The winning brands in each category will be celebrated at an Awards event on 20 September 2023.
The Sunday Times GenNext survey – conducted by Yellowwood - is a barometer of what South Africa’s youth aged 8 to 24 years find on-trend and aspirational, what brands resonate with the youth and which they consider ‘cool’, delivering insights for brand management, advertising, and marketing professionals.
This year, the 10 brands that have performed most successfully across their respective categories, and are finalists for the Coolest Brand Overall award (in alphabetical order) are:
Apart from recognising products and services, the survey also touches on the youth perception of sportspeople, entertainers, and celebrities.
Awards for the Coolest Local Celebrity, Coolest Local Radio Personality and Coolest Local Sportsperson will also be announced on 20 September.
Partners of Sunday Times GenNext 2023 include: Gautrain Management Agency, African Bank, Converse, Doritos, McDonald’s, Mercedes-Benz, MTN, NikNaks, Pin Pop, Proudly SA, Rookie USA, Simba Munchiez, Cliff Central, and Arena Events.
| Coolest Advertising Medium 2023 | |
| Email Advertising/ Email Marketing | |
| Google / Google Ads | |
| Magazines / Books | |
| Newsletter | |
| Posters / Flyers / Pamphlets / Brochure | |
| TikTok | |
| YouTube | |
| Coolest Alcohol Brands 2023 | |
| 4th Street Wines | |
| Belgravia London Gin | |
| Brutal Fruit | |
| Cruz Vodka | |
| Heineken | |
| Hennessy Cognac | |
| Jägermeister | |
| Savanna | |
| Smirnoff | |
| Tanqueray Gin | |
| Coolest Banks 2023 | |
| ABSA | |
| African Bank | |
| Capitec Bank | |
| Discovery Bank | |
| FNB/ First National Bank | |
| Investec Bank | |
| Nedbank | |
| Old Mutual | |
| Standard Bank | |
| TymeBank | |
| Coolest Brand Overall 2023 | |
| Adidas | |
| Apple | |
| BMW | |
| Coca-Cola | |
| Gucci | |
| Louis Vuitton | |
| Nike | |
| Puma | |
| Samsung | |
| Vans | |
| Coolest Brand That Cares About my Community 2023 | |
| Adidas | |
| Blue Ribbon | |
| Gift of the Givers | |
| Impala Community Development Trust | |
| Pick n Pay | |
| SAPS | |
| Sasko | |
| Spar | |
| Unilever | |
| Vodacom | |
| Coolest Breakfast Cereals 2023 | |
| Bokomo Corn Flakes | |
| Cheerios / Nestlé Cheerios | |
| FUTURELIFE Cereal | |
| Kellogg’s All Bran | |
| Kellogg’s Coco Pops | |
| Kellogg’s Froot Loops | |
| Kellogg’s Rice Krispies | |
| Morvite | |
| Nestlé Milo Cereal | |
| ProNutro | |
| Coolest Campaign Targeted at Youth 2023 | |
| Adidas Impossible is Nothing Campaign | |
| Generation NEXT Campaign / GenNext | |
| HYDC Harambee Youth Development Campaign | |
| KFC’s Add Hope Campaign | |
| LoveLife Campaign | |
| Mr Price Foundation | |
| MTN Pulse/ #OnThePulse Campaign | |
| R350 SASSA SRD Grant Campaign | |
| Vodacom NXT LVL Get A Gig Campaign | |
| Youth for Future (Y4F) | |
| Coolest Cartoon Shows 2023 | |
| Cocomelon | |
| Dragon Ball Z (DBZ) | |
| Mickey Mouse | |
| Mr. Bean: The Animated Series | |
