Chain Reactions Africa and its clients have been nominated for 10 African SABRE Awards, more than any other agency.
Another communications consultancy from Nigeria, Integrated Indigo Limited got six nominations.
Now in their 10th year, the African SABRE Awards recognise superior achievement in branding reputation and engagement and are open to communications professionals in both agencies and in-house teans across the continent.
This year’s competition is being held for the first time in partnership with the Public Relations and Communications Association, and the winning campaigns will be presented with their trophies at the PRCA South Africa Conference, which takes place in Johannesburg on 17 and 18 March.
Another African agency, South Africa’s Clockwork, is shortlisted for eight awards, along with the African operations of multinational agencies Edelman and Weber Shandwick.
The honourees were selected by the awards’ judges from a record number of entries.
In addition to Chain Reactions, Clockwork. Edelman and Weber Shandwick, there were multiple nominations for agencies including We Communications (seven); Integrated Indigo Limited (six); FleishmanHillard and Retroviral (five each); and Blast Burson, Circus, and Jenny Griesel Communications (four each).
On the client side of the business, The Walt Disney Company saw a variety of campaigns shortlisted for 10 awards, while KFC received six nominations and AB InBev and Anglo American appear on the shortlist four times each.
Chair of the SABRE Awards jury, ‘Paul Holmes said: As always, the quality of storytelling and content creation across Africa stood out for its creativity. We received entries from a record number of companies and agencies, from all across the continent, and it is clear that PR campaigns in Africa are more data-druven than ever, and deliver stronger business results’.
SABRE Awards Africa 2026 finalists
Diamond Sabre Awards
CEO of the Year
- Beyond the Headlines: How Vodacom’s CEO reframed risk into reputation — Vodacom with We. Communications
- Harry Scherzer, CEO of the Year — Future Forex with Irvine Partners
- Impactful PR in Customs Service — Nigeria Customs Service with Image Merchants Promotion
Company of the year
- Premier League Trophy Tour — Guinness Nigeria with Chain Reactions Africa
The Recipe for Hope, Growth and Respect: How KFC Africa Redefined Brand Purpose — KFC Africa
The SABRE Award for Superior Achievement in Brand-Building
- Afrobeats: Culture in Motion — Spotify with Irvine Partners
- Courts Mammouth: 40ans – Tuzur Avek Zot — Courts Mammouth with Zethical X Courts Mammouth Marketing Team
- ESPN On Disney — The Walt Disney Company Africa with Jenny Griesel Communications
- Kagiso Trust – 40 years of Igniting Human Capacity — Kagiso Trust
- The Disney Dream Room — The Walt Disney Company Africa with Edelman Africa and Openfield Marketing
The SABRE Award for Superior Achievement in Reputation Management
- A Symphony Of Voices — 9mobile with Chain Reactions Africa
- Board and Presidential visit to BMW Plant Rosslyn — BMW Group South Africa with Clockwork
- Mastercard Reputation Management in SME Sector — Mastercard (Africa) with Weber Shandwick
The SABRE Award for Superior Achievement in Research and Planning
- From Monitoring to Meaning- How Blast Media Intelligence transformed CEO Communications in Mauritius — Blast Burson with Blast Burson
- Signals of Strength — Anglo American with Razor, a division of the Up&Up Group
The SABRE Award for Superior Achievement in Measurement and Evaluation
- One Move Away Campaign — Safaricom Ethiopia with Spotlight Communications and Marketing
- The Vibranium — T2 with Chain Reactions Africa
Eastern Africa
- Breast Cancer Awareness — C-Care with Circus!
- KAPAV — MCB with Circus!
- Newsmakers — Circus!
- One Move Away Campaign — Safaricom Ethiopia with Spotlight Communications and Marketing
- Wake Up Call — C-Care with Circus!
