Pepe Marais, Joe Public United is Agency Scope 2023 – 2024’s top creative agency professional, with his agency colleague, Xolisa Dyeshana in second and the Odd Number’s Sibusiso Sithole in third.

The Agency Scope 2023 – 2024’s Top 10 top creative agency professionals are:

1. Pepe Marais, Joe Public United

2. Xolisa Dyeshana, Joe Public United

3. Sibusiso Sithole, The Odd Number

4. Pete Case, Ogilvy

5. Luca Galliarelli, TBWA/SA

6. Fran Luckin, VML SA (previously Grey)

7. Neo Mashigo, M&C Saatchi Abel

8. Mike Abel, M&C Saatchi Abel

9. Camilla Clerke, Ogilvy

10. Carl Willoughby, TBWA/Hunt Lascaris

Out of the Top 10 creative agency professionals, there are two each from four of the agencies, Joe Public United, Ogilvy, M&C Saatchi Abel and TBWA (SA and Hunt Lascaris).

“The winners are also mainly made up of creative directors – seven of the 10 are chief creative officers (CCOs),” says the president and CEO of Scopen, César Vacchiano.

“Within the named professionals, there’s not as much diversity as we may have expected or would like, with only two of the top 10 being women,” he adds.

Judged by jury of their peers

The AgencyScope 2023 – 2024 questionnaire posed the simple question to marketers, unprompted by names or a list of possible contenders, “Which creative agency professionals do you think stand out?”

Unlike most rankings of the top professionals in the creative agency space in South Africa which is usually determined by a vote, with a panel choosing their key players from a list of names.

Vacchiano, says Agency Scope’s methodology makes the questionnaire the only one in South Africa that encourages marketers “to think about their specific choice without any limitations’.

“By asking this way, we have found that some exceptionally talented agency creatives are remembered by marketers for work they have done together, and often for their reputation in the industry.”

Johanna McDowell, Scopen partner and CEO of the Independent Agency Search & Selection Company (IAS) adds, “If you’re a big marketer with a big budget, you may remember more than one. Our researchers note the names and the top ten are chosen from the final list created by the marketing professionals.

“It’s a judgement by a jury of peers and provides insight into the winners for the work they’ve done and the esteem in which they are held. Scopen feels being chosen through this method far outweighs the value of panel voting, and those who make the cut know it’s due to the value they bring to real-life business.”