Irma is Co-Founder and Director of Urban Studies, a leading property and shopping centre research company. Since 1990, she has conducted face-to-face interviews in over 350 shopping centres across South Africa. Irma’s work spans feasibility studies for retail, residential, student housing, office, industrial, and mixed-use developments, as well as market studies for medical, conference, and entertainment facilities. She also oversees mystery shopper surveys and has led the annual V&A Waterfront service audit since 2014.

Rob is Director of RCA, a Cape Town-based firm he founded in 2010. He specialises in digital, data-driven learning and performance, helping organisations build cultures where people thrive. He also hosts The Business Culture Podcast, exploring leadership and workplace culture.

Charl is Co-Founder & Creative Director at LOOKBOOK Studio and Editor-in-Chief of House and Leisure. As a multi-disciplinarian creative, he brings extensive experience across decor, retail, branding and publishing. Charl specialises in creative direction, styling, curation and visual storytelling, shaping how South African design and lifestyle stories are told.

Disruptor in brand communication with a record of crafting innovative campaigns, from Nando’s National Marketing Director to MTV Networks Africa. He’s also served as a juror at Cannes Lions and hosted the SABC3 show The Next Brand Ambassador.

Herland is COO at OceanHub Africa, based at the V&A Waterfront, where he manages coastal-tech and circularity programmes. He’s known for leading innovation challenges such as the UK-SA Tech Hub plastics circular economy initiative.

As Founder & CEO of CURIOSITAS, Sabine blends futures thinking with attraction management. She was previously MD of Table Mountain Cableway and COO at Zeitz MOCAA, and chairs the African Association of Visitor Experiences.

Gavin is a veteran in customer experience and business intelligence strategy. He contributes strategic insight into retail operations and customer engagement at the Neighbourhood Awards.

Amanda previously served as Strategic Projects Manager at the V&A Waterfront, where she managed retail leasing and development strategy since 2015. Amanda brings deep experience in lease negotiations and retail portfolio growth, with a focus on enhancing visitor experiences through strategic commercial property development.

Henry is the Strategic Programme Manager in the office of the CEO at the V&A Waterfront. Before that, he was the Senior Manager for Social Impact and the V&A Food System. He formerly managed major events (like the Jazz Festival site) and leads shared-value social impact strategy.

Nisha is Senior Manager: B2B Marketing at the V&A Waterfront. She leads tenant-facing campaigns and commercial brand storytelling. Nisha builds bridges between business value and customer connection.

Alex is Executive Director: Retail at the V&A Waterfront. He steers retail strategy, tenant relations and visitor experience. Alex plays a strategic role in precinct development.

Monika is Chief Tourism Officer at Wesgro, the Western Cape’s tourism agency. She leads destination marketing and tourism promotion for the region. Monika works to grow inclusive, responsible tourism.

Ross is Managing Director of MSC Cruises South Africa. He brings tourism and hospitality expertise to his role in travel growth. Ross contributes a global guest-experience lens to the judging panel.

Marcus is Founder of Cape Town Magazine, a go-to source for local lifestyle. He focuses on storytelling that connects people to place and culture. Marcus advocates for creative content with community impact.

Anele is a Leasing Consultant at the V&A Waterfront. He supports retail growth by advising tenants and securing new leases. Anele plays a key role in shaping the precinct’s retail mix.

Ngcebo is a Retail Manager at the V&A Waterfront. He manages retail performance, tenancy, and activation support. His work helps deliver strong customer and tenant experiences.

Margot is a fashion designer and brand consultant based in Cape Town. She founded her namesake label and now supports creative entrepreneurs. Margot offers business insights from a maker’s perspective.

Diana is Creative Director at Lerato Design Consultancy. She has deep experience in retail design and brand environments. Diana focuses on design-led storytelling and strategy.

Anlo is Founder of One Design & Development Studio, an interior architecture firm. He specialises in hospitality and retail design with a contemporary African aesthetic. Anlo brings sharp design insight to judging.

Niaz is a Development Manager at the V&A Waterfront. He oversees retail and mixed-use development planning within the precinct. His work supports innovation, design excellence, heritage protection and sustainability.

George is Senior Manager of Events and Entertainment at the V&A Waterfront. He curates precinct-wide events, activations and programming. George plays a key role in community-building through placemaking.

Fabio is Technical Director at Make Reign, a digital product and brand agency. He leads on user experience, design systems and interface development. Fabio brings a strong creative-tech lens to brand solutions.

Preetesh is CEO of The Loeries, Africa’s top marketing and creativity awards. He drives innovation, inclusivity and excellence across the brand industry. Preetesh is a long-time advocate for creative impact in business.

Lauren leads Scout PR, a firm focused on strategic communications and brand visibility. She’s a veteran of the design and culture sectors with a background in publishing. Lauren champions purpose-led brands and platforms.

Nimi is Executive Creative Director and Founder of The Nimble, a brand creative agency. She specialises in concept-driven campaigns and experiential marketing. Her work bridges creativity, storytelling and business strategy.

Sylvia is Senior Manager: Digital Marketing at the V&A Waterfront. She leads digital campaigns and content strategy for the precinct. Her previous experience includes over nine years with Country Road Group.

Debra is CEO of Ignite Talent Lab and Race Director of the Two Oceans Marathon. She specialises in events, sponsorship and sports marketing. Her past roles include PR for the V&A Waterfront and Robben Island Museum.

Don is Head of PR & Communications at the V&A Waterfront. He leads strategic storytelling for the neighbourhood’s major sustainability and development initiatives. Don plays a key role in stakeholder and media engagement.

Chef and entrepreneur Miles founded the Wakanda Food Accelerator and Gcwalisa Food Hub. He empowers food entrepreneurs and works to improve food security in South Africa. Miles also serves on the board of SA Harvest.

Founder of Further Impact, Ian supports social entrepreneurs through training and strategy. He previously led Red Bull’s global Amaphiko platform for changemakers. Ian collaborates with brands and non-profits to scale social innovation.

Deidre is Senior Manager for CSI and Wellness at the V&A Waterfront. She leads the precinct’s social investment partnerships and shared-value impact strategy. Her work focuses on education, wellness and youth development.

Heather is Director of SOLVE@Waterfront, which drives Shared Value and circular innovation. She brings deep expertise in strategy, sustainability, and communications. Heather leads programmes linking business, community, and environmental goals.

Judy is Executive of Strategic Projects at the Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation. With a PhD in environmental learning, she is globally recognised for her marine education leadership. She serves on the WAZA Council and leads the International Zoo Educators Association.

Jenni is Director of Layered Solutions, specialising in green building and interior solutions. With over 27 years in the built environment, she previously managed the Certifications Team at Green Building Council South Africa, guiding corporations in sustainable building practices. Jenni brings expertise in sustainable design and project management, championing environmentally responsible approaches across the industry.

Petro is Senior Manager: Sustainability at the V&A Waterfront. She leads environmental projects like recycling innovation and waste-to-energy solutions. Petro drives the precinct’s efforts to be greener, cleaner and more circular.