MBABANE – The Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Trade, through its Eswatini Intellectual Property Office, hosted an essential masterclass on integrated branding and intellectual property (IP).
The masterclass held yesterday, at the Hilton Garden Inn, drew a diverse audience, including local creatives, entrepreneurs and government officials. The masterclass was led by two distinguished South African experts in integrated branding and intellectual property, McLean Sibanda and Thebe Ikalafeng.
Sibanda works as an international consultant for the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) on intellectual property matters. He lectures on Entrepreneurship and Innovation for Master’s in Intellectual Property at Africa University (Mutare, Zimbabwe). He is an intellectual property expert who has co-founded a boutique Intellectual Property and Commercial Law Firm, he has moderated topics related to Intellectual Property, Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
Ikalafeng, on the other hand, is the Founder of The Brand Leadership Group, a multi-disciplinary advisory group at the intersection of strategy, creativity and intellectual property law. He is the best-selling author of ‘The Traveller: Crossing Borders and Connecting Africa,’ a reflection on his journey across Africa and the world, building brands and inspiring a better Africa.
They highlighted a critical message, ‘a brand is not just a logo; it is a valuable business asset that requires legal protection’. The experts explained how a well-crafted brand strategy, when combined with a robust IP framework, creates a powerful competitive advantage.
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