Makeka seeks to take Lesotho’s marketing industry to new heights 

Moroke Sekoboto 

PROMINENT marketing strategist, Tšokolo Makeka, has launched a campaign to unify, professionalise and regulate Lesotho’s marketing industry. 

This after representing the country at the prestigious Africa Top 100 Chief Marketing Officers (CMO) event in South Africa. 

Mr Makeka, founder of The Creative Lab, a multidisciplinary marketing communications agency, attended the summit by invitation in recognition of his work as a marketing strategist. He said the experience highlighted the need for Lesotho to strengthen its presence in Africa’s marketing landscape. 

Hosted by Kaya959 in partnership with Brand Africa, the Marketing Association of South Africa (MASA), Business Day, Absa and United Stations, the summit celebrated leading CMOs driving Africa’s economy, with honourees selected through research conducted by Brand Africa. 

Mr Makeka said many delegates were curious about the state of Lesotho’s marketing industry. 

“Several respected marketing professionals asked me, ‘What is the marketing industry like in Lesotho?’ The general feeling is that Lesotho doesn’t have a lot to say or contribute to the African marketing narrative. That simply is not true,” he said. 

He challenged the perception that Lesotho was merely a consumer of marketing communications developed by South African corporate headquarters. 

“For decades, a prevailing myth has existed that because Lesotho is small, it must passively consume marketing communications from corporate group operations in South Africa. The Creative Lab’s presence at the summit aimed to directly dismantle this narrative.” 

Mr Makeka said Lesotho had a proud history of producing talented advertising and media professionals who had excelled in South Africa’s highly competitive creative industry. 

“Lesotho has a rich, robust marketing history. Over the years, it has produced some of the most exciting minds in advertising and media – individuals who crossed borders to shape the highly competitive South African advertising landscape and win major awards. Yet, at home, Basotho marketers have remained fragmented.” 

He said his vision was to build a unified, mature and competitive marketing industry capable of showcasing Basotho talent across the continent. 

“My presence was to highlight that Africa is waiting for Lesotho to take its place around the fire and tell its stories. We still are not seen or felt as a collective industry. My vision is to see a unified, mature and competitive marketing industry in Lesotho that showcases our work across the continent.” 

Mr Makeka said marketing was a key driver of economic growth. 

“In South Africa, marketing directly sustains an estimated R100 billion to R150 billion ecosystem annually and influences more than R1 trillion in wider commercial transactions. 

“While Lesotho has not yet quantified the macroeconomic contribution of its marketing sector, the discipline is the foundation of key growth sectors, including tourism, small business development, product innovation, investment promotion, retail and the meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) industry.” 

To strengthen the sector, Mr Makeka said he intended to spearhead the establishment of the Lesotho Association of Marketers. 

“I will embark on a crusade to gather key players in the industry to form the Lesotho Association of Marketers. My hope is that this body will give marketing the position it deserves as a key business driver for business and industry. The association will help regulate and grow the profession while enabling us to better serve our clients and expand the reach of our ideas beyond our borders.” 

He said Lesotho was producing hundreds of promising brands that deserve world-class marketing support to maximise their potential. 

Mr Makeka described the initiative as the beginning of a new era in which Basotho creatives would receive recognition for their contributions rather than being overshadowed by larger regional markets. 

To build momentum, The Creative Lab and its partners would organise a series of events, masterclasses and networking sessions aimed at bringing together chief marketing officers, heads of marketing, brand managers and other professionals in the sector. 

His long-term goal was to see a Mosotho marketing leader recognised among Africa’s best. 

“My aspiration is to see one of our own local CMOs, heads of marketing or brand managers make the Africa Top 100 list within the next two years. We will show the continent exactly how Basotho minds are shaping African narratives.” 

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