us proud.
We caught up with, Chantelle Dos Santos, the new Creative Director at Bananas to chat about choosing directors, the marketer relationships that elevate the work, the campaign she wishes she’d made, and why overthinking can quietly kill a great idea.
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.
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. And now you can view that work right here.
South Africa came out punching at The One Show Awards 2026, with local agencies, production companies, creatives, marketers, and brands picking up Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Merit recognition across a wide spread of categories. Go team SA! Congratulations to all the South African Pencil and Merit winners. Here’s the work that brought it home.
South Africa is showing up strong at the The One Show, leading the Middle East and Africa region with 48 finalists. From agencies to production and post, the work is cutting through for Team SA, and with every finalist guaranteed a Pencil or Merit, it’s already a big win.
This month’s IDIDTHAT.co Craft Awards were judged by two of our industry's royalty, Danni Pinch, ECD at Accenture Song and independent Director, Thina Zibi. Congrats to the top dogs this month, Bruno Bossi from Carbon Films and Zee Ntuli from Darling Films, drinks on you at the Loeries!
With their latest KFC Thailand commercial, ‘MISS NG PIECE’, they show how the collaboration between Bananas, KFC Thailand, and Carbon Films’ director Bruno Bossi is fast becoming a streak of standout work. The team turns the simple launch of six collectable Baby Saunders figurines into a funny and cinematic story about the very human frustration of being just one short of a complete set.
The Stormers’ new commercial, ‘Breathe’, takes South African sports advertising on a very different route. Created by agency Bananas and Sunny Futures alongside director Anton Visser of Patriot, the ad plays as a rallying anthem from Cape Town to its team, with the city itself cast as the beating heart behind them. It positions Cape Town’s people as co-players, showing that when the Stormers run out, they carry the breath, energy, and spirit of the city with them.
Yes, we know Cannes is over… but we’re not quite done talking about it. Here’s your full roundup of the week: the complete winners table, the work, and the companies that brought it home. You’ve inspired us all and reminded the world (and ourselves) what South Africans are capable of.
South Africa’s creative scene made a strong showing at this year’s One Show, bringing home two Bronze Pencils, three Silver, and 13 Merits. Congrats to the teams at Joe Public, TBWA\Hunt Lascaris, Carbon Films, Darling Films, Dash Digital, Post Modern, Sterling Sound, and newly launched agency Bananas! Here you can view all the awarded work and the brilliant talent behind it.
The One Show has revealed its 2025 finalists, and South Africa again shows up with 18 for the second year in a row. Finalists include local agencies and production companies: Joe Public, TBWA\Hunt Lascaris, Bananas, Promise, Carbon Films, and Enpower Trading. These finalists await the final Pencil decisions, which will be announced during Creative Week in New York on May 15. All finalists will win Gold, Silver, Bronze Pencils or Merits. Go team SA!