AfricanOptimist - how we thrive against great odds

#16 Melusi Mhlungu - From Soweto to the Super Bowl and back again.

This episode is a behind the scenes look at the man behind the brand JozimyJozi and the unbelievable story of his rise to the top of the advertising industries in both South Africa and the United States before his return to home town Johannesburg to start a movement of hope and regeneration. In a candid conversation, Melusi speaks about his near-miss as a lawyer, early influences on his advertising career, and how 'stalking' local and international advertising heroes ultimately led him to work in the United States, where he continued his award-winning streak. He talks about his creative process, how 'letting go' of ideas is his secret to success, and that he once scored a perfect 10 out of 10 for his optimism in a psychometric test but was warned that could be considered 'dangerous'. It is in the second half where he tells the story behind the branding of JoziMyJozi, a movement 'of the people', with a vision to fix something that many had abandoned as 'broken', and the relationship between two men that gave birth to it. As a founding partner, Melusi Mhlungu describes the moment on Constitution Hill when the seeds were sewn for the creation of JoziMyJozi as a brand that nobody owns. He shares a love letter to his home town Johannesburg that inspired the branding of JoziMyJozi, and explains why the movement decided to 'start with the actions' (not bragging about what they were intending to do, but just 'getting shit done'). He explains why patience is the superpower of the motley crew of JoziMyJozi doers, and how when they got a no, they just carry on, not waiting to get a yes. The episode is infused with Melusi's infectious and enduring optimism, about life, South Africa's youth ('people who are not stuck in the reality of now') and ultimately, South Africa's City of Gold. If you feel down about Joburg, and the world in general, this episode is for you. People here can 'geshido'!™. For more information, show notes and time stamps, go to www.africanoptimist.co.za.

#15 Melusi Mhlungu. What do a Creative Optimist & a South African Optimist have to do with Jozi?

After a long break, I am cranking up the AfricanOptimist podcast again. I have spent the last while working on the 'economic engine' (thanks coach Karl Gostner!) behind the podcast, my business 'StoryBanking'. But I have missed the people who are shaking things up all around us, so am back with the headphones, recording and listening to some pretty amazing stories. I waited quite a while for this first interview. The aim was to start with something that involves something bigger being built than a business or service. Something that could set the tone for the rest of the interviews going forward, based on community and a fighting spirit. When I stumbled upon JoziMyJozi, I knew I had found it. A movement 'of the people', with a vision to fix something that many had abandoned as 'broken'. And a relationship between two men, that gave birth to it. In this episode, founding partner Melusi Mhlungu describes the moment on Constitution Hill when the seeds were sewn for the creation of JoziMyJozi as a brand that nobody owns. He shares a love letter to his home town Johannesburg that inspired the branding of JoziMyJozi, and why the movement took a decision to 'start with the actions' (not brag about what they were intending to do, but to just 'get shit done'). He explains why patience is the superpower of the motley crew of JoziMyJozi doers, and how when they got a no, they just carry on, not waiting to get a yes. The episode is infused with Melusi's infectious and enduring optimism, about life, South Africa's youth ('people who are not stuck in the reality of now') and ultimately, South Africa's City of Gold. If you feel down about Joburg, and the world in general, this episode is for you. People here can 'geshido'!™ For the guest bio, show notes and the transcript, visit www.africanoptimist.co.za.

#14 Lita Miti-Qamata - How African Entrepreneurs & Creatives Can Protect Their Ideas and Commercialise Them

