The 2025 Global WiM Awards shortlist has been announced, celebrating women who continue to inspire through their creativity, leadership, and impact. This year’s theme — The Year of Age — invites us to reflect on experience, wisdom, and the power of evolution, recognising how age, in all its forms, shapes perspective, innovation, and influence. Across Africa, this year’s shortlisted women are redefining what it means to grow, adapt, and thrive in our industry. As we count down to the Awards Ceremony, we honour their journeys and the enduring mark they are making on marketing, communications, and the wider creative economy.
We spoke with Michelle Marais – Copywriter at Dentsu Creative in South Africa.
WiM Africa: What has been one of the most defining projects of your career, and what impact did it have?
MM: My most rewarding projects have all been those that champion underrepresented communities – most recently, Tusker Lager’s Stitched with Cheer.
Reference: https://archive.loeries.com/entry/121010
The Olympics have been hosted 54 times in 23 cities on 5 continents. In Africa? Not once.
To bring Kenyan fans closer to the athletes they support, we created a team kit that streamed cheer in real time. Worn by Kenyan athletes in Paris, the bespoke kit was stitched with micro-LED strips that displayed messages sent by supporters to a companion app.
The project, a collaboration between Dentsu South Africa and Dentsu Kenya, is a celebration of African creativity and a testament to how creative solutions can overcome systemic barriers and drive society forward.
Not only did Kenya set 3 new world records, but they ranked 1st in Africa at the Games and Stitched with Cheer won at the Loeries, Clios, DMA Awards & was shortlisted for a Cannes Lion.
WiM Africa: In what ways has your background or heritage influenced your approach to marketing and leadership?
MM: As the eldest daughter in a traditional Afrikaans family, my career options were limited. Advertising wasn’t even a consideration. I studied architecture, but my love for writing kept tugging at me, which led me to freelance. A small portfolio opened the door to my first industry job in 2012.
Being from a non-traditional background gives me my edge. It allows me to bring a fresh perspective to the table – one that challenge industry norms and practices – and drives me to create spaces that uplift others with viewpoints that challenge the status quo too.
This desire also translates into my work. My most rewarding projects have all been those that champion underrepresented communities.
WiM Africa: What advice would you give to other women aspiring to make a mark in the marketing world?
MM: To be a woman in marketing is to work in an industry that wasn’t made with you in mind. A desire to “make a mark” isn’t always enough to push past the systematic issues and unconscious biases that persist.
Your strength lies in your why – why you’re here, and more importantly, why you’ll stay. When you’ve discovered your purpose and work towards realising it, you’ll make a mark. And the world can’t help but notice.
Top tip! Challenging industry norms and practices is hard. Don’t go it alone. Find friends, allies, and mentors who share your why. When things get tough, we need to hold each other up.
Check out all the 2025 Global WiM Awards Shortlisted nominees.