#12 Dr Thebe Ikalafeng - 'The African who travelled from his small town in Kimberley, to the top of Kilimanjaro, to the rest of the continent.'

Meet the founder of Brand Africa, Dr Thebe Ikalafeng.

Once decked out in immaculate corporate suits, he is now a walking celebration of African creativity and haute couture, a mentor to many a young talented creative bubbling up through the entrepreneurial ranks and a passionate promoter and protector of all things branded African.

Much is written and broadcast about this award-winning marketer. But now he has written a book in which he is the teller of his marketing tales and his turn away from corporate and big brand marketing towards marketing an entire continent. This episode delves into some of the key moments that marked this journey.

We cover his pursuit of excellence from an early age, his 'almost career' as an accountant, studies in the United States before South Africa became a democracy and why when destiny calls, your only job is to listen and follow.

We explore his time as Nike's Chief Marketing Officer for Africa, and why he turned his back on some big money in the corporate world to focus solely on promoting African brands. 

We then dig deeper into what a brand-led African Renaissance means, how you can market a continent through brands, and why it is so important for African leaders to 'put Africa first'.

We also cover the founding of his organisation Brand Africa, and the insights of its flagship programme, the Brand Africa 100 survey (and how he created it from scratch) and why the survey consistently has shown 'how Africans say one thing, and do another' instead of buying African products.

He emphasizes the importance of visiting African countries for oneself, and why he decided to visit every single country on the continent following a conversation with Samsung Africa CEO KK Parks. 

Thebe does not suffer fools lightly and looks to a future filled with action, rather than backward, in regret. Asked about where he gets the energy from to do what he does, he laughed and said, 'You sleep when you're dead.' He is a whirlwind of action, who epitomises his own mantra.

Through his travels, his organisations, his insights and regular talks, Thebe has shown us all another side of what happens up and down the continent, and is one of the most passionate and knowledgeable advocates for African brands you will ever meet.

Settle in for a fantastic listen to the life of the African Traveller, Dr Thebe Ikalafeng.

For more info on Thebe, a transcript and show notes, visit Thebe's guest page on the africanoptimist website (africanoptimist.co.za)

Time Stamps:

00:00 Introduction to the African Optimist Podcast

00:25 Meet the Guest: Intro to a Marketing Icon

01:33 Affirmations of African Identity

02:25 The Journey of Self-Discovery

02:55 The Book: A Different Perspective on Africa

03:31 Marketing Mastery with Nike

05:16 Iconic Campaigns and Creative Risks

07:41 A Passion for Marketing

09:32 Life and Studies Abroad

11:04 Returning to a New South Africa

12:36 Following One's Destiny

16:39 Corporate Offers and Entrepreneurial Decisions

20:23 Building African Brands

26:06 Branding Africa: The World Cup and Beyond

27:06 Redefining Africa's Agenda Through Branding

28:20 The Power of Brands in Shaping National Identity

29:54 Challenges and Opportunities in Branding Africa

32:11 Establishing the Brand Africa 100 Metric

34:51 The Gap Between Trust in African Products and Buying African Products

37:58 The Importance of Intra-Africa Trade

40:00 Learning from Global Branding Success Stories

43:21 The Role of Intellectual Property in African Branding

45:11 Personal Contributions to African Branding

48:28 The Need for Political Will and Local Agenda-Setting

56:03 Thebe's Journey Across Africa and Its Impact on him

59:53 Countering Negative Narratives with Optimism

01:01:51 Conclusion