Hollard recognising the effort, innovation, creativity and talent behind sports campaigns, events and sponsorships
Those at the very heart of South African sport – the teams and creatives that make sporting events, campaigns and sponsorships possible – were honoured on Thursday at the Hollard Sport Industry Awards.
Along with prominent personalities from the world of sport, high-profile industry stakeholders gathered at 1 Fox in Johannesburg to recognise and award the effort, innovation, creativity and talent behind sports campaigns, events and sponsorships over the last year.
Agency of the Year, sponsored by Gallo Images, went to Levergy, the Sport and Entertainment arm of M&C Saatchi. Levergy’s work in the South African sport industry spans every major rights holder, broadcaster and sporting code. The agency, who pioneered the local sports marketing industry, is also the most awarded sport, entertainment and lifestyle marketing and sponsorship agency in Africa.
The most sought-after award, Brand or Sponsor of the Year, went to MTN for their support of both the Springboks and MTN8, using the excitement of supporters being back in stadiums to drive engagement and position their brand amongst both rugby and soccer fans.
Winning the TicketPro Event of the Year accolade this year was the Global Team Horse Racing Live Series, a radical reinvention of the age-old sport of horse racing. This series, designed to be team-based, fast-paced and easy to understand, saw three regional teams go head-to-head over three weeks in a thrilling series of night-time horse racing events – a world first. These team events at race meetings in Durban in August and September proved the effectiveness of the new format, and fans are loving it.
Brand or Sponsor of the Year went to MTN for their support of both the Springboks and MTN8, using the excitement of supporters being back in stadiums to drive engagement and position their brand amongst both rugby and soccer fans.
Campaign of the Year went to Octagon and Castle Lite for their #LITESIDEOF7S campaign during the Rugby World Cup Sevens played in Cape Town in September. Their activations brought the Lite Side of the Sevens to life, along with plenty of entertainment, beer and fun.
“We recognise the power of marketing to bring sport alive and the determination, passion and diligence of the people within this sector. The work that you do is instrumental in ensuring that sports, brands, and campaigns continue to live, inspire and entertain, creating better futures for those that make, those that market and those that consume this content,” says Heidi Brauer, Chief Marketing Officer at Hollard. “We appreciate you and we celebrate with you. To each and every entrant, nominee, finalist and winner, thank you for helping to make sport possible,” she says.
Last year’s Agency of the Year winner, Mscsports and their client Klipdrift took home the Communications Award of the Year for ‘Go For Gold’. This campaign saw Klipdrift reuniting with rugby as the proud official sponsor of the Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022, with engaging experiential activations ensuring that the tournament and sponsor would long be remembered as ‘Gold Between Friends’ regardless of the result.
For the second consecutive year, The Basketball Africa League won the African Excellence Award (Crossborder), sponsored by MTN. A partnership between the International Basketball Federation and the NBA, the Basketball Africa League features twelve club teams and focuses on growing the next generation of basketball stars in Africa.
Also winning for the second year in a row was the SPAR Women’s Virtual Challenge 2022 in the Active and Wellbeing Award category. Another notable winner was the Sail Africa Youth Development Foundation which, through its “Equity, Education, Environment” programme , has shown that sailing is for everyone. This initiative, to encourage equity and gender empowerment within the sport of sailing, won the Social & Environmental Impact Award.
The recipient of the 2022 Hollard Sport Industry Awards Sport Lifetime Achievement Award went to Netball South Africa Chief Executive, Blanche de la Guerre. This accolade celebrates an individual whose leadership has contributed to capacity building, empowerment and transformation within South African sport.
de la Guerre was recognised for her contribution and sustained positive impact on the growth and development of netball, ensuring the sport runs responsibly and is commercially attractive to potential partners. She was at the helm of netball’s governing body as our national team grew its standing to become one of the top five teams in world netball. She was also a member of the Netball South Africa team that laid the foundation for the country’s successful bid to host the 2023 Netball World Cup. de la Guerre has played a crucial role in securing a better future for netball in the country.
