Today’s African consumer no longer wants ads, but identity —Expert

A marketing communication expert and Managing Director, Outori Limited, Wole Olagundoye, has described the present-day African consumer as expressive, community-driven, culture-sensitive and experience-seeking, who places identity and relevance over the regular marketing communication material. 

Olagundoye stated this at the 2026 edition of the Brand Handlers Summit and Awards, tagged: “Marketing the New Africa: Driving Growth Through Innovation, Culture and Youth Influence”, held in Lagos.

He cautioned brands, seeking patronage of such consumers and relevance, not to engage in ‘copy-pasting’ the West.

He stressed the need for brands, desirous of relevance in the continent’s marketing space, to localise and not just translate marketing communications meant for such audience and also endeavour to listen to the youths and not just talking at them.

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“African youths are more conscious than ever. Culture has become the new currency. In a long while money has been considered as critical to business growth, but today, it’s culture, because wherever culture goes, commerce follows,” he stated.

The Outori boss also stressed the importance of technology and Artificial Intelligence (AI) for brands since it makes the end results much easier to achieve.

He identified a data-led consumer insight and creativity as one of the ways through which brands can build sustainable growth.

The convener of the summit and publisher of Marketing Space, Lukman Ishau, described the theme as timely and necessary since Africa is no longer an emerging story; but a defining force in global commerce and creativity.

 “The theme challenges us to move beyond borrowed frameworks and build strategies grounded in local insight, cultural intelligence, and authentic storytelling,” he stated.