Cannes Contenders 2026: South Africa

After years spent working alongside agencies, creatives and clients, Alexa Wilson has developed a strong instinct for the kind of work that truly cuts through; ideas with clarity, specificity and a genuine understanding of the audience they’re speaking to.

Looking at this year’s South African Cannes contenders, Wilson believes the strongest work is often the work with the clearest point of view. Whether rooted in local culture or created for global brands, the pieces that stand out feel confident in their identity rather than shaped by trend. Across categories, the work that resonates most balances strong conceptual thinking with emotional clarity, craft and specificity in a way that simply makes for great advertising.

Nedbank - Hardworking Professionals

Joe Public’s Hard Working Professionals for Nedbank draws you into an immersive and intriguing world before revealing its idea with real elegance and restraint. 

In a landscape where so much work feels overthought or over explained, director Lourens Van Rensburg of 7 Films brings a level of precision and control to the storytelling that makes the film land so effectively. Every decision feels intentional, resulting in work that is confident, assured and incredibly refined.

The Phillipstown Wire Car Foundation - The Philipstown Wire Car Grand Prix

Accenture Song’s The Philipstown Wire Car Grand Prix balances a deeply human, community-led story with a strikingly ambitious visual language. What could have been a straightforward social impact piece instead feels emotionally affecting and visually inventive. Director Paul Ward from Giant Films brings an incredible level of craft and graphic precision to the storytelling, creating a world that feels both futuristic and full of heart.

Spotify - Don't Stop The Music

Machine_’s Don’t Stop The Music for Spotify is a brilliant example of copy and art direction working in perfect harmony. 

With a single visual, the campaign captures the interruption and frustration of ads in a way that feels immediate, graphic and incredibly smart. 

It’s the kind of confidently executed print work that proves how powerful simplicity can still be.

Heineken - Bar de Change

There’s something incredibly charming about LePub’s Bar de Change for Heineken. Built around the very real frustration of a struggling currency, the campaign turns an economic truth into something playful, social and genuinely entertaining. 

Jasyn Howes from Darling Fling brings the idea to life in the best possible way; instantly understandable, rewarding to watch and rooted in an insight that travels effortlessly.

Vaseline - Mntana ka Gogo

In a single image, VML’s Mntana Ka Gogo for Vaseline captures something deeply familiar to many South Africans.

The campaign transforms an everyday cultural detail into a piece of storytelling that feels immediate, recognisable and emotionally loaded without over explaining itself. Its strength lies in its simplicity and in how naturally it reminds us that some brands become inseparable from memory, identity and home.

KFC - The Taste That Hits Home

Ogilvy’s The Taste That Hits Home for KFC is rooted in the beautifully specific insight of“home-home”. The African expression describing the place you come from, distinct from where you currently live. That emotional truth gives the campaign a real sense of warmth and belonging, reinforcing how deeply KFC is woven into memory, family and everyday life across the continent. 

Director Zee Ntuli from Darling Films brings an enormous amount of precision and detail to the execution, yet the film carries it lightly, feeling fluid, effortless and incredibly easy to connect with.