8. How will African brands thrive?
You can’t sum up a continent the size of Africa in three words, says Thebe Ikalafeng, founder and chairman of Brand Africa. But vibrancy, entrepreneurship and resilience do spring to mind, and help characterise and connect this group of dynamic countries. Thebe tells Jane how Brand Africa was launched to inspire a ‘renaissance’ of African brands, and change the narrative around the continent, through the vehicle of brands. In their goal to inspire ‘Made in Africa’ brands, what are the challenges? What role does technology play? And how has COVID-19 affected the long-term outlook?