| Regular Show | |
| Sofia The First / Sophia The First | |
| SpongeBob SquarePants | |
| Supa Strikas | |
| Teen Titans Go! | |
| Tom & Jerry | |
| Coolest Cellphone Brands 2023 | |
| Hisense | |
| Huawei | |
| iPhone | |
| Itel | |
| LG | |
| Mobicel | |
| Nokia | |
| Oppo | |
| Samsung | |
| Xiaomi | |
| Coolest Chocolates 2023 | |
| Aero | |
| BAR ONE | |
| Cadbury Dairy Milk | |
| Cadbury Lunch Bar | |
| Cadbury PS | |
| Cadbury Top Deck | |
| Dairy Milk Bubbly | |
| Ferrero Rocher | |
| Kit Kat | |
| Lindt / Lindt Lindor / Lindt Milk Chocolate | |
| Coolest Clothing Brands 2023 | |
| Adidas | |
| Chanel | |
| Fabiani | |
| Lacoste | |
| Louis Vuitton | |
| Mr Price | |
| Nike | |
| Puma | |
| Redbat | |
| ZARA | |
| Coolest Clothing Stores 2023 | |
| Cotton On | |
| H&M | |
| Markham | |
| Mr Price / MRP | |
| Nike | |
| Sportscene | |
| Studio 88 | |
| The Fix | |
| Woolworths | |
| ZARA | |
| Coolest Cold beverage 2023 | |
| Appletiser | |
| Cappy | |
| Coca-Cola | |
| Jive Cooldrinks | |
| Lipton Iced Tea | |
| Liqui Fruit | |
| Pepsi | |
| Sprite | |
| Stoney | |
| Tropika | |
| Coolest Colleges 2023 | |
| Boston City Campus | |
| Capricorn College / Capricorn TVET College / Senwa | |
| CityVarsity College | |
| Damelin College | |
| Harvard College | |
| IIE Rosebank College | |
| Richfield College | |
| Stanford College | |
| SWGC South West Gauteng College / Mlapo College | |
| Tshwane North TVET College / TNC / Pretoria North | |
| Coolest Company to work for 2023 | |
| Anglo American Platinum | |
| Apple | |
| Coca-Cola | |
| Department of Education | |
| Government Department / Public Sector | |
| Mercedes-Benz | |
| SABC | |
| Sasol | |
| Transnet | |
| Coolest Console Games 2023 | |
| FIFA | |
| Call of Duty | |
| Dragon Ball Games | |
| Grand Theft Auto / GTA | |
| Ludo | |
| NBA | |
| Need for Speed | |
| Street Fighter 6 | |
| Subway Surfer | |
| WWE | |
| Coolest Daily Newspaper 2023 | |
| Cape Times | |
| Daily Dispatch | |
| Daily News | |
| Daily Sun | |
| Daily Times Newspaper | |
| Isolezwe | |
| Sowetan | |
| The Citizen | |
| The Star | |
| The Sun | |
| Digital learning Platform 2023 | |
| Coursera | |
| Google Classroom | |
| Google Play Books | |
| K53 | |
| LinkedIn Learning | |
| Mindset Learn 319 | |
| Moodle | |
| Skillshare | |
| Vodacom e-School | |
| YouTube | |
| Coolest Energy Drinks 2023 | |
| Dragon Energy Drink | |
| Energade | |
| Lucozade | |
| MoFaya Energy Drink | |
| Predator Energy Drink | |
| Prime | |
| Reboost Energy | |
| Red Bull | |
| Score Energy Drink | |
| Switch Energy Drink | |
| Coolest Fast-Food Places 2023 | |
| Burger King | |
| Chicken Licken | |
| Debonairs Pizza | |
| Hungry Lion | |
| KFC | |
| McDonald's | |
| Nando's | |
| RocoMamas | |
| Spur Steak Ranches | |
| Steers | |
| Coolest Female Deodorants 2023 | |
| Avon | |
| Avon Far Away | |
| Dove / Dove for Women | |
| Elizabeth Arden Red Door | |
| Mitchum | |
