ADvTECH’s Vega ranked top tertiary brand in Middle-East Africa region

Vega walked away with this highest of honours in the Top Educational Institution category, ahead of SA’s public universities and other private higher education institutions, making it the most awarded tertiary brand of the year. The Loeries Official Rankings list the top brands, agencies and institutions, offering a comprehensive overview of the annual performance across the brand communications industry throughout Africa and the Middle East. 

The prestigious Top Educational Institution category assesses institutions based on the outstanding performance and achievements of their students and lecturers, and the awards and special mentions received at the annual Loeries Awards. 

“ADvTECH is honoured by this objective recognition of its commitment to academic excellence by the industry, and is extremely proud of the work done over the decades by its staff and students, who continue to lead both at tertiary level and in the world of work,” says Roy Douglas, CEO of ADvTECH.

“We wish to congratulate the leadership and staff, as well as the students who constantly raise the bar,” he says.

Douglas says ADvTECH’s strategy of academic excellence across all its brands, means that students are privy to exceptional learning experiences aligned with the expectations of industry. All courses are delivered at state-of-the-art campuses, while smaller class sizes than those in public universities and other institutions enable the group to constantly innovate teaching methodology in a personalised and supportive environment.

“This approach pays off, as is evidenced by the success of our students in their studies and also as they progress to the workplace to become industry leaders, which is why the demand for our tertiary qualifications continue to grow year-on-year.”

Shevon Lurie, MD at Vega, adds that it is an absolute honour for Vega, as an award-winning institution that has been dedicated to excellence in the educational sector for the last 20 years, to be recognised for excellence through the outstanding work and efforts of its students and staff.

“Thank you to the Loeries for this powerful recognition. We wear this achievement proudly, and continue to be committed to achieving excellence going forward,” she says.

In addition to Vega’s victory at a school level, 10 students* from Vega made it to the Top 20 student category, lauded for their high standard of work and innovation. Three lecturers from Vega also took the spotlight, winning first, second and third place in the Loeries Top Lecturer category, with a total of seven lecturers claiming accolades in this category of 15 individuals*. 

*IIE Vega students ranked in the Loeries Top 20 Students category for 2019:

• Vini Xavier (1st)

• Cara Brauckman (2nd)

• Tshego Kwele (3rd)

• Justine Clyde and Roxanne Schoon (5th)

• Amy Tjasink (7th)

• Bathabile Xaba and Lebohang Machitje (13th) 

• Christian Botha and Kyle Gounden (17th) 

Lecturers at Vega ranked in the Top 15 Lecturer category

• Christiaan Graaff (1st) 

• Darren Meltz (2nd)

• Mathew Mjindi (3rd)

• Mandy Speechly (6th) 

• Gawie Joubert, Jody Simpson and Siobhan Gunning (9th)

ABOUT VEGA

Vega is an educational brand of The Independent Institute of Education (The IIE). The IIE is South Africa’s leading and largest private higher education institution, accredited locally by the Council on Higher Education (CHE), and internationally accredited as an Independent Higher Education Institution by the British Accreditation Council (BAC). 

The IIE Vega’s teaching philosophy is built on the mantra of wisdomwithmagic, creating an academic environment that is based on experiential learning where creatives are trained in strategy and strategists in design-thinking. As the only higher education institution with brand-focused IIE degrees that are available to study face-to-face and online, The IIE Vega aims to inspire a new breed of design, brand and business thinkers with the expertise to generate meaningful ideas that link profit to adding value to people’s lives. 

Students of The IIE Vega are equipped with timeless skills that are in high demand among employers, allowing them to pursue meaningful and impactful careers no matter how the world of work changes. The IIE BA in Strategic Brand Communication, for instance, equips students with the strategic thinking and planning know-how they need to unlock the true potential of a brand, while in the IIE BCom in Strategic Brand Management students learn to write the brand and business plans that bring that potential to life. 

Qualifications also feature experiential components like the Vega Brand Challenge and Brand Activations, where students work in multi-disciplinary teams to tackle real-world briefs from real-life clients. 

Students can enrol for IIE undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, diplomas, higher certificates and short courses in design, brand communication and brand management, at The IIE Vega campuses across South Africa. These are available to study on a full-time or part-time basis both on campuses nationwide and online. 

Find out more about The IIE Vega’s sister brands – including IIE’s MSA, Varsity College and Rosebank College – at www.iie.ac.za.