South African Loyalty Programmes Take Centre Stage at Global Awards
South African Loyalty Programmes Take Centre Stage at Global Awards. South African brands have earned major recognition at the 2026 International Loyalty Awards, with companies across banking, retail, telecommunications, wellness and leisure receiving top honours for customer engagement and loyalty innovation.
The awards, held in the United States for the first time during their 17th edition, highlighted the growing influence of South African loyalty programmes in the global market. The recognition comes as the country continues to show strong consumer participation in rewards ecosystems.
According to the 2025/26 Truth and BrandMapp Loyalty Whitepaper, 85% of South African consumers actively participate in loyalty programmes, placing the country among the world’s most developed loyalty markets.
FNB’s eBucks programme emerged as one of the standout winners at the awards ceremony. The programme secured three major accolades, including the 2026 International Loyalty Programme of the Year: Africa. It also received awards for Best B2B Loyalty Programme Worldwide and Best Global Loyalty Programme or Initiative in Financial Services.
Judges described eBucks as a “global benchmark” and commended its ability to engage customers across different income groups, ranging from social grant recipients to ultra-high-net-worth clients.
Amanda Cromhout, CEO of Truth Loyalty and a judge at the awards, said South African brands impressed global judges through innovation and measurable customer impact.
“South African winners captured the attention of the global judges through bold thinking and real-customer impact,” said Cromhout. “They are not only setting the standard, they are raising it year on year.”
Retail group TFG also secured international recognition for its TFG Rewards programme. The company won Global Leader in Loyalty Industry Innovation and Best Use of Technology Worldwide in Loyalty.
Judges highlighted the programme’s “One TFG” philosophy and its “Agentic Campaign Management” capability, which uses collaborating AI agents to personalise communication across multiple brands.
Vodacom South Africa and Virgin Active South Africa also received awards for their loyalty initiatives. Vodacom’s VodaBucks platform won Best Gamification Worldwide for Loyalty Enhancement, while Virgin Active Rewards received recognition in the Leisure, Experience and Entertainment category.
Spur Corporation executive Earle Cloete received the Loyalty Pioneer Award for his contribution to the loyalty industry and the development of Spur’s loyalty ecosystem.
South Africa’s performance at the awards reflected the role of loyalty programmes in customer retention, behavioural engagement and growth strategies. As brands continue investing in AI, gamification and personalised experiences, local companies are gaining recognition within the loyalty industry.