| Nivea / Nivea Women | |
| Oh So Heavenly | |
| PlayGirl | |
| Revlon | |
| Yardley | |
| Coolest Feminine Hygiene Products 2023 | |
| Always Pads | |
| Avon | |
| Dettol | |
| Dove | |
| GynaGuard Products | |
| Kotex | |
| Lil- Lets | |
| Nivea / Nivea Women | |
| Oh So Heavenly | |
| Stay Free / Stayfree | |
| Coolest Weekly Newspapers 2023 | |
| City Press Newspaper / City News | |
| Rapport Newspaper | |
| Rising Sun | |
| Sunday Sun | |
| Sunday Times | |
| Sunday World | |
| The Guardian Newspaper | |
| The Mail & Guardian | |
| The Sunday News | |
| TygerBurger Newspaper | |
| Coolest Accessory & Jewellery Store | |
| 2days Fashion | |
| American Swiss | |
| Be Style | |
| Claires / Claires | |
| Deonne le Roux Jewellers | |
| Gold Star | |
| Honey Fashion Accessories | |
| J’s Accessories | |
| Lady7 | |
| MJ Fashion | |
| Coolest Specialist Health & Beauty Store 2023 | |
| Avon | |
| Clicks | |
| Dis-Chem | |
| Edgars | |
| Foschini | |
| MAC | |
| Signature | |
| Sorbet | |
| The Body Shop | |
| Woolworths | |
| Coolest Hot beverage 2023 | |
| Cadbury Hot Chocolate | |
| Freshpak Rooibos Tea | |
| Hug in a Mug | |
| Jacobs Kronung Coffee | |
| Milo | |
| Mugg & Bean Coffee | |
| Nescafé | |
| Nespresso | |
| Nestlé Hot Chocolate | |
| Starbucks Coffee | |
| Coolest Hotel Brands 2023 | |
| City Lodge | |
| Garden Court | |
| Hilton Hotel | |
| Hotel 224 | |
| Manhattan Hotel | |
| Marriott Hotel | |
| Protea Hotels by Marriot | |
| Radisson Blu Hotel | |
| Southern Sun Hotel | |
| Sun International Hotel | |
| Coolest Ice Cream 2023 | |
| Cornetto | |
| Country Fresh Ice Cream | |
| Dairy Milk (Dairymilk) Ice Cream | |
| Farmhouse Ice Cream | |
| Magnum Ice Cream | |
| Milky Lane Ice Cream | |
| Ola Ice Cream | |
| Oreo | |
| Woolworths Blueberry Ice Cream | |
| Woolworths Tin Roof Ice Cream | |
| Coolest Insurance Brand 2023 | |
| 1Life Insurance | |
| 1st For Women | |
| Assupol | |
| AVBOB | |
| Clientéle | |
| Discovery | |
| MiWay Insurance | |
| Old Mutual | |
| OUTsurance | |
| Sanlam Insurance | |
| Coolest Kids TV Channels 2023 | |
| Boomerang (302) | |
| Cartoon Network (301) | |
| Disney Channel (303) | |
| Disney Jnr (309) | |
| Disney XD (304) | |
| eToonz (311) | |
| Jim Jam (310) | |
| Nickelodeon (305) | |
| NickToons (308) | |
| SABC 1 (191) | |
| Coolest Local Celebrities 2023 | |
| AKA / Kiernan Jarryd Forbes | |
| Black Coffee / Nkosinathi Innocent Maphumulo | |
| Bonang Matheba / Queen B | |
| Connie Ferguson | |
| DJ Kabza De Small / Kabelo Motha | |
| DJ Zinhle / Zintle | |
| Makhadzi | |
| Nomzamo Mbatha | |
| Somizi Mhlongo | |
| Trevor Noah | |
| Coolest Local Entertainment Destination 2023 | |
| Garden Route | |
| Gold Reef City | |
| Konka | |
| Kruger National Park | |
| Robben Island | |
| Sun City | |
| Table Mountain | |
| The Sudwala Caves | |
| uShaka Marine World | |
| V & A Waterfront | |
| Coolest Local Radio Personalities 2023 | |
| Anele Mdoda (Anele And The Club) | |
