All the 2021 Sunday Times GenNext Awards finalists

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Ten brands are in the running for the title of Overall Coolest Brand at the 17th Sunday Times GenNext Awards. The top five finalists in each of the 61 categories have also been announced, with the winners to be celebrated at the online Sunday Times GenNext Awards event on 9 September 2021.

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The survey acts as a barometer of what South Africa’s youth find on-trend and aspirational and delivers insights that are valued by brand management, advertising, and marketing professionals. The 2021 survey polled more than 6,000 young people aged 8-30 years.

Refilwe Malukeke, MD of Yellowwood, which surveyed on behalf of the Sunday Times, said, “The youth are dealing with high levels of anxiety due to the challenges we face as a country, which have been exacerbated by the implications of the pandemic and associated lockdowns such as illness, loss of life, loss of livelihoods, increased gender-based violence and uncertainty about the future.”

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Maluleke believes that in this context, true relevance comes to those brands looking to serve young people in some way, whether it’s helping them navigate the chaos, find respite from the challenges, or allow them to safely explore their world and themselves with minimal physical, social, professional, reputational, or financial risk.

This year also saw the introduction of some new categories, reflecting rapid innovation and consumer technology adoption: Coolest online store, Coolest technology brand, Coolest digital learning platform, and Coolest fitness device.

“The adoption of technology during the Covid lockdown has been phenomenal, and this clearly drove the need for more market intelligence in the youth sector. We’re excited to extend the survey with these new categories, allowing us to feed valuable insights back to our advertisers and customers,” said Eben Gewers, head of sales and marketing at Arena Holdings - the owner of Sunday Times GenNext.

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This year also saw young people over 18 years of age being polled on their preference for alcohol brands for the first time.

Sunday Times GenNext is presented in association with headline partners Yellowwood and Gautrain, and corporate partners Proudly South African and CliffCentral. The Sunday Times GenNext Awards event and webinar series is managed by Arena Events.

To register and watch the Sunday Times GenNext Awards online, go here.

Finalists of the Sunday Times GenNext Awards

Coolest Banks 2021

• ABSA
• Capitec Bank
• FNB
• Nedbank
• Standard Bank

Coolest Cellphones 2021

• HiSense
• Huawei
• iPhone
• Nokia
• Samsung

Coolest Clothing Stores 2021

• H&M
• Markham
• Mr. Price / MRP
• Sportscene
• Woolworths

Coolest Clothing Brands 2021

• Adidas
• Gucci
• Louis Vuitton / LV
• Nike
• Redbat

Coolest Hotels 2021

• Blue Waters Hotel
• City Lodge
• Protea Hotel
• Sun City Hotel
• Sun International

Coolest Shopping Malls 2021

• Canal Walk
• Gateway Theatre of Shopping
• Mall of Africa
• Sandton City Mall
• V & A Waterfront Mall

Coolest Online Store 2021

• Amazon
• Mr. Price / MRP
• Superbalist
• Takealot.com
• Zara

Coolest Companies to work for 2021

• Apple
• BMW
• Mercedes-Benz
• Nike
• Samsung

Coolest Telecomms Providers 2021

• Cell C
• MTN
• Rain
• Telkom
• Vodacom

Coolest Tinned Food 2021

• All Gold
• Koo
• Lucky Star
• Pick n' Pay No Name Brand
• Woolworths

Coolest Public Transport Brand 2021

• Bolt
• City to City
• Gautrain
• Taxi
• Uber

Coolest Motor Vehicles 2021

• BMW
• Ferrari
• Lamborghini
• Mercedes-Benz
• Range Rover

Coolest Stationery Store 2021

• CNA
• Game
• Makro
• PNA
• Shoprite

Coolest Petrol Stations 2021

• Caltex
• Engen
• Sasol
• Shell
• Total

Coolest Local Entertainment Places 2021

• Gold Reef City
• Kruger National Park
• Sun City
• Table Mountain
• Ushaka Marine World

Coolest Technology Brand 2021

• Apple
• Google
• Huawei
• Microsoft
• Samsung

Coolest Weekly Newspapers 2021

• City Press Newspaper
• Rising Sun
• Soccer Laduma Newspaper
• Sunday Sun
• Sunday Times

Coolest TV Channels 2021

• Cartoon Network / CN (Dstv Channel 301)
• Channel O (DStv Channel 320)
• Disney Channel (Dstv Channel 303)
• Mzansi Magic (Dstv Channel 161)
• Nickelodeon ( Dstv Channel 305)

Coolest Local TV Programmes/series 2021

• Durban Gen
• Gomora
• The Queen
• The River
• Uzalo

Coolest Kids TV Channels 2021

• Boomerang (DStv Channel 302)
• Cartoon Network (DStv Channel 301)
• Disney (DStv Channel 303)
• Disney Junior (DStv Channel 309)
• Nickelodeon (DStv Channel 305)

Coolest Advertising Medium 2021

• Facebook
• Instagram
• Television
• TikTok
• YouTube

Coolest Music Store/website/streaming 2021

• Fakaza Music
• Google Play Music
• Mp3 Juice
• Spotify
• YouTube Music

Coolest Radio Stations 2021

• 5FM
• Jacaranda
• Metro FM
• Ukhozi FM
• Umhlobo Wenene

Coolest Breakfast Cereals 2021

• Futurelife
• Jungle Oats
• Kellogg's Coco Pops
• Kellogg's Corn Flakes
• Weet-Bix

