Thebe Ikalafeng

Thebe Ikalafeng is a leading expert in all things branding and is highly passionate about the continent of Africa. A believer in the untapped possibilities of the continent, Thebe has made it his mission to visit each country in Africa and along the way he has built a number of successful brands across the fantastic continent. As a leading figure shaping the perception of Africa, Thebe is also regularly booked as a speaker for corporate events. Having previously spoken for the likes of the Brand Finance Forum, Icograda Design Week and the Middle East & Africa Duty Free Association, Thebe is a popular speaker and covers topics surrounding personal branding, customer service and building a great business in Africa.

Widely known for his passion to develop Africa, Thebe is best known as the founder of Brand Africa. Sitting at the helm of Brand Africa, Thebe is overseeing the company’s operations and mission to ensure that Africa is represented in a positive manner, promoting the diverse offerings of the continent and to increase the competitiveness of African brands. Thebe is also widely known for establishing the Brand Africa 100: Africa’s Best Brands and the Africa Brand Leadership Academy, subsidiaries of his illustrious brand that help to bring further awareness to the excellence of African business.

Outside of his work with Brand Africa, Thebe has been fortunate to follow a successful corporate career in a number of high calibre roles. Having studied at the Marquette University in Marketing, Thebe began his career as a brand manager for Colgate Palmolive and then later became a marketing manager for Sun International. Thebe then went back to university, studying Finance at the University of the Witwatersrand, amongst his studies working as the Executive Director of Nike Africa. Thebe then continued to work in a number of Non-Executive roles for FoodCorps, Mercantile Bank and the Durban University of Technology before founding Brand Africa.

Thebe has also studied Finance for Senior executives at the Harvard Business School, which has enhanced his understanding of promoting business. He has also acted as a Vice-Chair of the Brand Council of South Africa and a trustee of Brand South Africa. Currently, Thebe is working as a Non-Executive Director of South African Tourism, a Non-Executive Director of WWF, a Non-executive Director of Cartrack and is the Principal of the Africa Brand Leadership Academy. During the course of his career, Thebe has also been the recipient of an incredible 75 awards commending his contributions to marketing, communications and branding, such as being inducted into the Rebrand Hall of Fame for Excellence in Branding.

Outside of marketing and branding, Thebe is a confident adventurer, having previously summitted Kilimanjaro, sky-dived and swam in the freezing waters of Antarctica. He is also regularly booked as a speaker to share his expert business and branding knowledge, having addressed audiences of thousands and various blue-chip organisations. An energising and empowering speaker, Thebe shines a light on the possibilities that the developing countries in Africa possess. A highly knowledgeable individual, Thebe is hired to speak on building great brands and businesses, customer experience, customer service, wealth creation, brands and culture in a range of captivating keynote speeches.