AFRICAN MARKETING NEWS

In-depth insights and thought leadership for Africa’s marketing professionals

By our News Team | 2023

Issue 3 2023 of Strategic Marketing for Africa, the magazine for deep-thinking industry professionals, provides in-depth insights.

The latest issue of Strategic Marketing for Africa, the quarterly magazine of the African Marketing Confederation (AMC), is available online via the AMC website and remains current until early December 2023.

Issue 3 2023 (and the 9th magazine since the revival of the AMC as the pan-African marketing body) is packed with marketing-related news and in-depth features from across Africa and around the world.

Issue 3 2023 of Strategic Marketing for Africa is now available online. Illustration via African Marketing Confederation

African sneakers get a foot in the door

Our cover story examines how African sneaker brands are showing some fancy footwork and taking market share from the big international sneaker names, both on the continent and abroad.

Cameroon’s Ayissi Williams, with his ICE Sneakers, is just one example of a bold and brand-savvy entrepreneur making his mark – or should that be footprint? Similar brands are entering the fray from Kenya, Nigeria, Ethiopia and South Africa.

Marketing conference in the spotlight

In this issue there is also an in-depth focus on the 2nd Annual African Marketing Confederation Conference, which was held in Uganda in September.

Pan-African marketers and international guests gathered in Entebbe to hear a stellar lineup of experts explore the continent’s still largely untapped marketing potential.

Is newsjacking a sound marketing tactic?

And we examine the art of newsjacking as a marketing tactic. It is increasingly coming to the fore due to the immediacy of social media and the 24-hour news cycle.

There are many benefits to be gained if done well, but you can’t ignore the possible pitfalls.

Marketing’s key role in AfCFTA

Offering more upsides and even fewer downside – if implemented correctly – is the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). It is a good news story of unity and positivity, which should be promote within Africa and abroad.

We examine the potential benefits for marketers and the role that marketing can play in making AfCFTA work.

You will find these stories, and much more, in the latest Strategic Marketing for Africa – the voice of African marketing and the official publication of the African Marketing Confederation (AMC).

Read it online here. A print edition of the magazine is also available.

Pre-conference masterclass discusses taking African brands to the world

Participants challenged to identify, articulate and commercialise the cultural assets that make their brand ready for a global audience.

Three people stand side by side in front of a sports direct backdrop the woman in the middle holds a blue and orange 'sports direct' sign

Africa’s first Sports Direct retail store opens its doors in Nairobi

Second outlet planned for Nairobi before year end, with Nigeria, South Africa and Morocco said to be future target markets.

Person wearing a beige sweater holds a phone with a translucent search bar reading 'search' and microphonecamera icons in the foreground

Search is fragmenting – credibility and trust create the new visibility

Online search behaviour has changed significantly with the rise of AI. How can African brands adapt to this new marketing landscape?

Person shopping at a deli counter holding an orange shopping basket in a cheese section of a supermarket

The move toward future-ready food packaging where materials meet AI

Researchers propose a framework for packaging that senses, learns and acts – making packaging an active, AI-powered tool against food waste.

Conference stage with a woman in a patterned dress speaking to an audience large screens display '' logos and banners for a marketers conference with 'institute of marketing in malawi' branding on stage panels and backdrop

Malawi’s marketers urged to put trust at the heart of the profession

Country needs marketers to build recognition and consumer trust around Malawian products and national brand, says Deputy Minister.

Lingerie brand creates street-stopping advertising in Manhattan

Fashion brand suspends giant lingerie high above the city’s streets, using shadows to create a moving billboard for pedestrians and motorists.

We know AI influencers aren’t real – so why do we trust them?

Researchers describe AI influencers as having a ‘dual identity’. Consumers evaluate both ‘person’ and ‘technology’ identities at once.

Hotel receptionist assisting a guest at the check in counter with a gray suitcase nearby behind the desk

Why trust has become a critical asset for hotel industry marketers

Reputation and trust, once modest influences on hotel choice, have become some of the strongest predictors of patronage, study finds.

Three people in formal attire pose for a photo at an awards event a woman in a pink dress holds a trophy while two men in suits stand beside her against a gold confetti backdrop

FNB bank’s eBucks programme dominates the 2026 SA loyalty awards

South African brands are increasingly setting the global benchmark for customer loyalty strategies, organisers say.

Portrait of a man with short black hair and a beard wearing a black button down shirt against a light gray background

Zambia’s strongest creative ideas are emerging from local truths

Global influences among younger consumers are still present, but they are being filtered through a distinctly Zambian lens.

Yellow humanoid robot at a bakery counter inspecting a display of donuts on display in front of glass cases

Consumers have doubts about products when they’re designed by AI

Researchers find that lack of perceived ‘genuine care’ is the mechanism connecting AI involvement to lower trust ratings.