As the Addis Ababa skyline turned gold over the Ethiopian highlands, the rooftop terrace of the Hyatt Regency filled with a different kind of energy - and quiet recognition of something long overdue: the inaugural Africa Chief Marketing Officer 100 ahead of the Africa CMO Forum.
Hosted by Brand Africa in partnership with the African Union Commission, Opportunity Africa and African Business, presented by Absa and supported by the Ethiopian Marketing Professionals Association, the evening marked the first formal recognition of the 100 most Influential African and diaspora CMOs. The 100 honourees, drawn from 21 nations in Africa and the diaspora, lead brands whose combined global revenues approach $750bn to $800bn. It was, as Brand Africa founder and chairman Thebe Ikalafeng put it, not a celebration of individuals but of the unseen force behind the brands that shape how Africa sees itself and how the world sees Africa.
Delivering the keynote on behalf of Sydney Nhlanhla Mbhele, group CMO of Absa, Mwihaki Wachira, the CMO of Absa Kenya, drew on the importance of African storytelling as the continent's most enduring marketing instrument.
"For too long, the African story was a commodity sold by outsiders. But the lion has found its voice. The campfire is no longer just in the village; it is on every smartphone, in every boardroom, and on every streaming platform. The world is hungry for the soul of Africa. Our stories matter," Wachira declared. The list itself - research-based, independent, unpaid, unsponsored and not self-nominated - spans all six economic regions of the continent and the diaspora. It was produced by Brand Africa in collaboration with African Business magazine, Most Influential People of African Descent (MIPAD) and African Media Agency. Its integrity is its rigour, independence and coverage.
Originally published by African Business.