During an open lecture at Makerere University Business School (MUBS) on Friday, August 15, 2025, Thebe Ikalafeng, the Founder and Chairman of Brand Africa, delivered a powerful and provocative message, urging a radical shift in thinking across the continent.
Ikalafeng, who was flanked by the Principal of MUBS, Prof. Moses Muhwezi, argued that foreign aid is not the solution but the cause of poverty in Africa, a statement that challenges the traditional development model.
He called for a bold brand-led agenda to reimagine Africa in a new world order, emphasising the urgent need for decolonisation over a mere indigenisation of colonial structures.
Decolonising the Mindset: Beyond Good English
Ikalafeng’s lecture was a call to action, urging us to move beyond superficial gains and focus on what truly matters for African progress. “They teach us good English but stay away from the things that matter,” he said, highlighting a core issue of neocolonialism where Africans are educated in Western systems but remain disconnected from their own economic and social realities. He stressed that a genuine liberation must begin with decolonising the mindset and shifting the focus to self-reliance and local solutions.
He used compelling examples to illustrate his point. He spoke of the love for Uganda, where “we grow our food,” and the potential of local innovation, noting that a car from Kiira Motors “understands the roads in Kampala better than the car from Germany.” This is a powerful metaphor for embracing and celebrating indigenous solutions that are better suited to local needs and conditions.
A Brand-Led Agenda for a New World Order
Ikalafeng’s vision for a “brand-led agenda” is a blueprint for African self-determination. He believes that by building and championing strong African brands, the continent can take control of its economic narrative. He cited the popularity of Nigerian movies, which resonate with audiences because “they talk about us,” a powerful example of Africans creating content that reflects their own stories and values instead of scrambling for Western or Asian alternatives.
The sentiment was echoed by Hanna Teresa, the Guild Gender Minister at MUBS, who expressed that “maybe we never left the Berlin Conference Table.”
This powerful reflection resonated with Ikalafeng, underscoring the deep-seated feeling among young Africans that colonial power structures persist in modern forms.
Ikalafeng’s message is a challenge to this status quo—an impassioned plea for Africans to take charge of their destiny by building strong, authentic brands that reflect the continent’s rich culture, innovation, and potential.
The public lecture at MUBS was on the sidelines of the Brand Africa Awards event, which is to be held at Kampala Serena Hotel today, starting 6:00PM.
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Ikalafeng is a trailblazing, Hall of Fame global African branding luminary and the leading advocate for a brand-led African renaissance.
Born in South Africa and educated in the United States, Italy and South Africa, he has made a sustained and distinguished contribution to branding and to reframing Africa’s narrative for over 30 years.
He has been recognised with multiple Lifetime Achievement Awards and honorary doctorates for his pioneering impact on branding and Africa.
As African Business aptly put it, he is “Africa’s foremost branding authority.”
He has travelled to every African country and every continent, giving him a uniquely grounded and global perspective on building purposeful African brands.
He is the bestselling author of The Traveller: Crossing Borders and Connecting Africa, a reflection on his journey across Africa, building brands and inspiring a better continent.
In his forthcoming book, Rooted & Rising: Reclaiming Our Culture and Redefining Our Global Influence, he builds on that legacy with a bold manifesto for a new generation of Africans to lead with purpose, live with pride, and return to the values that define and distinguish Africa globally.
Ikalafeng has served on high-level boards across banking, tourism, conservation, and higher education, including the formerly JSE-listed Mercantile Bank (now Capitec), Nasdaq-listed Catrack, South African Tourism, WWF, and the councils of Durban University of Technology and Sol Plaatje University.
Through his firm, Brand Leadership, he has advised political leaders, nations, corporations, entrepreneurs, and academic institutions in over 25 countries across Africa.