South Africa’s brightest young creative talent announced as winners of the Cannes Young Lions 2025 Competition

Ster-Kinekor, in partnership with Heineken® South Africa, is proud to announce the two winning teams who will represent South Africa at the prestigious Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2025. These exceptional young creatives have earned the opportunity to compete against the best talent from around the world in the highly competitive Young Lions Competition taking place in Cannes, France, from 16 June 2025.

This year marks the first time South Africa has competed in both the Film and Digital categories, reflecting the country’s growth in driving creativity. With only 48 hours to respond to a real-world brief, both teams demonstrated bold thinking, cultural relevance and world-class storytelling.

Khomotso Lwazi Makoto & Paula Stephanie Andropoulos – TBWA Hunt Lascaris

Their 60-second commercial brought the power of Ster-Kinekor’s Vision Mission to life with a heartfelt narrative that inspired belief in the power of sight. The judges were impressed by the team’s ability to combine empathy, craft and cinematic clarity in such a short timeframe.

Louise Laas & Khanyisile Modiba – Metropolitan Republic

The winning digital campaign presented a bold and innovative idea for Heineken® 0.0 and Arrive Alive, addressing the issue of drinking and driving through a positive and digitally driven behaviour change solution. Their 5-slide presentation stood out for its creativity, insight and potential for real-world impact.

‘The level of talent in this year’s competition was truly world-class,’ said Andrea Quaye, Marketing Director at HEINEKEN Beverages. ‘This marks the beginning of what we see as a long-term investment in creative excellence. We are committed to nurturing this partnership and supporting young talent in the years to come.’

‘The Young Lions Competition continues to be a platform for identifying tomorrow’s creative leaders,’ added Lynne Wylie, Chief Marketing Officer at Ster-Kinekor. ‘We are incredibly proud of these young teams and can’t wait to see them compete on the global stage.’

The winning teams will now embark on a once-in-a-lifetime journey to Cannes, where they’ll join an international community of creative innovators, attend world-class talks and compete for the coveted Young Lions title.