Going global isn't growth - it's an operational reset
South African brands are looking beyond home markets, but most hit a wall once they step offshore. The common trap: assuming what worked locally will work anywhere. That blind spot leads to misread client preferences, misaligned messaging, underpricing, and a poor read on regulation and competition.
As Investec CMO Abey Mokgwatsane puts it, international scale demands a reset across the whole business. Think global-ready supply chains, legal frameworks, marketing, client support, and local talent with real market depth - not just a logo and a playbook from home.
- Rebuild for the market you're entering, not the one you came from
- Pressure-test product, pricing, and positioning with in-market data
- Localise talent and decision-making speed
- Design client service to match local expectations, not assumptions
Differentiation beats price in global markets
Cost leadership looks attractive on a spreadsheet, but it rarely wins abroad. Markets reward brands that deliver a distinct experience. Nando's is the example: South Africa is its cultural home, yet it runs 500+ UK stores versus just under 300 locally. By positioning in the UK as a more premium dining experience (not "just fast food"), it side-stepped a brutal price race and built strong unit economics.
The same logic applies in financial services. Recognition helps, but it's the combination of high-touch service and bespoke solutions that earns loyalty. International success doesn't hinge on brand strength alone - it comes from the ability to translate what works at home into something that fits the new market without feeling imported.
AI changes how we compete - fast
AI is reshaping marketing along three fronts: lower costs, more actionable data, and new search behaviour. Leaders who treat AI as a side project will lose ground to those who build it into the operating model.
- Cost: Content creation and automation now scale near-instantly. That forces a conversation about where human creativity adds irreplaceable value.
- Data: With stronger data strategies, teams can ship personalised, high-impact campaigns at hyperscale. Those without these basics will struggle to keep up.
- Search: AI agents already shop, compare, and interact on behalf of customers. A significant share of retail referrals now comes from AI-driven interactions. If your search strategy ignores this, you lose visibility and revenue.
The generative AI market is projected to grow from $252.5bn in 2025 to $280.48bn in 2026. Translation: the tools will get better, cheaper, and more integrated into buyer journeys. The best marketers will pair hyperpersonalisation with timeless creative craft.
Trust is built on consistency, purpose, and craft
In a digital-first world, consistency is the shortcut our brains use to choose. Distinctive brand assets, repeated with discipline, make you findable and memorable. Differentiated products make you worth remembering.
Purpose matters, but only if it shows up in actions. If your brand claims to stand for something, prove it where clients feel it - in service, supply chain choices, partnerships, and product decisions.
Don't chase novelty for its own sake. Be freshly consistent: evolve how you express the promise, not the promise itself. When consistency, purpose, and craft align, you earn trust - even as channels and formats keep shifting.
Your global-and-AI playbook
- Zero-base your entry plan: Ditch assumptions. Validate category drivers, jobs-to-be-done, and willingness to pay with local research and live tests.
- Operational readiness: Map supply chains, legal, tax, data privacy, and client support. Fix bottlenecks before you scale spend.
- Position above price: Choose a clear, defendable position that avoids commodity fights. If needed, upgrade the experience to justify premium pricing.
- Hire in-market: Local talent and partners shorten feedback loops and keep you from reading signals through a home-market lens.
- AI in the stack: Use AI for content ops, media optimisation, and service augmentation. Set guidelines for brand voice, approvals, and IP. Measure lift, not output volume.
- Data advantage: Build first-party data, clean pipelines, and identity resolution. Personalise messages, offers, and timing across channels.
- Search for an AI-driven world: Structure product data, schema, and feeds. Optimise for summaries, comparisons, and agent-friendly content. Strengthen reviews and signals of trust.
- Creative that sticks: Lock in distinctive brand assets. Test fast and often, but protect core cues that drive recall.
- Service as a moat: High-touch support and responsiveness travel well across markets. Make it a signature, not an afterthought.
Practical next steps for marketing leaders
- Run a "market translation audit": What stays, what adapts, what gets rebuilt?
- Spin up an AI working group across marketing, data, legal, and client service with a 90-day pilot plan and scorecard.
- Reposition for the entry market with explicit pricing, proof, and experience upgrades.
- Tighten your brand's consistency: codify assets, frequency, and quality bars across channels.
If you're building AI fluency across your team, explore focused training built for marketers: AI Certification for Marketing Specialists and AI courses by job function.
The big takeout
While cost leadership alone rarely wins abroad, global markets reward differentiation and unique experiences.
Your membership also unlocks:
