Tag: Thebe Ikalafeng

Feature: Africa is not Waiting

…Pan-African campaign launches on Africa Day to spotlight the continent Africans are already building

Opportunity Africa launches #NotWaiting today on Africa Day, calling on Africans across the continent and diaspora to spotlight the people, ideas, businesses and progress already shaping Africa’s future.

The campaign is grounded in a simple belief: if Africans begin to see themselves differently, the world will too.

Across Africa, entrepreneurs are building globally competitive companies, creators are shaping culture, communities are driving local innovation, and a new generation is redefining what African ambition looks like. Yet many of these stories remain overshadowed by narratives that focus almost exclusively on crisis, lack and limitation.

#NotWaiting exists to shift that balance by creating a collective movement of Africans choosing to amplify what is working, who is building, and where progress is happening.

This is not a collection of rare success stories. It is the pattern of an entire continent in motion.

The campaign invites people to participate by posting stories, people and ideas they believe deserve greater visibility, using the hashtag #NotWaiting. Participants can also sign the campaign Manifesto and share stories at www.notwaiting.africa.

The campaign will continue the 25th of every month, creating a recurring moment where Africans collectively flood the internet with stories of progress, creativity, innovation and opportunity from across the continent and diaspora.

Faith Adhiambo, Senior Communication Officer – Agenda 2063 African Union, said on behalf of AU Director of Communication Leslie Richer: “Africa Day has always represented belief in Africa’s future and pride in Africa’s identity. #NotWaiting captures the energy of a generation that is no longer waiting to be seen, validated or defined by others. Africans are already building the future they want, and this campaign helps make that visible to us and to the world.”

Moky Makura, Executive Director of Africa No Filter, said: “#NotWaiting is about making our stories more visible to Africans first. Because if we begin to look at ourselves differently, the world will see us differently too.”

Thebe Ikalafeng, Founder of Brand Africa and Chancellor of Sol Plaatje University, said: “Africa cannot build confidently while constantly reflecting itself through narratives of deficiency. #NotWaiting is a statement of confidence from a continent already in motion, and a reminder that Africa’s image should be shaped by its people, not inherited perceptions.”

May 25, 2026
Africa’s Creative Heavyweights Unite to Shape a Stronger Global Story of the Continent

…Opportunity Africa launches pan-African Creative Council backed by leading communications, media and brand leaders

In line with Agenda 2063, the Opportunity Africa initiative has launched its Creative Council, bringing together Africa’s leading communications, media and marketing leaders to advance a narrative that contributes to building The Africa We Want.

It is a pan-African platform and movement designed to shift how the world sees Africa and how Africa sees itself, by amplifying the people, stories and institutions already shifting perceptions. It is a shared platform that brands, institutions and storytellers can align around to communicate a stronger, more unified story of Africa.

At a time when the global order is shifting and competition for capital, influence and attention is intensifying, perception matters as much as facts. For Africa, image is no longer a soft issue. It is a strategic one. The Creative Council has been established to help ensure Africa is defined by those building it.

The Council brings together senior leaders who have shaped narratives at national, regional and global levels. Their role is to guide the creative direction of the initiative, connect it to their continent-wide networks and ensure the initiative remains credible, relevant and culturally resonant across markets.

“This is exactly the kind of collaboration Africa needs to shape a narrative that reflects our aspirations under Agenda 2063 and builds The Africa We Want. In line with the mandate of the African Union Commission’s Information and Communication Directorate, this work will strengthen how we communicate the Union’s priorities and amplifies Africa’s voice. We encourage more partners to join this growing movement.” Faith Adhiambo, Communication Officer, Agenda 2063 African Union.

“It is a privilege for Africa No Filter to serve as secretariat and help steward this forward. It is unprecedented to see this level of expertise and collaboration coming together to build the narrative infrastructure Africa needs to reframe the continent,” said Moky Makura, Executive Director of Africa No Filter and co-chair of the Council.

Initial members of the Creative Council include senior leaders from TRACE, Africa Practice, the African Union, Brand South Africa, IC Publications, Alpha Media Holdings, X3M Ideas and other leading institutions across the continent.

Members of the Creative Council

Addis Alemayehou – Chairperson, Kazana Group; Co-founder and CRO, Dodai

Adebola Williams – Co-founder, RED | For Africa

Leslie Richer, Director, Information and Communication, African Union

Faith Adhiambo – Communications Officer, Agenda 2063

Fareed Khimani – Communications Adviser, Office of the Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, Kenya.