The 2022 Hollard Sport Industry Awards Sport Lifetime Community Award was presented to former Banyana Banyana star, Portia Modise. This award is presented to an individual whose selflessness and dedication through sport has supported sustainability, empowerment and inclusivity within communities in South Africa. Modise, who played 124 times for South Africa, becoming the first African player to score 100 international goals, was recognised last night for the significant impact achieved by her academy.
The Portia Modise Foundation and Academy is a non-profit, women’s football development and training academy that aims to uplift communities and enable better futures for these communities by empowering women through life skills. This outspoken and fearless sportsperson stands against any type of injustice and has made a sustained positive and significant contribution to her community.
At only be 32 years of age, Tlhopane Motsepe was presented with the 2022 Hollard Sport Industry Awards Leadership in Sport Business Award. As Chairman of Mamelodi Sundowns, Motsepe heads up one of the biggest football clubs in Africa, having been thrust into the position of Chairman last year. Unperturbed by the challenge, Motsepe has proceeded to preside over two successive domestic league football titles, along with a continental title, with the women’s team claiming CAF Women’s Champions League honours in 2021.
He has also been at the forefront of a tie-up with global sports and entertainment agency Roc Nation. Motsepe’s bold and decisive leadership has made a substantial difference to South African sport and has ensured that his club remains one of Africa’s biggest sports brands.
With one of the best cover-drives in world cricket, Momentum Proteas cricketer, Laura Wolvaardt, is already a global star. She is also the recipient of this year’s Hollard Sport Industry Awards Sport Personality of the Year, sponsored by ESPN. This year saw Wolvaardt enjoy another phenomenal season, including an outstanding one-day international World Cup, where she featured as one of the competition’s top run-scorers, scoring the most half-centuries. She has also played an enormous role in thrusting women’s cricket into the spotlight and enhancing its image and standing.
As one of the biggest celebrations of the meeting of African sport and business, The Hollard Sport Industry Awards have once again highlighted the incredible work produced over the last year by this brilliant and resilient sector.
Please see below the list of all the Hollard Sport Industry Award winners or go to https://sportindustryawards.co.za/ for more information.
THE 2022 HOLLARD SPORT INDUSTRY WINNERS
2022 Hollard Sport Industry Awards Sport Lifetime Achievement Award – Netball South Africa Chief Executive, Blanche de la Guerre
2022 Hollard Sport Industry Awards Sport Lifetime Community Award – former Banyana Banyana star, Portia Modise
2022 Hollard Sport Industry Awards Leadership in Sport Business Award – Chairman of Mamelodi Sundowns, Tlhopane Motsepe
2022 Hollard Sport Industry Awards Sport Personality of the Year, sponsored by ESPN – Momentum Proteas cricketer, Laura Wolvaardt.
Event of the Year (Sponsored by TicketPro)
Global Team Horse Racing Live Series
Active & Wellbeing Award
SPAR Women’s Virtual Challenge 2022
Brand or Sponsor of the Year
MTN-Springboks and MTN8
Campaign of the Year
Octagon and Castle Lite – #LITESIDEOF7S
African Excellence Award (Crossborder) (Sponsored by MTN)
Basketball Africa League – Expanded Second Season
Fan Engagement Award (Sponsored by Betway)
PlanetSport – Boksquad
Young Agency of the Year
ProAthlete Management Agency
Communications Award of the Year
Mscsports and Retroviral – Klipdrift – Go For Gold
Social & Environmental Impact Award
Sail Africa Youth Development Foundation – Their EEE “Equity, Education, Environment” programme
Event or Competition Sponsorship Award (Sponsored by Worldwide Sports)
Playmakers Sponsorship and Marketing – DSTV Compact Cup
Agency of the Year (Sponsored by Gallo Images)
Levergy
Audio Visual Content of the Year (Short Form)
Ona and Grace – Play with Power (short form)
Audio Visual Content of the Year (Long Form)
Retroviral – Map1mp1
Photographs courtesy of Ashlee Abdul
