The world is shifting. Global markets are being reshaped, new markets are opening and the competition to capture them has never been more intense. Businesses that will thrive, not just survive, are not necessarily those with the best products but those with the most powerful brand.
This isn’t theory; it’s economics. Supply and demand will always decide market winners, but in today’s hyper-connected world, the demand part is heavily influenced by brand equity, trust, distinctiveness and the emotional connection consumers have with a business.
At an international level, strong brand equity is a critical measure of sustainability and future cash flow. Take Hailey Bieber for example, who sold her three-year-old skincare brand for more than $1bn (R17.5bn) , not purely because of the products, but because of the brand power she had built. The Kardashian empire and so many other influencers follow the same playbook, turning personal identity into global business power.
It works because these celebrities understand that their brand is their business and not the other way around. The question is why are South African SMEs not taking brand building seriously enough?
It is a fallacy to create a delineation between the business and the brand. If you’re not building your brand, you’re not building your business
— Sizakele Marutlulle, brand strategist
Too many SMEs still treat their product and their brand as separate things, yet without a brand you’re just a commodity — and commodities compete on price and price alone. Brands, on the other hand, compete on several factors including distinctiveness.
Brand strategist Sizakele Marutlulle put it plainly in a recent conversation: “It is a fallacy to create a delineation between the business and the brand. If you’re not building your brand, you’re not building your business.”
South African SMEs must leverage that distinctiveness to win over the world. Value and trust are the currencies of global trade, and a brand is the promise of both. A serious entrepreneur or business owner should be questioning whether their business has built enough trust for the world to buy into it, and if they can then deliver on that promise.
Building a brand starts with understanding what makes you different. Marutlulle stresses the need for SMEs to define their DNA. This is the core of what sets a business apart, and requires deliberate investment in identity, messaging and positioning.
Getting your brand story right doesn’t require massive budgets, especially in the age of social media. The journey begins with telling your story with clarity and purpose. It means being consistent in how you present your business to the world; knowing your mission, your story, your customer and your voice, and being consistent across every touchpoint, whether it’s your packaging, your social media or even the way you answer the phone.
A critical but often overlooked part of brand building in South Africa is the role of the founder’s personal brand. In the current global marketplace, visibility matters. People want to know who they are buying from, what that person values and why they should trust them. After all, in today’s business climate, consumers buy people and their shared values and stories and not just products. Investors, too, tend to back the jockey, not just the horse.
Think of brands like Nike, whose “Just Do It” ethos transcends the products they sell. They have defined their DNA so clearly that customers know exactly what they stand for and are willing to pay a premium for it. Even Elon Musk, whether you love or loathe him, has nailed his personal brand so well that it continues to fuel global interest in Tesla and SpaceX.
Founder visibility should never be about ego. It’s about building a bridge of trust between the business and the market. The humanity of the founder often becomes the deciding factor in whether customers choose your product over another.
Sadly though, too many of our SMEs are running brilliant businesses in the shadows, reluctant to build their personal brand. The world will not buy what it doesn’t know exists. This is the moment to step up, be brave, tell your story and build a brand so distinctive that it can’t be ignored.
In my experience advising entrepreneurs, those who invest early in building a clear, consistent brand identity often find it easier to attract funding, talent, and strategic partnerships. Their businesses are perceived as more credible, more professional, and more prepared for scale.
Brand building is not vanity; it’s strategy — and a good one at that. It’s about scaling your reach, strengthening trust and creating an emotional connection that survives market fluctuations.
The world market is waiting. It’s time we take it.
• Mtwentwe AGA (SA) is MD of Vantage Advisory and host of the SAICABiz Impact Podcast
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