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African countries must forge a “Made in Africa” agenda and enact a “Buy African Act,” a branding expert argued in a new Semafor column.
It is in Africa’s interests to build resilient and competitive brands, wrote Thebe Ikalafeng, founder and chairman of Brand Africa, an initiative to boost the visibility of African brands.
He points to the precedent established by the US with its 1933 Buy American Act, which legislated that at least 50% of all procurement by the US government and its agencies must be “made in America.” It’s now time for the African Union to help drive a similar agenda for the continent, Ikalafeng said, “to catalyze and inspire African entrepreneurship and the growth of African brand-led solutions.”
Read on for why Africa needs to prioritize homegrown brands. →