Gina Din-Kariuki – Founder and Executive Chair, The Gina Din Group

Kwame Senou – Founder, The Holding Opinion (THOP)

Malik Shaffy Lizende – Founder, 63 Inc

Moky Makura – Executive Director, Africa No Filter

Omar Ben Yedder – Group Publisher and Managing Director, IC Publications

Richard Kiplagat – Senior Stakeholder Relations Adviser, Africa Practice

Samuel Onyemelukwe – Group Business Development Director, TRACE

Sophie Masipa – CEO and Brand Strategist

Steve Babaeko – Founder, X3M Ideas

Terhas Berhe – Founder and Managing Director, BrandComms

Thebe Ikalafeng – Founder, Brand Africa

Thoko Modise – General Manager: Communications, Brand South Africa

Tim Ekandjo – Branding, Marketing, Communications and Sustainability Officer, MTC Namibia

Tola St. Matthew-Daniel – Founder, Kairos & Tola

Tosin Adefeko – Founder and CEO, AT3 Resources

Trevor Ncube – Founder and Chairperson, Alpha Media Holdings

View the campaign video here.

March 25, 2026
African brands surge to 17% of the Top 100 brands in Africa

…Dangote, GT Bank, Channels TV, DSTV and Coke lead the list of the most admired brands in Nigeria.

Today Brand Africa unveiled the 12^th annual Brand Africa 100: Africa’s Best Brands 2022 rankings of the Top 100 most admired brands in Africa at a live event at Eko Hotel & Suites in Nigeria.

Against a backdrop of internal focus as a consequence of an urgent rebuilding of economies devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the acceleration of AfCFTA’s goal of driving greater intra-African trade, after a 5-year decline, African brands have surged 4% to 17% from an all-time low of 13% in 2020 and 2021 in the 2022 Brand Africa 100 | Africa’s Best Brands survey and ranking of the best brand in Africa.

Nigerian brands, Dangote (#22), Glo (#32), Jumia (#42) and Nasco (#75) are among the 17 African brands that have heralded a 4% surge by African brands to 17% share of the Top 100 brands in Africa.

Overall, South Africa’s MTN, has returned to the Top 10 as the highest-ranking African brand and traded places with Dangote as the #1 African brand recalled when prompted to consolidate its status as the #1 African brand.

Dangote, the pre-eminent African brand founded in 1981 by Nigerian Aliko Dangote, emerged as the #1 brand that symbolises African pride in a question where Brand Africa sought to establish which brand in Africa is a flag carrier and embodiment of rising optimism and pride in Africa. South Africa, led by MTN, leads the African list, with Nigeria, led by Dangote, the overall #1 brand, at 28%, and Kenya with flag carrier, Kenya Airways, at 8% and Ethiopia, with its flag carrier brand, Ethiopian Airline at 4%.

Non-African brands, led by overall pace-setter Nike for the 5^th consecutive year, continue to dominate with a share of 83% of the most admired brands in Africa. Coca Cola, which has been in the Top 5 for 10 consecutive years, is the #1 overall most admired brand in Nigeria.

In a separate list of the Top 25 most admired financial services brands, African brands, led by Nigeria’s GT Bank for the third consecutive year, dominate the rankings with 68% of the share to 32% for non-African brands.

DStv, has consolidated its position as the #1 African media brand for the second year running, while Channels TV led as the #1 Nigerian media brand, in a category that is fast going digital and mobile.

Recognising that while the rebound in African brands is notable, the results will not be sustainable without committed and inspirational leadership, in 2022, Brand Africa recognised those leaders who are the catalyst for growth for Made in Africa brands both in corporate and in those who have championed and supported the development of great local brands in supporting industries. GT Bank’s Group CEO, Segun Agbaje and Nigerian doyenne of marketing, founder and chairman of Troyka Group, Dr. Biodun Shobanjo were awarded the inaugural Africa Brand Leadership Excellence awards for inspiring brand-led excellence that drives the growth of made in Africa brands.

“As we emerge out of the pandemic and Africa seeks to assert itself, the results are very inspiring and bode well for an African renaissance led by competitive world-class African brands,” says Thebe Ikalafeng, Founder and Chairman of Brand Africa and Brand Leadership.

