Recognising work that truly makes a difference
The IABC Africa Silver Quill Awards are the leading benchmark of communication excellence on the continent. They recognise work that demonstrates strong strategic thinking, ethical practice, professional execution, and measurable impact.
Silver Quill is not about polish or big budgets. It is about the quality of thinking behind the work, the judgment applied in complex situations, and the difference communication makes for organisations, people, and society.
Why the Silver Quill Awards matter?
Excellent communication is often invisible until something goes wrong. The Silver Quill Awards help change that by giving visibility to work that is thoughtful, disciplined, and impactful.
For entrants, the awards provide:
Development
Standards
Credibility
Growth
Judged against international standards
All Silver Quill entries are evaluated against the IABC Global Standard, using disciplined evaluation criteria aligned to international best practice.
Judging focuses on:
• Clear business and communication needs
• Strategic insight and audience understanding
• Quality and appropriateness of execution
• Meaningful measurement and outcomes
• Evidence of impact, not just activity
This ensures that recognition is based on substance, not surface.
Deadlines & fees
Anyone who entered the MACE (Marketing, Advancement and Communication in Education)
Excellence Awards may submit the same project/programme to the 2026 IABC Africa Silver Quill Awards for an exclusive promotional fee of R350, provided payment and submission are completed by the Early Bird deadline.
Tuesday, 1 September 2026
Members: R1 299.00 / USD78.00
Non-members: R1 899.00 / USD114.00
Students: R300.00 / USD18.00
Best value
Wednesday, 30 September 2026
Members: R1 899.00 / USD114.00
Non-members: R2 499.00 / USD150.00
Students: R350.00 / USD21.00
“A Silver Quill recognises communication that is rooted in business understanding, shaped by strategy and proven through results that move people and strengthen organisations.” says Elsabe Coetzee, IABC Africa Director of Quill Awards.
How to enter
1. Create a work plan that outlines your objectives, strategies, and results.
2. Put together a work sample to support your entry and showcase your skills. You may submit 5 files, maximum 1GB. Please combine them in one ZIP file.
3. Request the link to the entry form by emailing info@iabc.co.za.
