Intelligent customer experience company Helm has been recognised as the second-ranked Solutions Provider in sub-Saharan Africa in the latest SMARTIES Business Impact Index (BII), released in July 2025. This is a prestigious global ranking that identifies companies delivering the most significant real-world business results.
Compiled annually by the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA), the BII recognises outstanding performance across all Smarties Awards competitions, factoring in both award level and market competitiveness. Helm’s strong 2023 awards performance and continued focus on innovative, mobile-first marketing solutions secured its spot among the top agencies in the region last week.
Stef Adonis, head of marketing at Helm
“Being ranked among the top providers in sub-Saharan Africa is a badge we wear proudly,” says Stef Adonis, head of marketing at Helm. “The results we’ve delivered on home soil are being recognised across the continent and beyond, showing that South African customer experience solutions are up there with the best. This ranking also reinforces our belief that solutions should be measured by real business impact.”
The Smarties Awards are globally respected for showcasing data-driven creativity and mobile-first innovation. The programme is the first South African awards platform to contribute to global benchmarks like the WARC Media 100 and RECMA. This means that all Smarties winners now help shape global rankings of the world’s most effective marketing efforts.
In 2023 (the period in which the recent index was measured), Helm brought home an impressive collection of gold, silver and bronze awards across both local and regional Smarties programmes. These wins, and the strategic thinking and creative craft behind them, played a key role in securing the BII ranking and reflect Helm’s continued focus on delivering bold, effective work in a fast-changing market environment.
“At Helm, we often talk about making a difference to the end user. But it’s also about making a measurable and lasting impact on the companies that have trusted us with their business” Adonis adds.
For more information about the Smarties Business Impact Index, click here.
