The University of Pretoria (UP) emerged as the most awarded institution at the 2025 Marketing, Advancement, and Communication in Education (MACE) Excellence Awards, securing 34 awards out of its 47 entries.

The MACE Excellence Awards annually recognise and celebrate excellence and the achievements of specialists and practitioners in marketing, advancement and communication in South Africa’s higher education sector. A total of 309 entries were received this year, celebrated under the theme: The human touch.

UP’s remarkable achievement of 34 awards (6 Gold, 10 Silver and 18 Bronze) all came from Department of Institutional Advancement (DIA), the Department of Enrolment and Student Administration (DESA) and the Strategic Programme Office, competing alongside extremely strong contenders from South Africa’s leading universities and higher education institutions.

In its range of submissions for this year’s awards, UP demonstrated outstanding innovation, impact and creativity in reaching, shaping, and advancing the institution and higher education sector.

“Congratulations to the entire UP team for your incredible dedication and creativity which gets to the heart of what we want to convey and achieve at UP,” said Rikus Delport, DIA Director. “You have shown commitment and put in long hours to achieve the exceptional work you do, recognised by the MACE Excellence Awards, and by the entire University community.

“From the superb digital and printed magazines such as Re.Search that demonstrates the excellent research and innovation coming out of UP to create a better world and future for society; to our astute student recruitment and fundraising campaigns that bring in critical student financial aid; to our alumni campaigns that remind all our alumni that UP is their lifelong home; to issue management campaigns, such as our substance abuse campaign; to our community events, social media campaigns and websites, we applaud you,” said Delport,

UP’s submissions demonstrated the university’s embracing of diversity, both in the audience for which its content, campaigns and events are designed, and in the diversity of media, channels and activations it uses to reach its target audience. These include content on TikTok and the UP Mobile App to match the social media and technology-driven experience that students, staff, alumni, and visitors require.

The awards have three divisions with 30 categories:
• Campaigns (aimed at target groups, including students, staff, funders, alumni and communities)
• Media (the way in which you get your message to your target groups); and
• Skills (specific skills that marketing, advancement, and communication professionals use to achieve their objectives, including design, writing, photography and videography).

Most awarded projects

Issues 10 and 11 of UP’s Re.Search magazine emerged as the most awarded project, with each receiving Bronze prizes across four categories. Issue 11: Digital, showcases how the institution is driving digital transformation in order to rapidly adapt to technological innovation and hyper-connectedness. In line with its digital focus, the edition has a refreshed, simplified design. Issue 10: Make today matter is a 10th anniversary edition that strategically highlights the UP brand and values through a range of featured stories.

UP’s 6 Gold-winning entries, which scored the highest in their respective categories, included:

• Mobile apps: UP Gets h’Appy
The upgraded UP Mobile App improves educational access, support successful student learning, and reinforces UP’s research and international profile while fostering a diverse and inclusive community.
• Fundraising campaign: ’67 VW Beetle Raffle Digital Campaign
UP developed a unique initiative: raffling a rare 1967 VW Beetle once owned by UP’s longest-serving Vice-Chancellor, Prof. CH Rautenbach. It captured the imagination of students, alumni, staff and the public, and raised R1 million for missing middle students.
• Printed: Other publication: Alumni in Action
Recognising graduation as a symbolic moment of transition — when students become lifelong alumni — the Alumni in Action brochure welcomed them into the UP Family.
• Digital: External magazines and newsletters: Alma Matters
Connects institutional achievements to alumni success stories, reinforcing pride, strengthens global networks, and positions alumni as vital partners in UP’s ongoing excellence.
• Writing scripts: Shaping You video
To ensure the #ChooseUP event for prospective students had a memorable centrepiece, UP came up with a powerful music video with youthful, aspirational original lyrics.
• Alumni campaigns: #BackLikeWeNeverLeft – Tuks Alumni Fan Zone
Research consistently shows the strategic value of sport-based initiatives in alumni engagement. This is how the Tuks Alumni Fan Zone event as a touchpoint was created and branded as a high-energy alumni hub.

Silver entry categories and awards:
• Stakeholder engagement campaign: Autumn Graduation Campaign: #UPExcellenceWearsACapToday
• Stakeholder engagement campaign: UP: Driving Digital Transformation Together
• Student recruitment campaign: Master’s and Doctoral Registration Closing Date
• Printed: Other publications: Undergraduate Application Requirements 2026 (Z-Folder)
• Websites: Teaching and Learning Website
• Channels: UP TikTok
• Events: Single and multi-day: #BackLikeWeNeverLeft – Tuks Alumni Fan Zone
• Designed for printed channels: Alumni in Action – Brochure
• Writing for news channels: Research Matters: Giant Radio Galaxies
• Videography: Shaping You video

Bonze categories and awards:
• Student recruitment campaign: Faculty to Natural and Agricultural Sciences (NAS) Undergraduate Recruitment Campaign
• Student recruitment campaign: JuniorTukkie Animation
• Printed: Other publications: Junior Tukkie 20th Anniversary Magazine
• Websites: Online Applications Website
• Events: Single and multi-day: Food Pack-a-Thon
• Audio, visual and audio-visual: JuniorTukkie Animation
• Designed for printed channels: Pocket Postgraduate Z-card
• Writing for news channels: Research Matters: Obesity Gene
• Writing for news channels: UP's Monet-inspired picture-perfect pond
• Videography: 2026 Applications | ChooseUP Video