Emerging-markets specialists claim two leadership accolades in Franschhoek.
Buyi Mafoko, managing director at Matte BLK
Matte BLK has added two silver wins to its growing list of honours, taking Agency of the Year – Medium, and Agency Leader of the Year at the inaugural Mark Awards 2025.
The awards, held in Franschhoek on Saturday 30 August, celebrate leadership and excellence across South Africa’s marketing industry. For Matte BLK, they confirm the agency’s standing as specialists in emerging markets with a clear new identity: The Unseen, Unleashed.
Reinvention that worked
Just four years ago, Matte BLK was staring down closure in the wake of Covid-19. Instead of folding, the agency rebranded, repositioned, and shifted focus to where the biggest growth potential lay: markets and audiences too often overlooked.
That decision, driven by managing director Buyi Mafoko, is transforming the agency into one of the notable names in the industry. “We chose to reimagine our business and place our bets on the spaces others were ignoring. That choice has paid off for us, for our clients, and for the audiences we serve,” says Mafoko.
The unseen, unleashed
Matte BLK’s work today reflects its philosophy: combining cultural intelligence with sharp strategic thinking and advanced marketing tools. From reshaping financial literacy education with Standard Bank to building fresh narratives in the automotive space with Hyundai, the agency has shown how creativity rooted in local insight can drive measurable results.
The dual Mark Awards underline this momentum. They are not just recognition of campaigns delivered, but of an agency model built for South Africa’s present and future.
A run of recognition
The wins follow a string of recent accolades: Silver in Effectiveness in Societal Impact Marketing at the Pitcher Awards, Silver in Excellence in Purpose-Led Marketing at the Marketing Achievement Awards, three Assegai Awards, and an international Women in Marketing Award for Outstanding Contribution. In just nine months, Matte BLK has picked up nine major awards across local and global platforms.
Leadership with intent
For Mafoko, the Mark Awards capture what sets Matte BLK apart. “Adversity can either shut you down or sharpen your vision. We chose the latter. Our role as an agency is to unleash creativity where it matters most – in the places and communities too often left out of the story.”