Coolest Grocery Stores 2021

• Checkers
• Pick n Pay
• Shoprite
• Spar
• WoolworthsFood

Coolest Fast Food Places 2021

• Debonairs Pizza
• KFC
• McDonald's
• Spur
• Steers

Coolest Restaurants 2021

• Debonairs Pizza
• McDonald's
• Mugg & Bean
• RocoMamas
• Spur Steak Ranch

Coolest Energy Products 2021

• Dragon Energy Drink
• Energade
• Monster Energy Drink
• Powerade
• Red Bull Energy Drink

Coolest Snacks 2021

• Doritos
• Lay's
• Oreos
• Pringles
• Simba

Coolest Cold Drinks 2021

• Appletizer
• Coca-Cola
• Fanta
• Lemon Twist
• Sprite

Coolest Universities 2021

• Unisa
• University of Cape Town / UCT
• University of Johannesburg / UJ
• University of Pretoria / TUKS
• Wits University/ WITS

Coolest Sweets 2021

• Beacon Jelly Tots
• Maynards
• Pin Pop
• Smarties
• Yogueta

Coolest Chocolates 2021

• Cadbury Dairy Milk
• Ferrero Rocher
• KitKat
• Lindt
• Lunch Bar

Coolest TV/streaming/content channels/platforms 2021

• DSTV
• Netflix
• Showmax
• TikTok
• YouTube

Coolest Online Influencer 2021

• AKA
• Bonang Matheba
• Cassper Nyovest
• Pearl Thusi
• Somizi Mhlongo

Coolest Gaming Console 2021

• Cellphone
• Computer / laptop
• Playstation Consoles
• PSP / Ps Vita
• Xbox Consoles

Coolest Male Deodorants 2021

• Adidas
• Axe
• English Blazer
• Nivea Men
• Playboy

Coolest Female Deodrants 2021

• Avon
• Dove
• Nivea
• Playgirl
• Shield

Coolest Feminine Hygiene Products 2021

• Always
• Avon Feminine
• Kotex
• Lil-Lets
• Stayfree

Coolest Specialist Health Stores 2021

• Avon
• Clicks
• Dis-Chem
• Game
• Woolworths

Coolest Make-Up Brands 2021

• Avon
• Inuka
• L'Oréal Base
• MAC
• Revlon

Coolest Social Media Platforms 2021

• Facebook
• Instagram
• TikTok
• WhatsApp
• YouTube

Coolest Soap Bars 2021

• Dettol
• Dove
• Lifebuoy
• Nivea
• Protex

Coolest Spreads 2021

• Black Cat Peanut Butter
• Melrose
• Nutella
• Rama
• Yum Yum Peanut Butter

Coolest Local Sportsperson 2021

• Doctor Khumalo
• Percy Tau
• Siphiwe Tshabalala
• Siya Kolisi
• Thembinkosi Lorch

Coolest Local Club DJ's 2021

• Black Coffee
• DJ Kabza de Small
• DJ Zinhle
• Major League DJz
• Master KG

Coolest Local Celeb 2021

• AKA
• Big Zulu
• Cassper Nyovest
• Connie Ferguson
• DJ Zinhle

Coolest Shoe/Footwear Brands 2021

• Adidas
• Jordan
• Nike
• Puma
• Vans

Coolest Skincare Products 2021

• Avon
• Dove
• Gentle Magic
• Nivea
• Vaseline

Coolest Colleges 2021

• Boston City College
• Cape College
• Damelin College
• IIE Rosebank College
• Port Elizabeth TVET College

Coolest Toy Store 2021

• Crazy Store
• Game
• Makro
• Toys R Us
• ToyZone

Coolest Food Delivery App 2021

• Bolt Food
• Checkers Sixty
• Mr. Delivery / Mr D
• Pick n Pay Delivery
• Uber Eats

Coolest Insurance companies 2021

• 1st For Women Insurance
• Clientèle
• Discovery
• Old Mutual
• OUTsurance

Coolest Digital Learning Platform 2021

• Google Classroom
• Mindset Channel (DStv channel 319)
• WhatsApp
• YouTube
• Zoom

Coolest Loyalty Programme 2021

• Clicks Club Card
• Pick n Pay Smart Shopper
• Shoprite Xtra Savings
• Vodacom
• Woolworths Rewards

Coolest Fitness Device 2021

• Apple Watch
• Galaxy Fit 2
• Huawei Health Band
• Huawei Watch
• Samsung Gear Fit

Coolest Sauces 2021

• All Gold
• Chicken Licken / Soul Fire Sauce
• Nando's Sauces
• Spur Sauces
• Steers Sauces

Coolest Hot beverage 2021

• Jacobs
• McDonald's
• MILO
• NESCAFÉ
• Nestlé Hot Chocolate

Coolest Shower Gel 2021

• Avon Products
• Dove Shower Gel
• Nivea Shower Gel
• Sanex
• Shower to Shower

Coolest Alcohol* 2021 (*Category only voted for by youth 18 years and older)

• Belgravia London Dry Gin
• Brutal Fruit
• Heineken Beer
• Hennessy Cognac
• Savanna Cider

Coolest Brand Overall 2021

• Adidas
• Apple
• BMW
• Gucci
• Louis Vuitton / LV
• Nike
• Puma
• Redbat
• Samsung
• Vans