To motivate and reward its tenant mix, the V&A Waterfront Neighbourhood Awards is now open for entries.
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This programme is now in its second year, having replaced the previous tenant awards that focused solely on customer service, a change that was ‘remarkably well received by tenants’, says Alex Kabalin, retail executive at the V&A Waterfront.
The awards aim to recognise and reward tenants who demonstrate exceptional quality, creativity, customer service and contribution to the overall visitor experience at the V&A Waterfront.
All retail and food & beverage tenants who are part of the V&A Waterfront can enter the awards across all categories for which they qualify.
‘We’re shining a spotlight on remarkable individuals and businesses in our neighbourhood who embody resilience, innovation and an unwavering dedication to the extraordinary,’ says Kabalin.
The 2025 award categories highlight unique talents and contributions, as follows:
Sustainability & Impact Award honours excellence in sustainability, social impact and empowerment.
Brand & Store Experience Award recognises stand-outs in marketing, activations, renovations, fit-outs and visual merchandising.
Service Excellence Award celebrates extraordinary customer service in retail, small business and food service.
Store Talent Award acknowledges the frontline teams that bring extraordinary to the floor each and every day.
Neighbourhood Champion Award honours neighbourliness and ambassadorship in the V&A Waterfront world.
People's Choice Award is chosen by the general public, who vote in two rounds, to identify the winning store and eatery.
Special Recognition awards retail champions and long-lasting tenants.
Retail Excellence Award is decided by composite calculation which consolidates all traditional retail performance metrics and levels the playing field for tenants of all sizes.
‘Our new ambition is to expand on previous success and drive even more entries, with an increase in the quality of entries across the various categories,’ Kabalin says. ‘To achieve this, we’ve streamlined the 2025 entry process to make the user experience easier, and we’re calling on all of our tenants to step into the spotlight.’
Online entries are open and close on 27 July 2025 at midnight South African time.
A distinguished panel of judges who are highly respected experts in their fields has been assembled to review the entries and decide the winners.
The awards will be judged anonymously, remotely and independently by up to five judges per category, based on the criteria provided prior to submission.
Judging takes place from 7 August to 16 September 2025. The winners will be announced at an awards evening on 1 October 2025.
Enter now!