Masterclass on intellectual property with IP lawyer Lita Miti-Qamata from law firm Adams & Adams. Two years ago, Mita stood up at an IP workshop in Johannesburg, pulled out a Coke can, and made intellectual property law make sense to me for the first time. 'Everything you need to know about IP is right here on this can,' she said, and then delivered the clearest explanation of trademark law probably everyone in that room had ever heard. I knew right then I had to get her on the podcast. Here's something that might surprise you: while 'protect your IP' has become a rallying cry among African entrepreneurs and business owners, African brands account for just 2% of the world's 11.6 million trademark filings. There's clearly a gap between knowing we should protect our intellectual property and actually doing it. In this conversation, IP lawyer Lita Miti-Qamata from Adams and Adams walks us through why that Coke can holds the key to understanding intellectual property protection. She explains why Coca-Cola's CEO would grab the company's trademark certificates before anything else if their building was on fire, and tells us how bizarre it can get - somebody actually managed to trademark the smell of freshly cut grass. This is the first episode in our IP series. Lita breaks down the five types of intellectual property you can protect, then takes us deep into trademarks: what they are, how to apply for them, how to think strategically about international protection, and why having a long-term IP strategy isn't just legal housekeeping—it's essential for building real wealth over time from your ideas. If you've ever felt overwhelmed by intellectual property law or wondered whether it's worth the effort, this conversation will change how you think about protecting the intangible assets that could—and should—become your most valuable business assets. For more info on Lita, a transcript and show notes, visit Lita's guest page on the AfricanOptimist website (africanoptimist.co.za [http://africanoptimist.co.za/]). TIME STAMPS 00:26 – What is Intellectual Property (IP)? 00:53 – Africa's share of registered trademarks 01:15 – Guest Introduction: Lita Miti-Qamata 02:40 – Workshop for creatives and IP 05:25 – The Five Types of Intellectual Property 08:51 – Trademarks vs. Brands 11:17 – Copyright explained 12:21 – Trade secrets and confidential information 14:43 – Patents and designs 16:45 – How long does IP protection last? 19:31 – Registering and protecting your trademark 22:00 – The value of a registered trademark 25:20 – Trademarks as business assets 27:55 – Enforcing your rights without registration 31:20 – How to start the trademark application process 34:20 – Choosing the right owner for your trademark 36:13 – What can be trademarked? 38:20 – The Nice Classification system 41:00 – Prioritizing what to protect 44:09 – Staggering protection as your business grows 47:08 – Trademark ownership and rights 50:59 – Registering in other countries and regions 54:02 – WIPO and international registration 57:36 – First to file vs. first to use 01:00:14 – Working with Thebe Magugu (fashion designer) 01:08:26 – Cultural appropriation and IP 01:13:48 – Can you trademark common terms? 01:17:12 – What fails to get registered? 01:21:25 – The state of trademark registration in Africa 01:24:48 – Closing remarks and where to find more information

#13 Claudia Castellanos - How you dust off an old family recipe and build it into a super hot brand

AfricanOptimist #13 Claudia Castellanos - How you dust off an old family recipe and build it into a super hot brand, while being fair to suppliers and the planet. We hold a delightful conversation with entrepreneur and self-proclaimed food rebel Claudia Castellanos who takes us on the rollercoaster ride of growing an international business that started with her and her husband's first sell out of 400 bottles of chilli sauce from a tiny stand at a music festival in Eswatini, southern Africa.  What follows is nothing short of a gutsy tale of what it really takes to turn a single recipe, on a fat-stained paper, into an international, super hot brand with a venomous bite. This, despite insisting on local production, permaculture training, organic certification, glass bottles, pure ingredients, and facing revolving staff at retailers, naysayers who don't get it, crazy deadlines and serious competition from rows and rows of other chilli sauces sitting neatly on supermarket shelves. Claudia was very generous in her sharing of every detail. It is a rare insight into how a couple who knew nothing about retail, and manufacturing, in a country not known for its chillies, managed to build something truly special. If you need a touch of inspiration, and a load of really well-earned and practical business advice - this episode is for you! For more info on Claudia, a transcript and show notes, visit Claudia's guest page on the africanoptimist website (africanoptimist.co.za [http://africanoptimist.co.za/]). TIME STAMPS 00:00 Introduction to the African Optimist Podcast 00:23 Claudia Castanos: The Birth of Black Mamba 01:21 Values Over Profit: The Philosophy Behind Black Mamba 02:52 Claudia's Journey: From Colombia to Eswatini 12:04 The First Recipe and Launch at Bushfire Festival 21:19 Building the Brand: Challenges and Successes 31:01 Expanding Distribution and Overcoming Obstacles 39:34 Sourcing Chillies from Smallholder Farmers 42:36 High Value Crops and Farmer Partnerships 43:59 Initial Farmer Reactions and Market Access 46:38 Challenges and Solutions in Crop Production 54:50 Scaling Production and Food Safety 01:09:41 Recipe Development and Product Innovation 01:17:10 Future Challenges and Optimism