Northern Africa
- Winner: GITEX Africa Morocco 2025: A Media-Fuelled Journey for Tech Excellence — GITEX Africa with APO Group
Southern Africa
- Are You In? Motorola’s return to the South African Market — Motorola with We. Communications & Tandem Create
- Behind The Label — Salvation Army with Clockwork
- Homes Need Pets — Byron Thomas Properties with Clockwork
- IEC Elections — IEC with Magna Carta
- KFC The Biggest Hunger Hack, a blueprint for better — KFC South Africa
Western Africa
- Bluemind Foundation Heal by Hair — Bluemind Foundation with African Media Agency (AMA)
- From Promises To Proofs — The Presidency with Chain Reactions Africa
- Jollof Your Way — Knorr (Unilever Nigeria) with Red Media Africa
- Show Some Love To Mum. — Indomie with Chain Reactions Africa
- Standing for Climate Action. Repping the Future — C40 Cities X Lagos State Ministry of Environment and Water Resources with Chain Reactions Africa
Regional Campaign
- Changing Lives – One Credit Report at a Time — International Finance Corporation (IFC) with ByDesign Communications
- From regional to Pan-African: Transforming BCG’s identity through authentic voices and African data — BCG with FleishmanHillard SA
- Healthy Heart Africa — AstraZeneca with Newmark Group
Global Campaign
- Winner: AFAWA: Banking on Women — African Development Bank Group with Check-In Films
Business-To-Business Marketing
- #BeyondtheShelves — Majid Al Futtaim Hypermarkets (Carrefour Kenya) with Engage Communications
- Financial Togetherness – glu — glu with Tribeca Public Relations
- Newsmakers — Circus!
Cause-Related Marketing
- Homes Need Pets — Byron Thomas Properties with Clockwork
- Soothing The Nation — Tears Foundation with DarkMatter Creative Communications
- Wello Ena Talan – Les to Kouler Shine! — PhoenixBev – ESKI with Zethical × FCBCread
Corporate Image
- Flying Through the Storm — FlySafair with We. Communications
- Mastercard Reputation Management in SME Sector — Mastercard (Africa) with Weber Shandwick
- Rooted in tomorrow- How ENL reclaimed its agricultural soul — ENL Group with Blast Burson
- SAB Drive Sharp — South African Breweries with Weber Shandwick Africa
- Xero State of Small Business Report — Xero with FleishmanHillard SA
Corporate Social Responsibility
- Nigerian Bottling Company’s Youth Empowered — Nigerian Bottling Company with Integrated Indigo
- The Disney Dream Room — The Walt Disney Company Africa with Edelman Africa and Openfield Marketing
- Women on Wheels — Lafarge with Integrated Indigo Limited
Crisis/Issues Management
- Winner: War Against Drug Abuse — National Drug Law Enforcement Agency NDLEA with Image Merchants Promotion
Digital Campaign
- Give Gogo Mzansi — Uber South Africa with Irvine Partners
- Homes Need Pets — Byron Thomas Properties with Clockwork
- Local Climate Action Voices — The National Treasury and Economic Planning, Government of Kenya with Engage Communications
Employee Communications
- Connecting the dots… to glu — glu with Tribeca Public Relations
- Hollard – Elf Yourself! — Hollard with Flow Communications
- MUA Always improving for you — The Mauritius Union Assurance with TBWA\ Coastal & TBWA\ Mauritius
Financial Communications
- A $50 Million Investment Story — Lagos Free Zone with Integrated Indigo
- Signals of Strength — Anglo American with Razor, a division of the Up&Up Group
- Turning a Currency Challenge Into Clarity — Vodacom with We. Communications
Integrated Marketing
- AI.nything for the Taste: How KFC Gave AI a Craving for Chicken — KFC South Africa
- ESPN On Disney — The Walt Disney Company Africa with Jenny Griesel Communications
- MH State of Our Nation’s Health Campaign — Momentum Health with FleishmanHillard SA
- Putting able into sustainable: How Absa shifted the mining conversation in Africa — Absa with Edelman Africa
- Rebranding BankservAfrica to PayInc. — PayInc with FleishmanHillard SA
Marketing to Consumers (New Product)
- Disney Quiz Night — The Walt Disney Company Africa with Chilliengine Experiential Marketing and Capacity Relations
- Launching Nigeria’s 1st Low Carbon Concrete — Lafarge with Integrated Indigo
- National Geographic David Blaine Do Not Attempt — The Walt Disney Company Africa with Jenny Griesel Communications and Beatrix Events
Marketing to Consumers (Existing Product)
- Croctober 2025 — Crocs with Clockwork
- Deeply Rooted — Orijin with Chain Reactions Africa
- Heritage of Craft — Ab InBEV – Castle Lager with Retroviral, Shaun James Film
Media Relations
- AfroBEATanicals — Ab InBEV – Black Crown with Retroviral & Run Jump Fly
- Disney’s Mufasa: The Lion King – Press Tour — The Walt Disney Company Africa with Openfield Marketing and Capacity Relations
