Based on more than three decades of shaping South African creativity, the iPendoring Awards continues their legacy of promoting something simple yet powerful: the freedom to create in the languages that shape South Africa's stories with #SayMo, because your mother tongue says it best.
What began as an effort to broaden the communications landscape long shaped by English has evolved into a platform that celebrates the confidence, nuance and creativity found in South Africa's eleven official indigenous languages, and the growing boldness of their use across the industry.
General manager Eben Keun says this growth is reflected in the breadth of the awards.
iPendoring recognizes work in design communications, digital communications, print communications, integrated campaigns, out of home, live communications, film, radio and student categories.
From major agencies to independent creators, it remains one of the few platforms where indigenous languages are at the center, not on the sidelines.
Beyond traditional advertising and design, iPendoring continues to create space for publishing houses, digital creators, filmmakers and emerging storytellers working in Indigenous languages, reflecting how audiences engage with content today and how storytelling continues to evolve.
“At 31 years old, iPendoring has reached a point of maturity where the conversation is no longer just about inclusion, but about excellence,” Keune said.
“We're seeing more confident, authentic work across all languages and that's incredibly encouraging. Together with our partners, we're excited to continue that momentum at this year's awards.”
Entries are now open on www.pendoring.co.za and close on 28 August with the awards ceremony taking place in November.
Umpetha 2026: Champion of Indigenous Voices
The prestigious Umpetha Award represents the highest honour, celebrating excellence in advertising and communications using indigenous South African languages. The “Umpetha” (isiZulu for champion) is awarded to campaigns that demonstrate exceptional creativity, cultural nuance and a minimum of 70% indigenous-language content.
Through a partnership with The One Show, the winner is also entered into these global awards shows to compete with the best from around the world.
The winning agency will receive a trophy, certificate and a solo entry into The One Show, where it will take to the global stage with the world's best creative work.
Last year, Joe Public United won an award for “Afrikaroke” (client: SAB/Castle Milk Stout) and was included in The One Show, one of the most respected awards in global advertising and design.
Through its ongoing partnership with The One Club for Creativity, iPendoring creates a direct pathway for exceptional work to be seen and judged on the global stage, while strengthening the potential of indigenous language creativity in South Africa.
In addition, winners receive gold and silver iPending trophies, with cash prizes awarded to the overall student winner, cementing the awards' role as a meaningful launchpad for emerging talent.
As it continues to champion the power of language in shaping how we tell our stories, this year's awards build on that momentum.
As creative work in Indigenous languages becomes increasingly bold, expressive and central to the industry, the 2026 program reflects a growing confidence in saying things the way they are actually meant to be heard.
At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily breaking news, not AI intervention. Enjoyed reading!