#12 Dr Thebe Ikalafeng - 'The African who travelled from his small town in Kimberley, to the top of Kilimanjaro, to the rest of the continent.'

Meet the founder of Brand Africa, Dr Thebe Ikalafeng. Once decked out in immaculate corporate suits, he is now a walking celebration of African creativity and haute couture, a mentor to many a young talented creative bubbling up through the entrepreneurial ranks and a passionate promoter and protector of all things branded African. Much is written and broadcast about this award-winning marketer. But now he has written a book in which he is the teller of his marketing tales and his turn away from corporate and big brand marketing towards marketing an entire continent. This episode delves into some of the key moments that marked this journey. We cover his pursuit of excellence from an early age, his 'almost career' as an accountant, studies in the United States before South Africa became a democracy and why when destiny calls, your only job is to listen and follow. We explore his time as Nike's Chief Marketing Officer for Africa, and why he turned his back on some big money in the corporate world to focus solely on promoting African brands.  We then dig deeper into what a brand-led African Renaissance means, how you can market a continent through brands, and why it is so important for African leaders to 'put Africa first'. We also cover the founding of his organisation Brand Africa, and the insights of its flagship programme, the Brand Africa 100 survey (and how he created it from scratch) and why the survey consistently has shown 'how Africans say one thing, and do another' instead of buying African products. He emphasizes the importance of visiting African countries for oneself, and why he decided to visit every single country on the continent following a conversation with Samsung Africa CEO KK Parks.  Thebe does not suffer fools lightly and looks to a future filled with action, rather than backward, in regret. Asked about where he gets the energy from to do what he does, he laughed and said, 'You sleep when you're dead.' He is a whirlwind of action, who epitomises his own mantra. Through his travels, his organisations, his insights and regular talks, Thebe has shown us all another side of what happens up and down the continent, and is one of the most passionate and knowledgeable advocates for African brands you will ever meet. Settle in for a fantastic listen to the life of the African Traveller, Dr Thebe Ikalafeng. For more info on Thebe, a transcript and show notes, visit Thebe's guest page on the africanoptimist website (africanoptimist.co.za [http://africanoptimist.co.za]) Time Stamps: 00:00 Introduction to the African Optimist Podcast 00:25 Meet the Guest: Intro to a Marketing Icon 01:33 Affirmations of African Identity 02:25 The Journey of Self-Discovery 02:55 The Book: A Different Perspective on Africa 03:31 Marketing Mastery with Nike 05:16 Iconic Campaigns and Creative Risks 07:41 A Passion for Marketing 09:32 Life and Studies Abroad 11:04 Returning to a New South Africa 12:36 Following One's Destiny 16:39 Corporate Offers and Entrepreneurial Decisions 20:23 Building African Brands 26:06 Branding Africa: The World Cup and Beyond 27:06 Redefining Africa's Agenda Through Branding 28:20 The Power of Brands in Shaping National Identity 29:54 Challenges and Opportunities in Branding Africa 32:11 Establishing the Brand Africa 100 Metric 34:51 The Gap Between Trust in African Products and Buying African Products 37:58 The Importance of Intra-Africa Trade 40:00 Learning from Global Branding Success Stories 43:21 The Role of Intellectual Property in African Branding 45:11 Personal Contributions to African Branding 48:28 The Need for Political Will and Local Agenda-Setting 56:03 Thebe's Journey Across Africa and Its Impact on him 59:53 Countering Negative Narratives with Optimism 01:01:51 Conclusion