A few weeks ago, MarkLives, a leading South African marketing publication, invited its readers to enter a competition for a chance to win tickets to the Nedbank IMC Conference 2026.
I entered.
This week, I received an email from Herman Manson, the award-winning founder and editor of MarkLives and a respected voice in South Africa’s marketing and advertising industry, telling me that I had won a virtual ticket.
I was genuinely excited.
This will be my first time attending the Nedbank IMC, which is described as Africa’s biggest marketing conference. The conference takes place on 17 September 2026 and will bring together marketing leaders, business executives, strategists and creatives from across Africa and beyond.
It has been a long time since I won something valuable.
And this feels valuable.
It is an opportunity to learn from some of the best marketing minds in the industry, engage with the ideas shaping the future of our profession and bring new thinking into the work we do at Positioning Partners.
The timing also feels significant.
PP is still a young business. After more than a decade of leading marketing, communication and reputation-building work inside organisations, I am now applying that experience to building a company of my own with my co-founder.
We are finding and serving clients, refining our offering, building our systems and creating the body of work that will shape PP’s reputation.
When you are building something from the ground up, you learn to appreciate every sign of movement.
A promising conversation.
A new client.
A referral.
An opportunity to pitch.
And, yes, even winning a conference ticket.
Each one gives you a little more energy to keep going.
Interestingly, the theme of this year’s Nedbank IMC Conference is Shift Happens.
That made me smile because shift really has happened.
My career has shifted.
My responsibilities have shifted.
I have shifted.
I have moved from leading marketing for established institutions to helping build an agency whose reputation, revenue, relationships and future I am directly responsible for.
And that’s a big shift.
Building Positioning Partners will require strategy, discipline, courage and consistent execution. I also welcome the moments of good luck and good fortune that meet us along the way.
I am taking this win as a good sign about where PP is headed.
Perhaps it is a small sign. It is a meaningful one to me.
Thank you to MarkLives and the Nedbank IMC Conference team for the opportunity. I look forward to attending, learning and bringing those insights back into the work we do for our clients.
PP is young. We are ambitious. We are doing the work.
And this little win has given me one more reason to feel hopeful about what lies ahead. 🖤
With gratitude,
Ofentse Rapakgadi
Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Positioning Partners
About MarkLives
MarkLives is an independent South African trade publication covering marketing, advertising, media and communications. It was founded by award-winning industry journalist Herman Manson and publishes news, analysis and insights for the country’s marketing and advertising community.
About the Nedbank IMC Conference
The Nedbank IMC Conference is Africa’s biggest marketing conference. It brings together leading marketers, business executives, strategists and creatives to explore the ideas shaping the industry. The 2026 conference, themed Shift Happens, will take place in Johannesburg and virtually on 17 September 2026.
About the Author
Ofentse Rapakgadi is the Co-Founder and CEO of Positioning Partners, a B-BBEE level 1 marketing and public relations agency. An MBA-qualified marketing executive, she has more than 12 years of experience in marketing, communications, digital transformation and reputation building. She helps credible leaders and organisations become more visible, trusted and chosen for bigger opportunities.