- How to build an AI economy in Africa — Microsoft with We. Communications
- Super Falcons WAFCON Trophy Tour — Nigeria Breweries with Red Media Africa
- The Africa Flag 2025 Tournament: Raising the Game in Cairo — National Football League (NFL) with APO Group
Public Affairs/Government Relations
- AUSC – Keep Moving — African Union Sports Council with Flow Communications
- IEC Elections — IEC with Magna Carta
- State of the Beer Economy — South African Breweries with Weber Shandwick Africa
Public Education
- Around Africa Exhibition — OceanX with Tribeca Public Relations
- The Unburied Casket — Women For Change with Edelman Africa
- When one post isn’t enough — Konekte with Blast Burson
Social Media Campaign
- Behind The Label — Salvation Army with Clockwork
- Local Climate Action Voices — The National Treasury and Economic Planning, Government of Kenya with Engage Communications
- The Power of Small Transactions — Visa with MSL
Special Event/Sponsorship
- Champion Mom — Ab InBEV – Carling Black Label with Retroviral, T+W
- Disney’s Mufasa: The Lion King – Press Tour — The Walt Disney Company Africa with Openfield Marketing and Capacity Relations
- National Geographic David Blaine Do Not Attempt — The Walt Disney Company Africa with Jenny Griesel Communications and Beatrix Events
Industry sectors
Associations
- Winner: When airbags threaten to kill those they were supposed to protect — SICR with Blast Burson
Consumer Products/Services
- Courts Mammouth: 40ans – Tuzur Avek Zot — Courts Mammouth with Zethical X Courts Mammouth Marketing Team
- Cycle Breakers — Lil-Lets South Africa with Retroviral & Shaun James Film
- QNET’S “Say No!” Campaign: Combating Job Scams, Human Trafficking, Illegal Migration And Forced Labour Through Public Awareness — QNET with Newmark Group
Fashion & Beauty
- Winner: Beauty, Fashion & Lifestyle — Naked Ape with Bophelo Communications
Financial & Professional Services
- Mastercard Reputation Management in SME Sector — Mastercard (Africa) with Weber Shandwick
- Turning Expertise into Influence — Adams & Adams with We. Communications
- Xero State of Small Business Report — Xero with FleishmanHillard SA
Food & Beverage
- AfroBEATanicals — Ab InBEV – Black Crown with Retroviral & Run Jump Fly
- How KFC owned the Summer of 2024 — KFC South Africa
- KFC Building Beyond: Unlocking Growth, Empowering South Africa — KFC South Africa
- KFC The Biggest Hunger Hack, a blueprint for better — KFC South Africa
- SAB Moletele — South African Breweries with Weber Shandwick Africa
Healthcare
- Empowering Everyday Health: How Haleon Kenya reframed the Self Care Conversation in Africae — Haleon with Edelman Africa
- finDR — Profmed with Faith & Fear, Retroviral
- NHI Challenge Media Launch — Health Funders Association with Clockwork
Industrial/Manufacturing
- Leading Online: How DP World Used Social Media to Build Executive Influence — DP World Sub-Saharan Africa with Edelman Africa
- Nigerian Bottling Company’s rPET Collection Hub — Nigerian Bottling Company with Integrated Indigo
- Women on Wheels — Lafarge with Integrated Indigo Limited
Media, Arts & Entertainment
- Broadcasting Greatness: Elevating African Hoops and Culture at BAL 2025 — BAL (Basketball Africa League) with APO Group
- Ilorin Innovation Hub Art Hackathon — IHS Nigeria with CMC Connect
- The Disney Dream Room — The Walt Disney Company Africa with Edelman Africa and Openfield Marketing
Mining and Extractive Industries
- Building Capacity Beyond the Mine — Anglo American with ByDesign Communications
- Segilola Resources Operations CSR Initiatives — Segilola Resources Operations with Red Media Africa
- Signals of Strength — Anglo American with Razor, a division of the Up&Up Group
Not for Profit/Charities
- Bluemind Foundation Heal by Hair — Bluemind Foundation with African Media Agency (AMA)
- Soothing The Nation — Tears Foundation with DarkMatter Creative Communications
- The Unburied Casket — Women For Change with Edelman Africa
Public Sector/Government
- DBSA Reputation Management — Development Bank of Southern Africa with Weber Shandwick Africa
- FiCS 2025 — Development Bank of Southern Africa with Weber Shandwick Africa
- From Promises To Proofs — The Presidency with Chain Reactions Africa
Technology
- Africa’s AI Skills Readiness Revealed — SAP with ByDesign Communications and Fury
- How to build an AI economy in Africa — Microsoft with We. Communications
- The Vibranium — T2 with Chain Reactions Africa
Travel & Leisure
- Winner: Lagos Shopping Festival — Lagos State with Chain Reactions Africa X Aramanda Exp