| Dineo Ranaka | |
| DJ Fresh / Thato Sikwane | |
| DJ Mo Flava | |
| Lerato Kganyago / LKG | |
| Selbeyonce (Selby Mkhize) Ukhozi FM | |
| Skhumbuzo Hlophe (Skhumba) Kaya FM 95.9 | |
| Somizi Mhlongo | |
| Thando Thabethe | |
| Thuso Motaung | |
| Coolest Local TV Programmes/series 2023 | |
| Blood & Water | |
| Durban Gen | |
| House Of Zwide | |
| Imbewu: The Seed | |
| Skeem Saam | |
| The Queen | |
| The River | |
| The Wife | |
| Uyajola 9/9 | |
| Uzalo | |
| Coolest Local Sportspeople 2023 | |
| AB De Villiers | |
| Benni McCarthy | |
| Bryan Habana | |
| Caster Semenya | |
| Itumeleng Khune | |
| Percy Tau | |
| Siya Kolisi | |
| Themba Zwane | |
| Thembinkosi Lorch | |
| Wayde van Niekerk | |
| Coolest Loyalty programme 2023 | |
| Capitec Live Better | |
| Checkers Xtra Savings | |
| Click ClubCard | |
| FNB eBucks | |
| MTN | |
| Pick n Pay Smart Shopper | |
| Shoprite Xtra Savings | |
| Spar Rewards | |
| The North Face XPLR Pass Loyalty Programme | |
| Vodabucks | |
| Coolest Make-Up Brands 2023 | |
| Avon | |
| Clinique | |
| Estée Lauder | |
| L’Oréal | |
| MAC Cosmetics | |
| Maybelline | |
| Nivea | |
| Revlon | |
| Signature | |
| Yardley | |
| Coolest Male Deodorants 2023 | |
| Brut | |
| Diesel | |
| Hugo Boss | |
| Nivea / Nivea Men | |
| Old Spice | |
| Playboy | |
| Sanex | |
| Shield / Shield for Men | |
| Solo | |
| Yardley English Blazer | |
| Coolest Motor Vehicles Brands 2023 | |
| Audi | |
| BMW | |
| Jeep | |
| Lamborghini | |
| Mercedes-Benz | |
| Porsche | |
| Range Rover | |
| Rolls Royce | |
| Toyota | |
| VW | |
| Coolest Music Store/Website/Streaming 2023 | |
| Deezer | |
| Fakaza | |
| Google Play Music | |
| iTunes | |
| JOOX Music | |
| Mp3 Juice | |
| Netflix | |
| SoundCloud | |
| Spotify | |
| VidMate | |
| Coolest Online Accommodations Booking Sites 2023 | |
| Airbnb | |
| Booking.com | |
| Computicket.com | |
| Kayak.com | |
| Safari.com | |
| Shot Left | |
| Travel.com / Travel | |
| Travelstart | |
| TripAdvisor / Trip Advisor / Travel Advisor | |
| Trivago / Hotel Trivago | |
| Coolest Travel Destinations 2023 | |
| Cape Town | |
| Dubai | |
| Durban | |
| Johannesburg | |
| Maldives | |
| Mauritius | |
| Mpumalanga | |
| New York | |
| Paris | |
| Zanzibar | |
| Coolest Local Online Influencer 2023 | |
| Boity Thulo | |
| Connie Ferguson / Harriet Maake the Queen | |
| Mac G | |
| Mihlali Ndamase | |
| Neevan Ferris | |
| Nomzamo Mbatha | |
| Refiloe Maele Phoolo / Cassper Nyovest | |
| Seemah | |
| Somizi Mhlongo / Somgaga | |
| Zozibini Tunzi / Zozi | |
| Coolest Online Store 2023 | |
| Amazon | |
| Mr Price/MRP | |
| SHEIN | |
| Sportscene | |
| Superbalist | |
| Takealot | |
| The FIX | |
| Woolworths | |
| Zando | |
| Zara | |
| Coolest Petrol Stations 2023 | |
| Astron Petrol Station | |
| BP | |
| Caltex | |
| Elegant Petrol Station | |
| Engen | |
| Puma | |
| Sasol | |
| Shell | |
| Total / TotalEnergies | |
| Viva Garage | |
