Stellenbosch University (SU) scooped a notable 31 awards at the annual Marketing, Advancement and Communication in Education (MACE) Excellence Awards, including the coveted Severus Cerff Award for Consistent Excellence (for the highest success ratio of all entering institutions).
The MACE Excellence Awards, celebrated this year at a glittering ceremony in Cape Town, recognises the achievements of specialists and practitioners in marketing, advancement and communication in the higher education sector across Southern Africa. There were 255 entries, and 153 awards were handed out to 17 tertiary institutions. It took 39 evaluators and a moderator more than 630 hours to assess the submissions.
SU clinched 17 Bronze and 10 Silver Awards and three Gold Awards (awarded to the highest scoring entry in each category). Entries from SU's Corporate Communication and Marketing Division (CCMD), Development and Alumni Relations (DAR) Division, Student Recruitment, Library and the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS) were among those acknowledged for their outstanding performance.
“We are incredibly proud of SU for being recognised for its outstanding achievements. SU's marketing, communication and fundraising teams have worked tirelessly to consistently produce excellent work that contributes to the recognition and positioning of SU as Africa's leading research-intensive institution. To receive the Severus Cerff Award for consistent excellence over the past year, is testimony that our work sets a new national standard," said Prof Hester Klopper, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Strategy, Global and Corporate Affairs.
The Gold Awards were for PULSE Magazine (FMHS), SU's #DayInTheLife campaign celebrating the people who work at the University and a Corporate Communication crisis communication campaign.
“To be honoured by industry peers is immensely gratifying, especially after pulling out all the stops to ensure that we're giving our Faculty the best publicity possible," said Florence de Vries, Manager of SU's Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences' Marketing and Communication Division, which won awards for all its entries.
One of the Silver Awards was for Stellenbosch University Library's innovative TikTok campaign, “Why does the library need a TikTok anyway?". Ms Ellen Tise, Senior Director: Library and Information Service, expressed her delight, saying: “We are incredibly honoured to receive this award for the SU Library TikTok account. It is a testament to the amazing community that supports and engages with our content. This recognition motivates us to continue creating and sharing content that resonates with our audience. Thank you to everyone who has been a part of this journey."
The event was the culmination of a two-day conference on the future of higher education in an AI world, held at the University of the Western Cape's Bellville campus. Various speakers engaged on topics such as fundraising, media relations and how to run a successful digital marketing campaign.
MACE is a membership-based organisation and fulfils a leadership role in the higher education, technical vocational education and training and private education sectors within Southern Africa. It aims to add value to practitioners in marketing, advancement and communication by offering high-quality development programmes, facilitating networking partnerships and transformation, and by promoting best practice among these professions in its member institutions.
SU's awards:
Special awards
The SEVERUS CERFF award for consistent excellence – awarded to the institution with the highest success ratio
Gold (3)
PULSE newsletter: digital internal magazines and newsletters
#dayinthelife: stakeholder engagement campaign
A watershed moment: crisis management campaign
Silver (10)
Towards a university-led brand manual: design for printed media
Stellenbosch medical students use tech to turn the tide on organ donor shortage: writing for news media
SU & partners retrofit first minibus taxi: writing for news media
Stellenbosch University: In the news: internal digital magazines and news
Why does the library need a TikTok anyway?: social media
Open air graduation ceremony: events
SU Welcoming ceremony and dream walk: events
Biomedical Research Institute (BMRI) launch: stakeholder engagement campaign
#WomenofSU: stakeholder engagement campaign
Brand implementers workshop series: stakeholder engagement campaign
Bronze (17)
Pre-alumni: First-year guide 2023: design for printed media
Illustrating the gig workers: design for printed media
African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA): design for printed media
SA's Silent Mass Disaster: writing for news media
Biomedical Research Institute (BMRI) launch: media statement: writing for news media
Future Professors shine at SU: writing for news media
SU's fossil expert returns with great discovery: writing for news media
Biomedical Research Institute (BMRI) launch video script: writing scripts
Biomedical Research Institute launch: events
Hybrid Open Day: events
Breakfast with the Rector: events
Homecoming 2023: events
Matie legends and pioneers: audio-visual
Always a Matie: design for printed media
Giving Day: fundraising campaign
#helloMaties: stakeholder engagement campaign
#Whoyoubecome application campaign: student recruitment campaign
