Red & Yellow wraps up 30th birthday year with top honours

The Red & Yellow Creative School of Business concludes its 30th anniversary year on a high note, securing a remarkable array of accolades across local and international creative platforms. In addition to securing three Loeries awards, the institution ranked among the top three schools at the 2024 Pendoring Awards for the fourth consecutive year, taking 12 wins.

Taking South African talent to the world

The school’s students have excelled internationally, earning recognition at platforms like the One Club for Creativity Student Awards and the D&AD New Blood Awards.

Among the standout achievers are Philippa Scholtz and Duncan Schröder, graduates of Red & Yellow’s Bachelor of Arts in Visual Communication programme. Scholtz won awards in the Young Ones ADC Illustration category for her project Sweet P Creates and in Brand/Communication Design for her work Boink. Schröder secured an ADC Merit Award for his project Melktert.

“Winning these awards is a huge honour,” says Scholtz. “It validates the hard work and creativity we’ve invested in our projects and inspires us to continue pushing boundaries.”

Red & Yellow’s success on the global stage is further underlined by its recognition as the top-ranked creative college in Africa and the Middle East and the 25th-ranked creative institution worldwide by The One Club for Creativity.

Adding to the institution’s international achievements, a creative team of five students and four supporting lecturers won a D&AD Pencil Award for their work for Adobe Express. The winning team, comprising Allegra Carrara, Ammaarah Ismail, Georgia Wallace, Melandré Fourie, and Nombulelo Mtshakaci, demonstrated innovation and excellence that impressed global industry leaders.

“These international awards are a clear indication of the world-class creative talent emerging from South Africa,” says Stephanie Simpson, Illustration Lecturer at Red & Yellow. “Our students’ talent being recognised on the global stage reflects their hard work and the strength of our academic programmes.”

Recognising local excellence

Locally, students performed exceptionally well at the Loeries, securing three awards including silver, bronze and craft certificate, with 23 submissions recognised as finalists.

Among the 18 student Pendoring finalists, 12 received awards, and BA Visual Communication student Dayna Powell was this year's Overall Student Winner. In addition to student wins, illustration lecturer Stephanie Simpson and graphic design lecturer Wilna Combrinck won a silver Pendoring in the Tactile Use of Print category for their project “Kriiip, kriiiip, kriiiiiiip”.

“Being ranked among the top schools at the Pendorings for four years in a row is an extraordinary achievement,” says Verusha Maharaj, managing director of Red & Yellow. “It’s a testament to the unwavering dedication of our lecturers and the incredible talent of our students.”

Future-fitting students for success

Red & Yellow’s winning streak reaffirms its role as a launchpad for creative careers, both locally and globally. As the creative industry continues to grow in economic influence, the school remains steadfast in preparing its students for the demands of this fast-evolving sector with a 94% employability rate.

Speaking to Red & Yellow’s manifesto, Maharaj adds: “Success is about combining more than one skill, and connecting the best of two or more worlds. Which you’ll find in our name and what we do. It’s why we married Commercial Logic and Creative Magic. It’s why we teach the left brain and the right brain and why we don’t educate in just one way.”

As Red & Yellow reflects on its 30th anniversary, its ongoing success paints a bright future for the institution and its students.

For more information on Red & Yellow and to view courses, visit www.redandyellow.co.za.