Techmark Pod

Alvin Matewa

Techmark Pod, hosted by Alvin Matewa, is an unscripted weekly podcast exploring the dynamic intersection of technology and marketing in Africa. Each episode delivers raw, insightful discussions on the latest digital trends, innovative strategies, and industry insights designed to inspire and inform African businesses aiming to drive growth and innovation. Join us to discover how technology and marketing combine to shape Africa’s evolving business landscape.

  1. 4d ago

    S4E4:How the NBA Is Adapting Its Brand to Local Cultures Across Africa -Opeyemi Lawal_IMC Conference

    Recorded at the IMC event, themed “The Shift,” this episode of Techmark Pod features Opeyemi Law, Chief Marketing Officer for NBA Africa and the Basketball Africa League, in a conversation about the evolving landscape of sports marketing across the African continent. Opeyemi shares how the NBA continues to adapt its global brand to local cultures, connecting with African audiences through authentic experiences, from Kenya’s vibrant matatu culture to collaborations with fashion, music and local creators in South Africa. The conversation explores the power of sports partnerships, her career journey across consumer and B2B marketing, the growth of basketball in Africa, and how AI and emerging technologies are transforming the fan experience. As the marketing landscape continues to shift, Opeyemi offers valuable insights into building meaningful connections with audiences, embracing cultural relevance and creating opportunities for sport to grow across Africa.

  2. Nov 2

    S4E2: A Voice for Lesotho’s Marketers: Building the Association - Tsokolo Makeka

    What does it take to grow a marketing industry and make sure local talent gets recognised? In this episode of Techmark Pod, Alvin Matewa speaks with Tsokolo Makeka, founder and principal of The Creative Lab, about his career in marketing and his work to help establish the Marketing Association of Lesotho. Tsokolo shares how his marketing journey began at 18, how working across South Africa and Lesotho shaped his perspective, and why Lesotho’s distinctive market has room to grow. He discusses the association’s vision: bringing marketers, corporate leaders, and other industry players together to build standards, create opportunities, and give Lesotho’s marketing community a stronger voice regionally and globally. The conversation also explores how COVID accelerated the shift to digital, how AI is changing agency work, and why human judgment, strategy, and strong language skills still matter. Tsokolo reflects on the challenges facing emerging marketers from the gap between education and industry to the need for meaningful internships and clearer career pathways. Tune in for a conversation about developing local talent, strengthening Lesotho’s marketing ecosystem, and building a future where the country’s own creative ideas can thrive.

  3. Oct 26

    S4E1: Agency to MarTech: Reinventing the Business for What’s Next- Kopano Moshaona

    KPRM’s journey from digital marketing agency to MarTech and growth consultancy raises a timely question: how can businesses combine marketing, technology, and strategy to drive growth? In this episode, Kopano Moshoana shares the thinking behind KPRM’s shift, the value of finding a distinct market position, and the role technology can play in helping businesses serve clients more effectively. He also discusses Niatech, KPRM’s marketing CRM, and the opportunity to create tools that better fit the needs of African marketers and agencies. Whether you’re building an agency, running a business, or exploring how MarTech can support growth, this conversation offers ideas on positioning, productizing services, and using technology with purpose.

  4. Oct 19 ·  Bonus

    How Dentsu Africa Is Building for the Next Market Shift - Dawn Rowlands_IMC Conference

    At the IMC Conference event, Alvin Matewa sat down with Dawn Rowlands, CEO of Dentsu Africa, for a conversation about why AI is not the real disruption. The real threat is moving too slowly while the market rewires itself around you. Dawn explains why the next era of marketing, creativity, and growth belongs to businesses that think like challengers, build like product companies, and hire for curiosity rather than industry familiarity. If you lead a marketing team, work in tech, or are trying to stay relevant in a volatile market, this conversation is for you. She shares how Dentsu Africa operates across 14 co-founded countries and affiliate partners in 30 more, and how its roots, born in Japan and raised in Africa, shape its distinctive approach to creativity and impact. She explores why the current shift is bigger than the digital revolution, why “the tide rising” will not look the same this time, and why companies that wait for certainty risk being left behind. The conversation explores how entrepreneurial ownership can create agility in uncertain times, how democratised creativity and technology are reshaping competition, and why Dentsu is building SaaS products rather than focusing only on services. Dawn also discusses the challenge of earning trust before scaling innovation, and how thoughtful hiring and mentorship can help businesses avoid simply building “more of the same.” Dawn makes a powerful case for starting with people, not products: understand real problems first, then use technology to address them. Drawing on Dentsu’s launch in Nigeria, she explains how hiring graduate trainees, investing in mentorship, and asking candidates what they are curious about can help identify people who will shape the future of a business. This episode is a wake-up call for anyone building in marketing, media, or tech. The companies that win will not just adapt to change; they will be built for it. Essential listening for anyone interested in what leadership, creativity, and competitive advantage look like in the age of AI

  5. Oct 12

    S3E20: How global brands stay relevant across cultures - Suhayl Limbada_IMC Conference

    At the IMC Conference event, Alvin sat with Suhayl, CMO at KFC India, to discuss how local culture shapes global brands. From adapting to consumer tastes across South Africa, Thailand, and India to leading with curiosity in unfamiliar markets, the conversation explores the importance of understanding people, technology’s role in the restaurant experience, and why the future of marketing remains deeply human.

