Masterclass on intellectual property with IP lawyer Lita Miti-Qamata from law firm Adams & Adams.

Two years ago, Mita stood up at an IP workshop in Johannesburg, pulled out a Coke can, and made intellectual property law make sense to me for the first time. 'Everything you need to know about IP is right here on this can,' she said, and then delivered the clearest explanation of trademark law probably everyone in that room had ever heard. I knew right then I had to get her on the podcast.

Here's something that might surprise you: while 'protect your IP' has become a rallying cry among African entrepreneurs and business owners, African brands account for just 2% of the world's 11.6 million trademark filings. There's clearly a gap between knowing we should protect our intellectual property and actually doing it.

In this conversation, IP lawyer Lita Miti-Qamata from Adams and Adams walks us through why that Coke can holds the key to understanding intellectual property protection. She explains why Coca-Cola's CEO would grab the company's trademark certificates before anything else if their building was on fire, and tells us how bizarre it can get - somebody actually managed to trademark the smell of freshly cut grass.

This is the first episode in our IP series. Lita breaks down the five types of intellectual property you can protect, then takes us deep into trademarks: what they are, how to apply for them, how to think strategically about international protection, and why having a long-term IP strategy isn't just legal housekeeping—it's essential for building real wealth over time from your ideas.

If you've ever felt overwhelmed by intellectual property law or wondered whether it's worth the effort, this conversation will change how you think about protecting the intangible assets that could—and should—become your most valuable business assets.

For more info on Lita, a transcript and show notes, visit Lita's guest page on the AfricanOptimist website (africanoptimist.co.za).

TIME STAMPS

00:26 – What is Intellectual Property (IP)?

00:53 – Africa's share of registered trademarks

01:15 – Guest Introduction: Lita Miti-Qamata

02:40 – Workshop for creatives and IP

05:25 – The Five Types of Intellectual Property

08:51 – Trademarks vs. Brands

11:17 – Copyright explained

12:21 – Trade secrets and confidential information

14:43 – Patents and designs

16:45 – How long does IP protection last?

19:31 – Registering and protecting your trademark

22:00 – The value of a registered trademark

25:20 – Trademarks as business assets

27:55 – Enforcing your rights without registration

31:20 – How to start the trademark application process

34:20 – Choosing the right owner for your trademark

36:13 – What can be trademarked?

38:20 – The Nice Classification system

41:00 – Prioritizing what to protect

44:09 – Staggering protection as your business grows

47:08 – Trademark ownership and rights

50:59 – Registering in other countries and regions

54:02 – WIPO and international registration

57:36 – First to file vs. first to use

01:00:14 – Working with Thebe Magugu (fashion designer)

01:08:26 – Cultural appropriation and IP

01:13:48 – Can you trademark common terms?

01:17:12 – What fails to get registered?

01:21:25 – The state of trademark registration in Africa

01:24:48 – Closing remarks and where to find more information

AfricanOptimist #13 Claudia Castellanos - How you dust off an old family recipe and build it into a super hot brand, while being fair to suppliers and the planet.

We hold a delightful conversation with entrepreneur and self-proclaimed food rebel Claudia Castellanos who takes us on the rollercoaster ride of growing an international business that started with her and her husband's first sell out of 400 bottles of chilli sauce from a tiny stand at a music festival in Eswatini, southern Africa.

What follows is nothing short of a gutsy tale of what it really takes to turn a single recipe, on a fat-stained paper, into an international, super hot brand with a venomous bite.

This, despite insisting on local production, permaculture training, organic certification, glass bottles, pure ingredients, and facing revolving staff at retailers, naysayers who don't get it, crazy deadlines and serious competition from rows and rows of other chilli sauces sitting neatly on supermarket shelves.

Claudia was very generous in her sharing of every detail. It is a rare insight into how a couple who knew nothing about retail, and manufacturing, in a country not known for its chillies, managed to build something truly special.

If you need a touch of inspiration, and a load of really well-earned and practical business advice - this episode is for you!

For more info on Claudia, a transcript and show notes, visit Claudia's guest page on the africanoptimist website (africanoptimist.co.za).

