According to a press release on Bizcommunity, a team of University of Johannesburg (UJ) students has been awarded a R10,000 cash prize after winning the Telkom Plug’d Challenge.
The challenge is a joint initiative between Plug’d by Telkom and the Nedbank IMC, built around the “Turn Connection into Opportunity” brief. Student groups of three to five, drawn from marketing, public relations, strategic communication and graphic design, were asked to devise integrated campaign concepts that show how Plug’d by Telkom can help young South Africans turn connectivity into real opportunities.
Plug’d by Telkom is described by the company as an exclusive digital platform and mobile offering for South Africans aged 18 to 24. It provides affordable data, lifestyle benefits, learning resources and job-seeker support, with the aim of turning internet access into a gateway to employment and entrepreneurship.
Telkom chief marketing officer Gugu Mthembu said, “Young people are one of Telkom’s most important growth audiences, and we believe connectivity should be a gateway to possibility. Through Plug’d, Telkom has created an exclusive digital platform…” This statement reflects Telkom’s view of the challenge as a way to involve youth in shaping its services.
Nedbank IMC CEO Dale Hefer added, “The industry cannot continue to speak about young people without creating meaningful opportunities for participation. This challenge gives UJ students a real commercial brief, valuable industry exposure and a platform to showcase their thinking.” The quote is a company claim about the intended impact of the competition.
Prof Rene Benecke, Head of the School of Communication at UJ, noted that the competition allows students to apply academic knowledge to a real-world brief, demonstrating strategic thinking and fresh perspectives that young South Africans can bring to the marketing sector.
For small-business owners and start-ups, the competition highlights a growing pipeline of talent that may soon be available for internships, freelance projects or fresh marketing ideas. Engaging with initiatives like Plug’d by Telkom can give SMEs early access to innovative campaign concepts and a pool of graduates already familiar with digital connectivity solutions.
The winning campaign will be announced live on 17 September at the Nedbank IMC 2026, held at Mosaïek Teatro in Johannesburg and streamed online. The event, under the theme “Shift Happens”, brings together marketers, business leaders, entrepreneurs and agencies to discuss how organisations can stay relevant in a rapidly evolving landscape. Organisers hope the challenge will become an annual platform that links academia, emerging talent and the marketing industry.
Tickets for the conference are available at IMC Conference. For more information on the initiative, visit the Nedbank IMC site or the Telkom Plug’d page.
Read more about similar youth-focused programmes in the SME & Entrepreneurship section.
The entries will be uploaded to a public platform where they can be viewed by conference attendees and the wider online audience, creating transparency around the creative ideas. An official judging panel, comprising senior marketers and Telkom representatives, will assess each submission against criteria such as originality, feasibility and alignment with the “Turn Connection into Opportunity” brief. This structured evaluation ensures that the concepts are measured against industry standards rather than solely academic merit, and it provides the finalists with feedback that can be directly applied to future campaigns or client work.
A dedicated youth panel will sit within the conference programme, tackling issues of affordability, access to skills, mentorship and employability. The discussion forms part of the broader YOUTH1000 initiative, which is run in partnership with the Marketing Association of South Africa. Through MASA patrons, virtual conference access is extended to young people who cannot attend in person, allowing them to engage with the panel, ask questions and network with industry leaders from any location across the country.
Teams of three to five students must develop an integrated campaign concept that weaves together marketing, public relations, strategic communication and graphic design elements. All concepts are required to be submitted ahead of the conference, after which they are displayed on the public platform and reviewed by the judging panel. The process culminates in a live announcement on the main stage, where the winning team receives the R10,000 prize and immediate exposure to potential employers and collaborators present at Africa’s Biggest Marketing Conference.
Following the announcement, the winning team gains a spotlight on the conference’s digital channels and may be approached for internships, freelance projects or further development of their concept with Telkom or partner agencies. The organisers have expressed a desire to transform the challenge into a sustainable, annual opportunity that continuously feeds fresh talent into the marketing ecosystem, reinforcing the link between academic training and real-world industry demands.
Beyond the cash award, participants benefit from the chance to present their ideas to a panel that includes senior executives from Telkom and Nedbank IMC, as well as to a network of marketers, entrepreneurs and innovators gathered at Mosaïek Teatro. This exposure can accelerate career trajectories, while the ongoing collaboration between the university, Telkom and the conference aims to create a long-term platform that bridges academia, emerging talent and the broader marketing industry.