| Coolest Public Transport Brand 2023 | |
| Bolt | |
| City To City | |
| Gautrain | |
| Greyhound | |
| InDriver | |
| Intercape | |
| Metrobus | |
| MyCiti Bus | |
| Translux | |
| Uber | |
| Coolest TV/ Streaming/Content Platforms 2023 | |
| Disney Plus / Disney + | |
| DStv Now | |
| Netflix | |
| Showmax | |
| Spotify | |
| TikTok | |
| YouTube | |
| Coolest Universities 2023 | |
| Central University of Technology / CUT University | |
| Mangosuthu University of Technology / MUT | |
| North West University / NWU / PUKKE | |
| Sol Plaatje University | |
| Stanford University | |
| UNISA / University of South Africa | |
| University of Fort Hare / UFH | |
| University of Oxford | |
| University of Venda / UNIVEN | |
| Yale University | |
| Coolest Fitness App 2023 | |
| 30 Day Fitness Challenge / 30 Day Challenge | |
| Apple Fitness | |
| Daily Yoga | |
| Google Fit | |
| Huawei Fitness / Huawei Health | |
| Nike Training Club | |
| Planet Fitness live | |
| Samsung Health App | |
| SweatCoin Fitness App | |
| Virgin Active App | |
| Coolest Food Delivery App 2023 | |
| Bolt Foods | |
| Checkers Sixty60 | |
| Debonairs Pizza | |
| KFC | |
| McDelivery | |
| Mr D Foods | |
| Nando’s | |
| Pick n Pay ASAP! | |
| Takealot Food Delivery Service | |
| Uber Eats | |
| Coolest Gaming Console 2023 | |
| Cellphone | |
| Computer / Laptop / PC | |
| Playstation 2 / PS2 | |
| Playstation 3 / PS3 | |
| Playstation 4 / PS4 | |
| Playstation 5 / PS5 | |
| PSP / Sony PSP | |
| Xbox 360 | |
| Xbox One / Xbox 1 | |
| Xbox Series X/ Series S | |
| Coolest Grocery Store 2023 | |
| Boxer Super Stores | |
| Checkers | |
| Fruit & Veg / Food Lovers Market | |
| Game Stores | |
| Makro | |
| OK / OK Foods | |
| Pick n Pay | |
| Shoprite | |
| Usave | |
| Woolworths | |
| Coolest Haircare Products 2023 | |
| Aunt Jackie’s | |
| Black Chic | |
| Dark and Lovely | |
| Dove | |
| L’Oréal | |
| Native Child | |
| Organics Hair Care | |
| Revlon | |
| Sofnfree | |
| TRESemmé | |
| Coolest Radio Stations 2023 | |
| 5FM | |
| Gagasi FM 99.5FM | |
| Good Hope FM 94.7 | |
| Heart 104.9 FM | |
| KFM 94.5 | |
| Lesedi FM 88.4 | |
| METRO FM 96.4 | |
| Motsweding FM | |
| Radio 2000 FM 97.5 | |
| Thobela FM | |
| Coolest Sit-Down Restaurants 2023 | |
| Debonairs Pizza | |
| KFC | |
| McDonald's | |
| Mugg & Bean | |
| Nando's | |
| Ocean Basket (OB) | |
| Panarottis | |
| RocoMamas | |
| Spur Steak Ranches | |
| Wimpy | |
| Coolest Sauces Brands 2023 | |
| All Gold | |
| Crosse & Blackwell | |
| Knorr | |
| Maggi | |
| Mrs Ball’s | |
| Nando’s | |
| Six Gun Grill / 6 Gun Grill Sauces | |
| Spur Sauce | |
| Steers | |
| Wellingtons | |
| Coolest Savings & Investment Platform 2023 | |
| African Bank | |
| Capitec | |
| EasyEquities | |
| FNB Investor Platform | |
| JSE / Johannesburg Stock Exchange | |
| Nedbank | |
| Old Mutual Invest | |
| Sanlam | |
| Standard Bank | |
| TymeBank | |
| Coolest Shoe/Footwear Brands 2023 | |
| Adidas | |
