Thebe Ikalafeng has been recognised as one of the country’s top 10 thinkers in marketing along with former state president Nelson Mandela and Pick n’ Pay founder, Raymond Ackerman in a survey by Ipsos Markinor and dubbed “Mr. Brand” by the Mail & Guardian.  An award winning marketer and advisor, he is the founder of the 2008 Fin Week Marketing Services Company of the Year, The Brand Leadership Group and a non-executive director of Mercantile Bank Holdings and Foodcorp Holdings, and a member of Durban University of Technology council, Vega School of Brand Communications advisory committee, and the Sunday Times Marketing Excellence council.    A chartered marketer, Ikalafeng graduated cum laude with degrees in BSc. and MBA. from Marquette University in the USA and has been awarded the American Marketing Association/Marquette University Award for Marketing Excellence.   Based in Johannesburg, he is a sought after speaker, prolific writer and consults globally on personal, political, commercial and nation branding and related matters.