Dentsu Africa has taken top honours at the 2026 Pitcher Awards, securing Advertising Agency Network of the Year and delivering one of the strongest cross-market performances at the continent’s leading creative benchmark.
The network’s success was led by Create Mozambique, named Advertising Agency of the Year, and winner of the Grand Prix for MozaMbique Has 2M for 2M Beer. The agency also secured multiple Gold awards across culture, media and effectiveness disciplines, reinforcing Mozambique’s emergence as a powerful creative market on the continent.
Across the network, dentsu teams delivered 1 Grand Prix, 7 Gold, 13 Silver and 12 Bronze awards, alongside 15 shortlists, with contributions spanning Mozambique, South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria. Winning work covered cultural insight, business impact, entertainment, film and print, demonstrating both range and consistency across markets.
Key wins included:
- Create Mozambique (Mozambique)
- Grand Prix: MozaMbique Has 2M (2M Beer)
- Gold awards across culture, media and effectiveness
- Dentsu Creative South Africa
- Gold: The Sun-Powered Print Ad (Corona Africa)
- Gold: First Beach Film (Corona Africa)
- Dentsu Creative Kenya
- Gold: The Origin of Wonder Film (Magical Kenya / Kenya Tourism Board)
The network’s influence extended beyond entries, with dentsu Africa CEO Dawn Rowlands serving as Jury President for the Good & Effectiveness category, reinforcing the group’s role in shaping how impactful work is judged across the industry.
The results reflect a network operating at scale across the continent, with talent and output spread across regions rather than concentrated in a single market. From Southern to East and West Africa, dentsu teams are producing work that competes at the highest level while remaining grounded in local context and relevance.
This year’s performance points to a clear shift in African creativity. The work is more consistent, more connected and increasingly built to deliver results. Ideas are informed by culture, shaped by data, and executed with precision across multiple markets.
The awards also highlight a change in where creative leadership sits. With Mozambique leading and multiple regions contributing, creative strength is no longer centred in a few markets. It is distributed, confident and increasingly competitive on a global stage.
In a market defined by fragmented attention and rising expectations, dentsu Africa’s results demonstrate its ability to deliver both standout creative work and measurable impact. The network’s strength lies in its reach; connecting talent, insight and capability across Africa to produce ideas that resonate and perform.
Africa’s creative industry is not catching up, it is setting the pace, and dentsu Africa is lead it.