TIME STAMPS

00:00 Introduction to the African Optimist Podcast

00:23 Claudia Castanos: The Birth of Black Mamba

01:21 Values Over Profit: The Philosophy Behind Black Mamba

02:52 Claudia's Journey: From Colombia to Eswatini

12:04 The First Recipe and Launch at Bushfire Festival

21:19 Building the Brand: Challenges and Successes

31:01 Expanding Distribution and Overcoming Obstacles

39:34 Sourcing Chillies from Smallholder Farmers

42:36 High Value Crops and Farmer Partnerships

43:59 Initial Farmer Reactions and Market Access

46:38 Challenges and Solutions in Crop Production

54:50 Scaling Production and Food Safety

01:09:41 Recipe Development and Product Innovation

01:17:10 Future Challenges and Optimism

Meet the founder of Brand Africa, Dr Thebe Ikalafeng.

Once decked out in immaculate corporate suits, he is now a walking celebration of African creativity and haute couture, a mentor to many a young talented creative bubbling up through the entrepreneurial ranks and a passionate promoter and protector of all things branded African.

Much is written and broadcast about this award-winning marketer. But now he has written a book in which he is the teller of his marketing tales and his turn away from corporate and big brand marketing towards marketing an entire continent. This episode delves into some of the key moments that marked this journey.

We cover his pursuit of excellence from an early age, his 'almost career' as an accountant, studies in the United States before South Africa became a democracy and why when destiny calls, your only job is to listen and follow.

We explore his time as Nike's Chief Marketing Officer for Africa, and why he turned his back on some big money in the corporate world to focus solely on promoting African brands.

We then dig deeper into what a brand-led African Renaissance means, how you can market a continent through brands, and why it is so important for African leaders to 'put Africa first'.

We also cover the founding of his organisation Brand Africa, and the insights of its flagship programme, the Brand Africa 100 survey (and how he created it from scratch) and why the survey consistently has shown 'how Africans say one thing, and do another' instead of buying African products.

He emphasizes the importance of visiting African countries for oneself, and why he decided to visit every single country on the continent following a conversation with Samsung Africa CEO KK Parks.

Thebe does not suffer fools lightly and looks to a future filled with action, rather than backward, in regret. Asked about where he gets the energy from to do what he does, he laughed and said, 'You sleep when you're dead.' He is a whirlwind of action, who epitomises his own mantra.

Through his travels, his organisations, his insights and regular talks, Thebe has shown us all another side of what happens up and down the continent, and is one of the most passionate and knowledgeable advocates for African brands you will ever meet.

Settle in for a fantastic listen to the life of the African Traveller, Dr Thebe Ikalafeng.

For more info on Thebe, a transcript and show notes, visit Thebe's guest page on the africanoptimist website (africanoptimist.co.za)

Time Stamps:

00:00 Introduction to the African Optimist Podcast

00:25 Meet the Guest: Intro to a Marketing Icon

01:33 Affirmations of African Identity

02:25 The Journey of Self-Discovery

02:55 The Book: A Different Perspective on Africa

03:31 Marketing Mastery with Nike

05:16 Iconic Campaigns and Creative Risks

07:41 A Passion for Marketing

09:32 Life and Studies Abroad

11:04 Returning to a New South Africa

12:36 Following One's Destiny

16:39 Corporate Offers and Entrepreneurial Decisions

20:23 Building African Brands

26:06 Branding Africa: The World Cup and Beyond

27:06 Redefining Africa's Agenda Through Branding

28:20 The Power of Brands in Shaping National Identity

29:54 Challenges and Opportunities in Branding Africa

32:11 Establishing the Brand Africa 100 Metric

34:51 The Gap Between Trust in African Products and Buying African Products

37:58 The Importance of Intra-Africa Trade

40:00 Learning from Global Branding Success Stories

43:21 The Role of Intellectual Property in African Branding

45:11 Personal Contributions to African Branding

48:28 The Need for Political Will and Local Agenda-Setting

56:03 Thebe's Journey Across Africa and Its Impact on him

59:53 Countering Negative Narratives with Optimism

01:01:51 Conclusion