“With increased number of countries and greater sample size this year, more than ever, and especially so during the pandemic, mobile proved to be the effective tool for us to reach and access respondents across the continent,” said Bernard Okasi, Director of Research, GeoPoll, which has been the lead data collection partner since 2015.

Karin Du Chenne, Chief Growth Officer, Africa Middle East for Kantar, which has been the insight lead for Brand Africa since inception in 2010 says, “despite volumes of brands analysed as a results of increased sample size in terms of respondents and countries, the survey continues to yield a very consistent picture of brands and trends that are transforming the continent.”

Now in its 12^th year, every year on or around Africa Day, 25 May, Brand Africa releases the results of the survey on the most admired brands in Africa based on a survey across 29 countries that represent as much as 85% of the continent’s GDP and population. The 2022 survey was conducted between March and April 2022 and yielded over 80,000 brand mentions and over 3,500 unique brands.

The Brand Africa 100 results will be published in the June issue African Business magazine which on sale globally in June 2022 and will be available online to subscribers on www.africanbusinessmagazine.com.

The 2022 Brand Africa 100: Africa’s Best Brands were organised by Brand Africa partners in Nigeria, AT3 Resources and Open Squares Africa, and supported by the Central Bank of Nigeria, South African Tourism, NQR, Africa Media Agency and BCW Africa.

For Information on the Brand Africa agenda, initiatives and partners and specifically the Brand Africa 100: Africa’s Best Brands Rankings visit www.brand.africa and follow the results on #BrandAfrica100 and #AfricasBestBrands2022.

May 26, 2022
Dangote still Africa’s Most Admired Brand for 5 Consecutive Years

The Pan-African and fully integrated conglomerate, Dangote Industries Limited (DIL) has again emerged as the Most Admired Brand in Africa for the year 2022, for its leadership position in driving quality brands across the continent.

Dangote won awards in 8 different categories, on Wednesday at the venue of the award presentation organised by a renowned organisation, Brand Africa in Lagos. The other awards include: Most Admired Nigerian Brand, West Africa’s Most Admired Brand that symbolises African Pride; West Africa’s Most Admired African Brand, and Most Admired Nigerian Brand in Africa, among others.

Founder and Chairman of Brand Africa, Thebe Ikalafeng, stated that Dangote has remained a stalwart global African brand and symbolises African pride. He added that Dangote has also moved up a rank in the Top 100 most admired brands and retains its #1 Made-in-Nigeria brand rank.

Ikalafeng, giving an insight into the process of selecting the winners, said the rankings are based on a pan-African survey covering over 25 countries, which collectively account for an estimated over 85% of Africa’s population and 85% of the continent’s GDP.

According to him, “the research is conducted by GeoPoll, the world’s leading mobile surveying platform, with strategic analyses, insights and ranking conducted by Kantar, the world’s leading data, insights and consulting company and Brand Leadership Group, Africa’s foremost branding, strategic communications, and intellectual property advisory firm.”

In a recent issue of the Brand Africa 100: Africa’s Best Brands rankings, Dangote and MTN retained their statuses as the most admired African brands recalled spontaneously and when prompted, respectively.

Group Chief Commercial Officer, Dangote Industries Limited, Rabiu Umar, who received the awards, commended Brand Africa for the initiative of building and promoting African brands. He expressed appreciation to the organizers and urged them not to relent in their efforts to see that brands from Africa compete favorably with foreign ones.

Umar said that Dangote has risen a notch higher as a global brand with the export of Dangote Fertiliser to many countries of the world. “People now identify with the brand and in all the countries where we operate, Dangote Cement has become a reference point,” he added.

Umar said, “To the management of DIL, the ranking was not unexpected, because the company has a long-standing reputation for quality, relevance, compliance and social stewardship. Our mission and vision engage and inspire us, and by extension connect us to both our internal and external stakeholders.

“We fervently believe that only Africans can develop Africa, and this gives us stronger sense of relevance in all the countries where we have our operations. We are touching lives by providing their basic needs and empowering Africans more than ever before, creating jobs, reducing capital flight, and helping government to conserve foreign exchange drain by supporting different industrial and infrastructural projects of African governments.”

Established in 2011, the Brand Africa 100: Africa’s Best Brands rankings are the most authoritative survey and analysis on brands and underlying businesses in Africa, based on a study by Geopoll across 29 countries spanning all the five economic regions.

An analysis of the data over the past 10 years, has established that on average, slightly over 20% of the brands admired by Africans are made in Africa.

May 26, 2022