MACE

🏆 Have you submitted your MACE Excellence Awards entry yet?

The first hand-in deadline for the 2026 MACE Excellence Awards is TOMORROW, 14 August 2026!⏰

It’s time to showcase and celebrate the incredible work being done by marketing, advancement and communication professionals across the higher education sector.

With three divisions and 30 categories, your work deserves the opportunity to be recognised. 🌟

👉 Everything you need to prepare and submit your entry can be found here:
https://mace.org.za/awards/

Get those entries in and let’s celebrate excellence across our sector! 🏆

🏆 Is your institution doing exceptional work that's making an impact?

Now is the time to showcase it.

The 2026 MACE Excellence Awards celebrate outstanding achievements in marketing, advancement and communication across the higher education sector. More than just an award, entering provides an opportunity to benchmark your work against the best in the industry, receive valuable evaluator feedback, and gain recognition for the incredible projects your team has delivered.

Remember—the strongest entries aren't built overnight. Start gathering your evidence, results and supporting material now, and give your work the recognition it deserves.

📅 Visit our website for categories, guides and submission deadlines.
READ ALL ABOUT IT HERE = https://mace.org.za/awards/

☕ Great conversations start with a cup of coffee.

MACE Coffee Chats bring together professionals from across the higher education sector to share ideas, discuss challenges and learn from experienced leaders in marketing, advancement and communication.

Whether you're looking for fresh perspectives, practical insights or meaningful networking opportunities, Coffee Chats are the perfect place to connect with colleagues who understand the ever-changing landscape of higher education.

Join the conversation and grow with the MACE community. Emails will be going out soon about our latest coffee chats!!

https://mace.org.za/coffee-chats/

Let’s be honest… 😅

Would we really be a community of marketing, advancement and communication professionals if we didn’t jump on the latest trend?

Of course not.

So, here we are—flying the MACE flag high! 🚩

While we’re having a little fun, it also serves as a reminder of what MACE is all about: bringing together the brightest minds in higher education marketing, advancement, communication and engagement to learn, collaborate, share ideas and help shape the future of our sector.

Here’s to staying creative, embracing new ideas and never missing a good marketing opportunity. 😉

✨ Honouring the past. Empowering the future. ✨

This Youth Month, South Africa marks 50 years since the 1976 Soweto Uprising – a defining moment in our nation's history that demonstrated the power of young people to drive change and shape the future.

At MACE, we believe that investing in the next generation of professionals is one of the most important ways we can honour that legacy.

That's why we were proud to introduce the Young Blood Session at our 2025 Conference – a platform designed to showcase emerging voices, fresh ideas and future leaders within the marketing, advancement and communication community.

The response was incredible, and we're excited to see the Young Blood Session return at the 2026 MACE Conference!

Here's to celebrating the achievements of the past while creating opportunities for the leaders of tomorrow.

📢 Membership Renewals for 2026 are now open!

As a valued member of the MACE community, your membership helps strengthen a network of professionals dedicated to advancing marketing, advancement and communication in education.

We encourage all member institutions to review their membership details and ensure their membership fees are up to date for 2026.

Maintaining an active membership ensures you continue to receive:
✔ Industry updates and communications
✔ Professional development opportunities
✔ Access to Coffee Chats and networking events
✔ Conference information and member benefits
✔ Opportunities to connect and collaborate with peers across the sector

Thank you for being part of the MACE family. Together, we continue to lead, connect and advance the sector.

CLICK HERE TO UPDATE = https://mace.org.za/membership/

🎯 Design Your MACE Experience

At MACE, our members are at the heart of everything we do. That's why we're inviting you to help shape our activities, engagements and opportunities for 2026.

Whether it's Coffee Chats, networking opportunities, professional development sessions or conference discussions, we want to know what matters most to you.

📋 Complete our member questionnaire and share your ideas:

🔗 https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=Azv6pjwKWEKEM6Eg3_zTSELp4qWuRCRAu9xiGXRiXkVUODc1VzE4WkxBU1pCV1dXVk03SzdTNFZOUC4u

Together, we can build a stronger, more connected and more impactful MACE community.

🌟 Introducing the 2026 MACE Board 🌟

The strength of MACE lies in the collective expertise, commitment, and leadership of those who serve our community.

We are pleased to introduce the 2026 MACE Board:

• Sbusiso Gwala – Chairperson
• Sashlin Girraj – Deputy Chairperson
• Lebohang Mokhomatha – Secretary
• Catherine Cloete – Board Member
• Mosima Mehlape – Board Member
• Tayla Jonker – Board Member
• René van der Berg – Board Member
• Lacea Loader – Co-Opted Board Member

Together, they will guide MACE's activities, strengthen professional networks and help create opportunities for collaboration, learning and engagement across our member institutions.

Please note that while seven Board members appear in the accompanying photographs, Lacea Loader was unable to attend the photo session. She remains a valued and active member of the Board, and we look forward to her contributions throughout the year.

Join us in celebrating the leaders who will help shape MACE's journey in 2026.

✨ Welcome to an exciting year with MACE! ✨

As we settle into 2026, we look forward to another year of collaboration, shared learning and meaningful connections across the higher education sector.

This year, we're inviting our members to actively shape their MACE experience. From Coffee Chats and conference engagements to networking opportunities and professional development initiatives, your voice will help guide the future of our community.

We also extend a warm welcome to Eduvos Private Higher Education Institution, the newest member of the MACE family. We are excited to learn, collaborate and grow together.

🏆 The 2026 Excellence Awards are now open for entries! Start preparing your campaigns and projects and showcase the impactful work taking place across your institution.

📋 Don't forget to update your membership details and renew your membership to stay connected and informed throughout the year.

Together, let's lead, connect and advance the sector in 2026.

✨ Reflecting on 2025 with Gratitude ✨

As the year draws to a close, we pause to thank every MACE member who contributed to a year shaped by collaboration, creativity, and meaningful connection.

In 2025, we challenged ourselves to innovate with purpose, strengthened professional networks, shared knowledge and stories, and celebrated excellence across our community. A highlight of the year was the MACE 2025 Annual Conference, hosted under the theme The Human Touch, which brought together one of our largest and most engaged delegate groups in recent years.

From the Directors’ Dialogue and Young Blood Mentoring Workshop to a record-breaking Excellence Awards Gala, the moments we shared continue to inspire reflection and renewed purpose.

📸 Relive the memories from MACE 2025:
https://stellenbosch.evlink2.net/servlet/link/75590/207451/116263307/1755545

Wishing you a restful festive season filled with meaningful moments and creativity beyond the workplace.

We look forward to continuing this journey together in 2026. 💚🤍❤️