Johannesburg-based agency T&W was the big winner at the 2024 Sport Industry Awards, held at Vodaworld in Midrand, Johannesburg on 3 December.
The Sport Industry Awards honours many of the unsung heroes of the local sports industry and focuses on all the key elements that make up the ‘business of sport’, including marketing, sponsorship, event organisation, sports organisation, audio-visual work, social media, and technical innovation.
This year, the event was supported by SAB and TicketPro.
T&W – a specialist sport and entertainment storytelling shop, best known for writing and producing the acclaimed documentaries Chasing the Sun and Chasing the Sun 2 – walked away with the evening’s main award, Agency of the Year.
Chasing the Sun 2 follows the Springboks’ journey to their 2023 Rugby World Cup victory and provides an in-depth look at the strategies, challenges, and emotions that defined their campaign, with a focus on the psychological and tactical aspects of their success. The series highlights the pivotal role played by Rassie Erasmus and showcases the team’s boldness and preparation, capturing the on-field heroics as well as the cultural and societal impact of the Springboks as a unifying symbol in South Africa.
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T&W’s work on Chasing the Sun 2 also won them the Audio Visual Content of the Year Award and Campaign of the Year.
Playmakers, a sponsorship marketing management consultancy in the sports and lifestyle arena, took home the Active & Wellbeing Award for the ABSA Run Your City Series, with production company FuturePlay, an agency affiliated with Playmakers, winning The Communications Award for the History in our own words promo for SuperSport, which generated hype and national enthusiasm ahead of Dricus du Plessis competing in UFC 297. FuturePlay also walked away with the Experiential Marketing Award, which saw Betway offering a risk-free betting opportunity by promising a refund if the Springboks lost the Rugby World Cup Final.
Another standout award included Standard Bank South Africa winning Brand or Sponsor of the Year for sparking real change and inspiring South Africa’s youth by supporting grassroots sports.
Creative agency Retroviral won the Social and Environmental Impact Award for their unforgettable social impact drive in partnership with BIC, which partnered with Paralympian hero Mpumelelo Mhlongo to contribute to the education of students in need.
Lions Cricket was recognised as Sports Organisation of the Year for their efforts in transformation, sustainability, and community development, along with their commitment to teamwork, innovation, and discipline.
The Sport Industry Awards also handed out four ‘special’ awards and the 2024 winners were:
Leadership in Sport Business – Pholetsi Moseki
Sport Personality of the Year – Retshegofaditswe ‘Ox’ Nché
Sport Lifetime Community Award – Rachel Kolisi
Sport Lifetime Achievement Award – Lucas Radebe
Moseki is the CEO of Cricket South Africa and his leadership has been pivotal in rebuilding trust within the organization during a rather turbulent period in South African cricket’s history, bringing a sense of stability.
Nché was an integral member of the Springboks’ World Cup-winning squad and captured the imagination of the rugby public with not only his outstanding performances in France, but also his engaging personality off the field, including his quip “salads don’t win scrums”, which in turn has led to the release of a Christmas jersey with Nché’s iconic phrase on it!
Kolisi is the Founder and CEO of the Kolisi Foundation, which was established to change the stories of inequality in South Africa and to see communities thrive. The foundation strives to empower underprivileged communities, particularly in the Eastern Cape by providing education, healthcare, and mentorship to children, while also addressing issues such as food security and youth development.
Radebe is a former captain of Bafana Bafana and Leeds United, a South African legend, a name synonymous with football in this country, and someone who has made extraordinary contributions to the sport. Known for his leadership, versatility, and passion on the field, he enjoyed a distinguished career as a player, whilst off it, he has continued to be an ambassador for South African football, inspiring future generations.
See below the full list of 2024 Sport Industry Award winners or visit https://sportindustryawards.co.za/ for more information.
2024 Sport Industry Awards Winners:
AGENCY OF THE YEAR – T&W
ACTIVE & WELLBEING AWARD – ABSA Run Your City Series – Playmakers
AUDIO VISUAL CONTENT OF THE YEAR AWARD – Chasing the Sun 2 – SuperSport, SA Rugby and T&W
BEST ON SOCIAL – Forever Green Forever Gold FGFG – SA Rugby & Black and White Stripes
BRAND OR SPONSOR OF THE YEAR – Standard Bank Schools’ Sports Sponsorship – Standard Bank SA
CAMPAIGN OF THE YEAR – Chasing the Sun 2 Marketing Campaign – T&W
COMMUNICATIONS AWARD – History in our own words – FuturePlay
EVENT OF THE YEAR AWARD – 2024 Castle Lager Rugby Championship and Incoming Series – SA Rugby
EVENT OR COMPETITION SPONSORSHIP AWARD – Vitality Run Series – Discovery Vitality
EXPERIENTIAL MARKETING AWARD – Betway Back the Boks – FuturePlay
FAN ENGAGEMENT AWARD – #bokfriday by Dialogue – SA Rugby – Dialogue Communications
SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT AWARD – Bic x Mpumelelo – Retroviral & Shaun James Film & Integer
SPORTS ORGANISATION OF THE YEAR – Lions Cricket – Central Gauteng Lions
SPORTS PROMO OR ADVERT OF THE YEAR AWARD – Making Dreams Come True – Treble Group, Stephanus Rabie Productions
TEAM OR INDIVIDUAL SPONSORSHIP OF THE YEAR – DHL x Lifesaving South Africa – DHL
TECH INNOVATION AWARD – SuperSport Schools
AFRICAN EXCELLENCE (CROSS-BORDER) AWARD– NBA Triple Double Start Up Accelerator Programme – NBA Africa/BAL