Red & Yellow
Blog2025-10-29
Meet the winners of Red & Yellow’s Visual Designer Awards Competition
The creative sector in South Africa is opening up genuinely lucrative career paths with momentum that depends on strong collaboration through partnerships and bursaries. This year, Red & Yellow initiated a national schools design challenge that has recently announced its winners across three provinces. The competition asked pupils to turn illustration into storytelling.
Entrants had to capture the flavour of a favourite beverage through exploratory mark-making, mixed media and considered design elements, then translate that interpretation into a distinctive brand label.
We’re thrilled to announce that Grade 11 learner Allegra du Randt of Thomas More College (KZN), placed first and has been awarded a full Bachelor of Arts in Visual Communication scholarship valued at R314 000.
Du Randt’s entry drew on the rebellious edge of a “jelly-baby” energy-drink concept, personifying characters in punk, goth and alternative styles and applying colour psychology with hand-built textures to deliver a coherent pack design. It was during one of her art classes at school when she received the call that changed the direction of her next academic chapter.
“Winning this competition has given me the chance to choose the future I’ve always dreamed of. It completely changes the trajectory of my life,” Du Randt said. “The only time I feel fully at ease is when I’m working on something creative. Studying at Red & Yellow would not have been possible without this scholarship. Without it I might have forced myself into a degree I didn’t want to do. Now I don’t have to live with the ‘what ifs’ or sacrifice my ambition and the skills I’ve been practicing for as long as I can remember. I have the opportunity to pursue the talent that makes me happy.”
The judging panel also recognised Izabella Pater of De La Salle Holy Cross College (Johannesburg) with R10 000 toward a scholarship, and Sam Rothschild of Reddam House Constantia (Cape Town) with R5 000 toward a scholarship.
By mirroring real-world briefs, the competition assessed applied creativity rather than theory, with Red & Yellow providing the brief and the study opportunity to align talent with a clear pathway. For schools, the initiative offers a partnership model to co-create opportunities that motivate learners, build the school’s brand through measurable outcomes, and reward national talent with scholarships—showing how collaboration and bursaries can convert potential into careers in a growing creative economy. According to Verusha Maharaj, MD at Red & Yellow, “The goal is to help unleash the next generation of remarkable individuals and to do so in collaboration with schools that want to surface and support young creatives earlier in their journeys.”
Principals and academic leads can contact Red & Yellow to explore running similar campaigns with their learner cohorts. Call 087 277 3283 or visit www.redandyellow.co.za.