The 2026 CEM Africa Awards are set to take place on 10 November 2026 at the NH Hotel in Sandton, Johannesburg. The awards, which form part of the CEM Africa platform, recognise individuals, teams, technologies, and initiatives that are raising the standard of customer experience across the continent. This year’s awards will honour excellence in four broad pillars: People, Innovation, Transformation, and Government.
The 2025 CEM Africa Awards attracted over 80 entries and 31 finalists, culminating in eight award winners. The finalists represented various organisations, including Absa, Capitec Bank, Santam, and Telesure Investment Holdings. The winners included Serisha Iyer of Absa Corporate and Investment Banking, who was named Rising Star in CX, and Alma Angela Olela of Jubilee Health Insurance, who was named CX Leader of the Year.
The CEM Africa Awards offer a platform for customer experience professionals to showcase their work and gain recognition from a wider African CX community and an independent judging panel. The 2026 judging panel includes global CX specialist Ian Golding and industry leaders from across the continent, such as Andrew Enebeli, Head of CX & Engagement at Access Bank, and Dr Oliver Museka, President and Founder of IRDM College Eswatini.
The awards recognise excellence across various categories, including CX Leader of the Year, Rising Star in CX, and Best Overall CX Solution. Other categories include Best Use of AI, Best Enterprise Contact Centre Platform, and Best Customer Experience Team of the Year. According to Briteny Price, Event Manager and CEM Africa Awards Director, the awards give a platform to extraordinary CX work being done across the continent.
For organisations considering entering the awards, the company they could be keeping provides a compelling indication of the calibre of the awards. Previous winners have included NCBA Bank, MultiChoice, and Digital Solutions Group. The awards offer a unique opportunity for organisations to gain recognition for their customer experience initiatives and for individuals to be recognised for their contributions to the field.
The CEM Africa Awards have a growing roll call of African CX leaders, with winners and finalists representing various industries, including financial services, technology, and telecommunications. The awards have also recognised initiatives from the public sector, including the University of Pretoria and South Africa’s Department of Social Development.
With free applications closing on 30 September 2026, customer experience professionals, teams, and organisations across Africa have just days remaining to enter the 2026 CEM Africa Awards. The awards offer a chance to gain recognition and showcase exceptional customer experience work being done across the continent.
Key points
- The 2026 CEM Africa Awards will take place on 10 November 2026 in Johannesburg.
- The awards recognise excellence across four broad pillars: People, Innovation, Transformation, and Government.
- Free applications for the awards close on 30 September 2026.
