A South African Brand and Marketing Strategist says national branding plays a critical role in shaping a country's global image and attracting investment to it.

The General Manager of Marketing Brand South Africa, Sithembile Ntombela, said this at the MTC Branding and Marketing Indaba, which kicked off in Windhoek on Wednesday.

Ntombela noted that a strong national brand makes a country more attractive to investors and creates a perception of stability, opportunities and uniqueness, which are essential for economic growth.

She added that for this to be achieved, the government, policy makers, private sector stakeholders, citizens and sectors should speak in the same line to build a recognisable country brand globally.

She noted that Namibia can learn lessons from Brand South Africa in using and leveraging local authenticity.

The Chief Brand, Marketing, and Communication Sustainability Officer at MTC explained that the indaba aims to serve as a platform where stakeholders can share notes on how to promote Namibia .

Tim Ekandjo added that the indaba will also strive to improve branding, marketing, communications and advertising in the space of AI and digital transformation in Namibia .

The three-day Branding and Marketing Indaba ending on Friday is the first of its kind for Namibia, and it brought together 300 delegates, 30 exhibitors and guest speakers from South Africa, Zambia and Botswana.