  6. Oct 6

    S3E19 : Resilience through change - Conn Bertish_IMC Conference

    The world is in "shift happens" mode, and if you're leading a team, building a brand, or trying to stay human in the age of AI, this conversation gives you a sharper way through it. Con argues that resilience is not just surviving pressure it's using pressure to create something better. He breaks down why fear, anxiety, and uncertainty are draining companies, why culture can quietly kill a business, and why you can't just tell people to be resilient without giving them a system. Instead, he makes the case for resiliency as a mix of agency, curiosity, experimentation, and purpose - a mindset that helps people and organizations move forward when everything feels unstable. You'll hear why Gen Z is forcing change faster than older generations want to admit, how playful thinking can break the grip of panic, and why fear "hates fun." Con also shares how South Africans - and Africans more broadly are wired for resourcefulness, problem-solving, and adapting under pressure, which may be the exact skill set the world needs next. We break down the difference between resilience and resiliency, how the amygdala hijacks decision-making in moments of stress, and why the best leaders don't freeze when a problem appears - they start building with whatever they have. The conversation also touches on why that uniquely African mindset is underappreciated, even though it's already shaping work and leadership around the world. If you're navigating change, managing people, or trying to build a culture that can survive disruption, this episode is a wake-up call. Essential listening for founders, marketers, leaders, and anyone who suspects the future will belong to the people who can adapt, create, and keep moving.

  7. Sep 28

    S3E18: From Self-Taught Developer to Ruka Founder: Dean Kabasa's Journey Building Ruka

    WhatsApp is becoming a storefront, sales desk, and support channel for businesses. In this episode, Dean shares how Ruka is using AI to help businesses manage those conversations and turn them into practical actions. Dean traces his path from experimenting with software on a second-hand computer to building products for businesses across different industries. He reflects on what he learned from developing tools for video clubs, payroll systems, telecoms, and other real-world needs, and how those experiences shaped his approach to entrepreneurship. He also explains how Ruka grew from a custom solution into a platform that helps businesses use AI for sales, customer support, bookings, and operations through WhatsApp. The conversation explores the company’s shift toward affordable, self-serve tools for small and medium businesses, as well as how partnerships, product positioning, and distribution have supported its growth. Dean shares his perspective on AI as a way to make starting and running a business more accessible. Rather than focusing only on automation, he considers how AI can free up time, help small teams do more, and create new opportunities for entrepreneurs. This episode is for founders, business owners, and anyone curious about how AI can solve everyday business challenges, especially when it meets customers on platforms they already use.

  8. Sep 21

    S3E17: Why Most Campaign Briefs Fail Before Work Even Starts - Matt Sexwale

    Marketing is broken when briefs are messy, slow, and full of gaps. Matt Mathabatha, Product Marketing Director at Brave Group, shows how Forge is using AI to turn chaotic campaign requests into execution-ready briefs in minutes and why that could cut timelines from months to days. Alvin Matewa sits down with Matt for a conversation that goes far beyond a product demo. They unpack the real job of a product marketing director, why marketing is missing from so many startup conversations, and how Forge was built from Brave Group’s own frustration with incomplete briefs, endless clarification meetings, and wasted creative time. You'll discover: How Forge standardizes the brief stage across a six-step campaign workflowWhy a quality score helps teams know when a brief is ready to sendHow AI fills in missing context without forcing you to start from scratchWhy the product is built for SMEs, marketing managers, and agency teams handling briefs every dayHow Matt’s career moved from SEO and forum link building to corporate email marketing, growth experiments, and product marketingMatt also shares the origin story behind his marketing career, from watching Generations and dreaming about advertising to learning growth in startup environments and eventually finding his place at Brave Group. He explains why the best systems should create more time for creativity and less time for admin, back-and-forth, and unnecessary meetings. If you work in marketing, agency operations, brand management, or any team where a brief can make or break a campaign, this episode offers a practical look at how AI can remove friction and make execution faster, cleaner, and smarter. Matt also introduces Forge’s free AI playbook, designed to help marketers use these tools with more confidence. Perfect for anyone trying to move from idea to live campaign without getting stuck in the usual workflow chaos.

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About

Techmark Pod, hosted by Alvin Matewa, is an unscripted weekly podcast exploring the dynamic intersection of technology and marketing in Africa. Each episode delivers raw, insightful discussions on the latest digital trends, innovative strategies, and industry insights designed to inspire and inform African businesses aiming to drive growth and innovation. Join us to discover how technology and marketing combine to shape Africa’s evolving business landscape.

Information

  • Creator
    Alvin Matewa
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    53
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Alvin Matewa
  • Show Website
    Techmark Pod