IOL crowned Publisher of the Year at CESA Aon Engineering Excellence Awards 2026

IOL has added another major accolade to its growing list of achievements after being named Publisher of the Year at the prestigious 2026 CESA Aon Engineering Excellence Awards.

IOL took top honours in the Daily News category, while Creamer Media was named Publisher of the Year in the trade media category.

The Consulting Engineers South Africa (CESA) Board awards the Publisher of the Year title in recognition of accurate and high-impact coverage of the infrastructure sector, ethical journalism and the role publishers play in providing a public platform for critical issues affecting energy, water, engineering and infrastructure development.

The award was presented to IOL on Thursday night at a black-tie ceremony at Vodacom World in Midrand.

The CESA Aon Engineering Excellence Awards brought together leading consulting engineers, construction industry figures, infrastructure developers and government officials to recognise excellence in engineering, infrastructure development and innovation across South Africa.

For IOL, the award recognises the newsroom’s sustained coverage of some of the country’s most pressing infrastructure challenges, and its commitment to journalism that holds decision-makers to account while explaining how failures and developments in critical infrastructure affect South Africans.

The top-tier recognition comes at a time when IOL is rapidly executing a massive, multi-million-rand national expansion strategy. On the back of a recent R200 million shareholder cash injection and a nationwide recruitment drive that saw over 1,000 applications flood the newsroom in 24 hours, the digital powerhouse is aggressively expanding its editorial footprint to build South Africa's biggest, most efficient modern newsroom.

Accepting the award on behalf of Editor Lance Witten, IOL Distribution Lead Sihle Mlambo made it clear that the publisher is just getting started on its path to digital dominance in South Africa.

“I want to congratulate all of you in the room for the phenomenal work you do in building this country, brick by brick, road after road and bridge after bridge, cheers to you,” Mlambo said to applause.

“We are also building at IOL, we are building the biggest, most efficient newsroom in the country.

"We want to become the leading digital news publisher before the end of the year, and through our rapid expansion project and with your support and your generous advertising spend, we will get there. Walk the journey with us, build with us, grow with us and make IOL.co.za your number one trusted news source,” he urged.

On the technical front, the night belonged to the engineering heavyweights who are literally keeping South Africa’s infrastructure standing.

CESA CEO Chris Campbell pointed out that when engineering works, it directly restores human dignity.

“Behind every recognised project and every honoured individual is a simple truth: when engineering is done well, it improves lives. It delivers water where there is scarcity, connects communities through reliable roads, strengthens energy systems, and creates the conditions for dignity, opportunity and growth," Campbell stated.