A few days ago, the Pandora Agency content team logged in for a virtual interview with our principal officer, Kehinde Ruth Onasoga (KRO). The agenda? To pick her brain on Africa’s biggest marketing challenges. But before the big talk, we wanted a little backstory. After all, great marketers aren’t just born—they’re built.
From Customer Service to Marketing
KRO’s journey into marketing wasn’t a straight path. Before venturing into full-time marketing, she carved her way through customer service and social media.
“I learnt marketing from different roles—social media, customer service, public relations, and eventually full-time marketing,” she shared.
Armed with a Mass Communication degree and a membership with the Chartered Institute of Marketing (UK), she’s been thriving in the marketing world for over a decade.
Fun fact? KRO was at the helm when Konga, one of Africa’s largest e-commerce stores, hit 1 million Facebook followers. She was part of the team that pioneered this. “I’ve worked with public relations and influencers and was also the affiliate marketing manager at Konga Online Shopping Ltd. I also worked with the creative team, running different TVC campaigns. So, my career has spanned a lot of things within the marketing field.”
With that foundation set, we got into the big question:
What’s the state of marketing in Africa today?
We’re Stuck in a Cycle
KRO didn’t sugarcoat it.
“I would say the state of marketing in Africa today has this merry-go-round feel. We’ve been doing the same thing repeatedly, hoping something new will click. And nothing will click until we actually start innovating. That’s the way I see it.”
According to Kehinde, many of the innovations we use in Africa result from what has been imported from the West. We’re hardly innovating, and that’s because we don’t have the data to back up whatever we want to create.
She painted a picture:
“Imagine you want to measure the number of eyeballs a billboard gets every day in Ikeja, Lagos. Before investing in that space, you need data—what’s the estimated number of cars that pass there daily? What’s the estimated number of pedestrians? But in many cases, that data simply doesn’t exist. And without data, real marketing innovation is difficult. Data will help with several innovations that should come out of Africa, which will definitely influence marketing. So we’re lacking in innovation and need a lot of it.”
Next, we asked Kehinde to reiterate the challenges facing marketing in Africa.
Africa’s Biggest Marketing Challenges
So, what’s holding us back? KRO broke it down:
1. Lack of Data & Innovation
“We can’t create groundbreaking marketing strategies when we don’t have solid numbers to work with. Data is the foundation of smart marketing.” She had already elaborated on this point, so we moved on. Next is a lack of knowledge and the patience to learn.
2. Lack of Knowledge & Patience to Learn
A lot of Africans, especially Nigerians, think they’re marketers. “Because you post on Instagram, you automatically think you’re a marketer. Many Nigerians think that way, and that’s why many businesses believe they do not need professionals for their marketing. Everybody who leaves school now thinks that they’re digital marketers. We see that a lot during interviews,” said KRO.
According to KRO, “You’re not a digital marketer until you’re in digital marketing,” meaning that you can advertise across at least three major platforms—Google, Meta, and Twitter—and understand how they work.
“Until this happens, I don’t think you’re a digital marketer. You need to understand what programmatic advertising is. So the lack of knowledge and patience to learn these things are some of our biggest challenges.”
3. Lack of Measurement
In addition to the above point, KRO pointed out that marketers also need to understand analytics well. We can’t execute good marketing and advertising without measuring our actions.
“That’s another big flaw. Many businesses do not trust marketers because they think there’s no return on the marketing investment. That’s why Pandora is different because we measure. We measure what we do. If a strategy does not work, we look for alternative ways to improve it. That’s why a lot of companies come to us for solutions. So, lack of measurement is another big flaw in marketing in Africa.”
However overwhelming the above challenges may appear, we know there’s never a problem without a solution. So we asked KRO what innovative strategies African businesses can use to overcome the above marketing challenges. We got our response!
How Can African Businesses Overcome The Above Marketing Challenges?
KRO had a clear answer:
1. Know Your Audience—Deeply
First, you need to understand who you are talking to so you can speak to them in the language they understand. This, again, is where data comes in. “That’s why a lot of Marvel movies are successful. They study their target audience. Once you’re a Marvel fan, you most likely would love most of their movies. So, you need to have a good understanding of who you are talking to.”
She pointed out how consumer behaviour in Nigeria has changed dramatically over the years and the implications for marketers.
“A decade ago, the middle class was comfortable. Today? Many are struggling. If you’re selling consumer goods in 2025, you need to rethink your strategy. Last year, many brands reduced product sizes to remain affordable and profitable. So understanding the consumer’s life’s circle or stage is very important, and any smart marketer and business should follow that trend.” According to KRO, this is also why it’s important to actively carry out surveys. Find out what the consumers think and what competitors are doing well so you can up that game.
2. Personalization is Key
We also need to start doing a good job with personalisation. We’re hardly doing that well in Africa.
“Take, for instance, what Amazon does by tailoring its offerings to what you’ve bought in the past. They make you want to repeat that purchase. Bring it down to MSMEs, which we have more in Nigeria. Let’s say you’re an Instagram vendor who sells a particular foodstuff to a specific customer occasionally; personalisation can mean taking the customers’ buying details and later asking if they are interested in buying similar goods. For big companies that can afford ERPs and personalisation software, it’s all about being deliberate!”
3. Conduct More Surveys
“Ask customers what they want. Study your competitors. Adjust your strategy. Marketing isn’t a one-size-fits-all game.”
Next, we moved to trends in the African marketing space. If you’ve been in the marketing industry for about a year or two, you’ll agree that AI has created some uproar. So, we asked Kehinde what trends she thinks can shape the future of marketing in Africa.
The Future of Marketing in Africa
One word kept coming up: data.
“If we can have a central database, if it’s not possible for the entire continent, then for the individual nations, we can break it down to states and local governments, as we have in Nigeria, for instance. I think it will be helpful for us in creating artificial intelligence. Artificial intelligence and machine learning thrive on data. Just try to check for information using AI, and you’ll see that your responses are mostly tailored to what the West feeds the platform about us. That should not be the case.”
Kehinde dreams of a central African database where even if people have to buy data for responsible usage and developmental purposes, such should be made available. The lack of quality and quantity of data is very concerning because we have a lot of talented people in Africa who can achieve a lot with quality data.
KRO cited examples of how small European and Middle Eastern countries have gone beyond what we have regarding record keeping and data management, not just for marketing but the entirety of our systems.
“In Dubai, you don’t need to show your passport at immigration. Facial recognition and thumbprints do the job. Meanwhile, in Nigeria, you have to answer a long list of unnecessary questions while officers demand money from you. The difference? Proper data management and good mentality.”
And that brought us to the end, where we asked KRO a wishful question:
If She Could Change One Thing…
Her answer?
“Mindset. We must stop depending on external resources and start building and utilising our own data.”
The interview ended with insights and a challenge for marketers, businesses, and policymakers to rethink how we approach marketing in Africa. The future belongs to those who innovate. The question is, Africa, are we ready?
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