| Bathu | |
| Converse | |
| Drip Footwear (Root of fame) | |
| Gucci | |
| Jordan / Air Jordan | |
| Nike | |
| Puma | |
| Timberland | |
| Vans | |
| Coolest Shopping Malls 2023 | |
| Canal Walk | |
| Eastgate Shopping Centre | |
| Gateway | |
| Mall of Africa | |
| Mall of the North | |
| Maponya | |
| Menlyn | |
| Pavillion | |
| Sandton City | |
| V&A Waterfront | |
| Coolest Shower Gel 2023 | |
| Avon Shower Gel | |
| Dove Shower Gel / Body Wash | |
| Lux Shower Gel | |
| Nivea Shower Gel | |
| Oh So Heavenly Shower Gel | |
| Other | |
| Protex Shower Gel | |
| Radox Shower Gel | |
| Sanex Shower Gel | |
| Vaseline Body Wash / Shower Gel | |
| Coolest Skincare Products 2023 | |
| Avon | |
| Dawn | |
| Dove | |
| Eucerin | |
| Gentle Magic | |
| L’Oréal | |
| Neutrogena | |
| Nivea | |
| Portia M | |
| Vaseline | |
| Coolest Snack Brand 2023 | |
| #Hello Snacks | |
| BB Snacks | |
| Cadbury Dairy Milk | |
| Doritos | |
| Fritos | |
| Go-Slos | |
| Maynards | |
| Oreos | |
| Pringles | |
| Simba Chips | |
| Coolest Soap Bars 2023 | |
| Dettol Bar Soap | |
| Dove Beauty Cream Bar | |
| Johnson & Johnson Soap | |
| Lifebuoy Soap | |
| Lux Soap | |
| Nivea Soap | |
| Palmolive Soap | |
| Protex Soap | |
| Sunlight Bar Soap | |
| Sunlight Green Bar | |
| Coolest Social Media App 2023 | |
| Moya | |
| Snapchat | |
| Telegram | |
| TikTok | |
| YouTube | |
| Coolest Spreads 2023 | |
| Black Cat Peanut Butter | |
| Blossom | |
| Chocnut Spread | |
| Flora Margarine Spread | |
| Melrose | |
| Nutella | |
| Rama | |
| Stork Margarine / Country Spread | |
| Sunshine D | |
| Yum Yum Peanut Butter | |
| Coolest Stationery Store 2023 | |
| Checkers | |
| CNA | |
| Crazy Store | |
| Game Stores | |
| Makro | |
| PEP Stores | |
| PNA | |
| Shoprite | |
| Typo | |
| Van Schaik Bookstore | |
| Coolest Sweets 2023 | |
| Amajoya | |
| Beacon Sweets | |
| Cadbury Eclairs | |
| M&Ms | |
| Manhattan Marshmallows | |
| Maynards | |
| Pin Pop | |
| Skittles | |
| Stumbo | |
| Yogueta | |
| Coolest Technology Brand 2023 | |
| Apple | |
| Hisense | |
| Huawei | |
| LG | |
| META (Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp) | |
| Samsung | |
| Sony | |
| Tesla | |
| TikTok | |
| Coolest Tinned Food 2023 | |
| All Gold | |
| Bull Brand | |
| Glenryck | |
| Heinz | |
| KOO | |
| Lucky Star | |
| Pot O Gold | |
| Rhodes | |
| Saldanha | |
| Woolworths | |
| Coolest Telecomms Provider 2023 | |
| Cell C | |
| China Mobile | |
| Green Telecoms | |
| MTN | |
| Mweb | |
| Rain | |
| Telkom | |
| Vodacom | |
| VOX Telecom | |
| Vuma | |
| Coolest Toy Store 2023 | |
| Babies R Us | |
| Baby City | |
| Crazy Store | |
| Game | |
| Makro | |
| Shoprite | |
| Takealot | |
| Toy Kingdom | |
| Toys R Us | |
| ToyZone | |
| Coolest TV Channels 2023 | |
| BET | |
| Cartoon Network / CN | |
| Channel O | |
| Disney Channel | |
| M-Net | |
| Moja Love | |
| MTV Base | |
| Mzansi Magic | |
| Studio Universal | |
| TLC Entertainment | |
