The Best Of competition is built on authentic recommendations from real people. These FAQs are designed to help voters and businesses better understand how the competition works and how we help keep the process fair, credible, and valuable for the community.
The “Best Of” competition is a large-scale community recognition programme where the public nominates and votes for their favourite local businesses.
It celebrates excellence across a wide range of industries and highlights businesses that have earned the trust, loyalty, and support of their communities.
For many businesses, being recognised in the “Best Of” awards has become a highly respected local accolade, signalling strong community reputation and customer satisfaction.
The competition runs in two main phases:
Nominations Phase
The public nominates businesses in various categories.
Voting Phase
Businesses that receive nominations are listed, and the public votes for their favourites.
The businesses with the most valid votes in each sub-category are recognised as winners.
During the nominations phase, you can nominate a business directly on the competition website.
Simply select the appropriate sub-category and enter the business name. You may nominate as many businesses as you like across the different categories.
Yes. Businesses are welcome to nominate themselves during the nominations phase. All nominations are reviewed before being included, and only votes received during the voting phase determine the final results.
Businesses can only be nominated or entered during the nominations phase of the competition. Once nominations have closed, no new businesses can be added.
If you believe your business was nominated during the nominations phase but does not appear on the voting form, you are welcome to submit a query and our team will investigate.
New nominations do not appear in the dropdown lists during the nominations phase.
The dropdown may show businesses from the previous year for ease of reference, but new nominations are not added at this stage.
Rest assured that all submitted nominations are received and recorded. Nominated businesses will appear on the voting list once the voting phase opens, and only votes received during the voting stage will count towards the final results.
Once the nominations phase ends:
No. To ensure fairness for all participants, no new businesses can be added once the nominations phase has ended.
Yes, if it is relevant. However, we aim to keep categories clear and avoid duplication or overlap.
We aim to keep the category structure clean and easy to navigate. Duplicate or very similar categories are not added, and we prioritise those that are broadly relevant to the community.
Winners are determined solely by the total number of valid votes received during the voting phase.
The business with the highest number of valid votes in each sub-category will be recognised as the winner.
Results are audited and verified to help ensure the integrity and fairness of the competition.
Each voter may vote only once per sub-category.
The online system includes safeguards such as IP monitoring and other verification methods to help ensure fair participation.
We use a combination of system controls and manual auditing to identify unusual or suspicious voting patterns.
Our goal is to ensure results reflect genuine community support.
Yes. Businesses are welcome to let their customers and community know that they have been nominated and encourage them to participate.
However, voting must always remain voluntary and fair, and attempts to manipulate the voting process are not permitted.
No. Businesses are not allowed to offer rewards, giveaways, discounts, or any form of incentive in exchange for votes.
The competition is based on authentic community support, and incentives can unfairly influence results.
Any business found to be doing so may be disqualified, and affected votes may be removed during the audit process.
Yes. Votes may be removed if they are found to be duplicated, fraudulent, or obtained through prohibited methods such as incentives.
Yes. To protect the integrity of the competition, businesses may be disqualified if they:
Irregular activity may be investigated to help ensure fairness for all participants.
The Best Of competition reflects community support. Businesses with larger followings may receive more votes, which often reflects genuine customer engagement and visibility.
Best of South Africa is based on genuine community support, not just business size. While larger businesses may have bigger customer bases, smaller businesses often have highly loyal customers and strong local reputations. Over the years, many smaller businesses have performed exceptionally well because people genuinely love and support them.
Star ratings typically result in lower participation and can be influenced by small sample sizes. A higher volume of votes provides a broader and more representative reflection of community sentiment.
Results will be announced after the voting period closes and all votes have been audited and verified.
The “Best Of” awards are reader’s choice awards based on voluntary public nominations and votes.
While they are widely recognised by the public as an indicator of strong reputation and customer support, the awards do not constitute a scientific comparison, professional accreditation, regulatory certification, or formal endorsement.
If there are concerns about the results, disputes must be submitted within 7 days of the official announcement.
All disputes will be reviewed, and the organiser’s decision will be final.
Yes. Please contact us or submit the relevant form, and we will update your listing where necessary.
If your question is not covered here, please contact our team using the contact information provided on the website. We’re happy to assist.
Personal information collected during the competition is processed in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA).
Your data will only be used for competition-related communication and will not be shared with external parties without your consent. You can unsubscribe from communications at any time.
The “Best Of” competition is built on the spirit of community celebration, fairness, and transparency. By participating, voters help highlight outstanding local businesses, while businesses gain recognition from the customers and communities they serve.