Why Venture Capital Matters for Eswatini
June 22, 2025
Ibhuma Business Dinner – Eswatini Edition
June 29, 2025
In today’s fast-paced and hyper-competitive market, businesses must do more than offer good products or services they must stand out, build trust, and connect with their customers.
Yesterday, Pinaco & Co. hosted a Brand Building Masterclass facilitated by Neo Molefakgotla , CEO and Co-founder of Plugged in Tribe, Seria Masilela , Co-founder of LUNA Hair + Body . Moderated by Thembela Msibi, the Masterclass is one of Pinaco & Co’s Knowledge Hub initiatives aimed at empowering entrepreneurs with information they need to succeed.
Mastering Brand Building
Neo opened the masterclass by explaining how building a powerful brand hinges on emotional connections businesses create with their customers. He introduced branding as “the process of creating memorable associations in people’s minds”. After asking attendants how many adverts they think they are exposed to daily, he revealed that it’s staggering 4000 ads! This means each brand must find a way to stand out.
“Brand positioning is about finding a unique position in a person’s mind and occupying it.” – Neo.
He explained that “brand recognition matters because it determines people’s choices,” and further outlined seven distinct ways to position a brand: by attribute, benefit, price or quality, use, product user, competitor and cultural symbols. He brought these concepts to life with vivid examples, such as Coca-Cola, which leverages benefit (refreshment, happiness, togetherness), product (iconic bottle shape), and cultural symbols (Christmas, global happiness) in its brand identity.
“You have got to be included in the list of brands that are being considered for purchase” – Neo
Brand Identity
Disputing the common belief that a brand starts with a logo, Neo asserted that brand identity should always begin with the development of two brand elements; a brand story and tagline. “These should be developed such that the hero in your brand story is the customer because that is who you are solving the problem for,” he stated.
Brand image, Neo explained, is the consumer’s perception – your brand lives in the mind of your customer. A brand is shaped by the collective sum of customer experiences at every single touchpoint.
To ensure alignment between a brand’s intended identity and customer perceptions, he advised startups to be consistent in their branding across all communication channels. Regular brand audits were also identified as key in keeping a brand relevant. An audit will ensure that “customer experience aligns with what you say your brand stands for.”
He introduced the term “brand affinity” which refers to the emotional connection and positive feelings customers develop towards a brand, often based on shared values and beliefs. He demonstrated how brand affinity makes a brand stand out. A strong brand enhances talent attraction, leading to better employee retention, and improvement of price resilience which then allows businesses to command premium pricing whilst achieving lower customer acquisition costs.
Luna’s Brand Evolution Journey
Seria Masilela shared her inspiring story of LUNA Hair + Body brand evolution. Her presentation focused on branding and customer-focused communication. She recounted how her company evolved from simply importing beauty products to meticulously creating its own line, tailored for African hair types. “We make something that speaks to women like us,” she said.
Through a process of persistent trial and error, Luna Hair + Body has developed a cohesive brand identity, characterized by consistent colors, eligible fonts size and messaging, which improved the company’s market presence and recognition in prominent stores like Pick n Pay.
Drawing from her practical experience as a startup founder, Seria advised startups to utilise resources at their disposal. Her company uses tools like Canva to create brand visuals and content which is then posted to their social media pages, especially Instagram.
“Know who your customer is and market your product where they are.” – Seria
Brand communication
“If I am in a supermarket, I cannot talk to my clients the way I would in my Instagram page or if they would come to my website, I need to be able to talk to my clients through my brand even when I am not there; even when my brand is standing with other products,” she said.
If an individual is exposed to 4000 advertisements a day and the brain automatically filters them, businesses need to create “subconscious cues” that will get that customer’s attention.
Seria explained that “people want quick information on how your product can help them.” It is, therefore, wise to engage with online followers consistently and tell a unique brand story on a daily basis. Startups must prioritize building trust through consistent social proof and proactive community engagement.
In case you missed the Masterclass, watch it on Pinaco & Co’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIUuxqBrOVE
Participants also go to know about an upcoming inter-country business-to-business networking event for entrepreneurs, C-suite executives and investors – the Ibhuma Business Dinner – Sandton Edition. The event is taking place on 19 July 2025 at the Aurum Restaurant, The Leonardo, South Africa, and is co-hosted by Bracefield Investment Group and Pinaco & Co. The dinner is one of the flagship Knowledge Hub initiatives.
_
About Neo
Neo Molefakgotla, is a Co-Founder and CEO of Plugged In Tribe. He helps brands tell their story, grow strategically, and connect with their audience in meaningful ways using impactful storytelling. With an MSc in Global Digital Marketing and an Honours degree in Brand Leadership, he combines solid academics with hands-on experience in the art of persuasion.
About Seria
Seria Masilela, is a co-founder of LUNA Hair + Body who is passionate about beauty, innovation, and empowering African businesses. She is dedicated to creating high-quality, research-driven hair and body care products that celebrate African beauty and meet the needs of modern consumers.
She won the Eswatini Entrepreneur of the Year Awards 2024 for Best Women Owned Business and was awarded first place in cosmetics at the Eswatini Consumer Choice Awards 2024. Her journey has been shaped her participation in programs such as the African Women Innovators and Entrepreneurship Leadership Programme (AWIEF) and the US Exchange Alumni network.
