All the 2024 Pendoring winners: Promise’s Vluit Project wins Pendoring Umpetha

Promise won the coveted Prestigious Umpetha trophy for The Vluit Project campaign, developed for AfriSam (Image supplied)

The winning project, Vluit, is an initiative that developed a means for workers on labour sites to communicate across language barriers.

Using the cultural phenomenon of how the “vluit”, or the human whistle, is used within local communities as an informal way to communicate, to create a new linguistic system for labour sites using unique whistles for specific actions.

“The annual Pendoring Awards not only celebrates the creative sector's outstanding work produced in indigenous languages; it also highlights the transformative power of communication in these languages,” says Eben Keun, general manager of the Pendoring Awards.

“This year’s theme, #SayItInYourLanguage, perfectly captures how language connects us to our roots and allows us to express our true selves.”

Yash Egami, the One Show chief operating officer announced the Pendoring Umpetha winner on the evening from New York.

“In 2024, we've expanded our relationship with Pendoring meaningfully. Pendoring’s Prestigious Umpetha Award now serves as a gateway to global recognition,” says Egami.

Top ranked agencies

1. The Odd Number
   
2. Promise
   
3. Joe Public United
   
4. Halo
   
5. Boom

Top ranked schools

1. IIE-Vega
   
2. Red & Yellow Creative School of Business
   
3. AAA School of Advertising
   
4. University of Johannesburg
   
5. Stellenbosch Academy of Design and Photography

The top publisher for this year was New Africa Books, which won a Gold Pendoring for the publication design of Ngabe udlala eziphi ezemidlalo uMpumi? written by Lebohang Masango.

Masango is an established children’s book writer, whose books in the Mpumi series have been translated into all of South Africa’s indigenous languages.

The points were awarded on the strength of finalists (2 points), Pendoring craft certificate (4 points), Gold Craft (7 points), Silver Pendoring (8 points), Gold Pendoring (10 points), Campaign Gold (15 points), Campaign Silver (12 points), Campaign Craft Certificate (6 points), Campaign Gold Craft (10.5 points), Prestigious Umpetha Award (20 points), Overall Student Award (20 points).

The 2024 Pendoring campaign. “#SayItInYourLanguage,” was conceptualised by Joe Public, the 2023 Prestigious Umpetha Award winner.

“We are proud that the Pendoring Awards broke records again this year, receiving even more entries than in previous years. Through feedback from adjudicators and participants alike, it is clear that the Pendoring Awards plays an important role in impacting the careers and ambitions of many young creatives,” says Keun.

“We are proud to contribute to the UN Decade of Indigenous Languages (2022 – 2032) through Pendoring, and feel inspired by the exceptional quality of work produced in indigenous languages each year.”

All the winners