The Riverbed Agency, has emerged as the 8th highest awarded medium-sized South African agency in the Loeries Official Rankings for 2021, making it the first black female-owned agency to rank at this level for creativity.
“The Loeries rankings are probably the most important benchmarking tool in our industry and this incredible achievement of appearing in the top 10 list is a first in many regards,” says Monalisa Zwambila, CEO and founder at the Riverbed. “For starters, I believe we are the first female-owned agency to perform so well and secondly, we’re one of only a few black agencies to appear on the list.
Monalisa Zwambila, CEO and founder at the Riverbed.
“This speaks to our enduring commitment to creative excellence and a real demonstration that a female-owned agency is more than capable of delivering on big, insightful work that resonates with South Africans,” she says. Zwambila says the agency has also been able to sustain its top-ranked position at the PRISM Awards (most awarded agency in 2021), which recognises excellence in public relations.
“Clients are looking for agencies that can deliver beyond a television commercial,” she says. “We understand that, where brands need to be a part of the conversation, earned ideas guarantee impact and relevance. We must create breakthrough ideas and drive earned amplification through content influence and brand experiences. We do it organically with simple, but insightful ideas.”
The Riverbed has been climbing steadily in Loeries rankings in recent years and in 2019 the agency was voted the most admired for agency diversity in South Africa, and was voted the runner-up for Agency to Watch in 2018.
Riverbed Executive Creative Director Itumeleng Sethebe says the agency’s consistent advancement in the various industry rankings is a part of the agency’s journey of growth through purpose-led work.
Itumeleng Sethebe Riverbed Executive Creative Director.
“This level of industry recognition sets the tone for our ability to generate whole ideas, with our goal being to carve a niche for ourselves as an agency when it comes to the delivery of complete creative solutions that seek to solve human problems,” he says.
