personalized while measurement is becoming more precise.
The discussions at the Canva Creative Cabana reinforced this perfectly. AI can generate hundreds of ideas in seconds. It cannot decide which idea will move a nation. It cannot understand the cultural nuance behind a Kenyan proverb, the emotion of a family gathering or why a campaign rooted in Ubuntu resonates so deeply across African communities. That still requires human creativity.
For African marketers, this is exciting. Many of our teams operate with lean resources but ambitious growth targets. AI gives us access to capabilities once reserved for organizations with much larger budgets. It enables us to compete globally- not by spending more, but by thinking differently. The future belongs to marketers who know how to combine AI with uniquely human insight.
Communities Have Become More Valuable Than Audiences
For decades, marketers focused on reach. Today, the focus has shifted towards relationships. Consumers no longer want to be marketed to- they want to belong. The era of polished brand messaging is giving way to authentic conversations driven by creators, employees, customers and communities. User-generated content consistently outperforms traditional advertising because people trust people more than they trust brands.
This particularly resonated with me because it reflects something Africa has always understood. Community has always been our greatest strength.
Technology has amplified behaviors that already existed. The brands that will thrive over the next decade will not necessarily have the largest marketing budgets. They will be the ones capable of building genuine communities around shared purpose and meaningful experiences.
Retail Media Is Reshaping Commerce
Retail media emerged as one of the fastest-growing opportunities in global advertising. Commerce and advertising are becoming increasingly interconnected, allowing brands to engage consumers closer to the point of purchase than ever before. Yet one challenge remains unresolved. Attribution.
Consumers discover products through creators, research them on social platforms, compare prices online and purchase across multiple channels. Understanding which touchpoint truly influenced that decision remains one of marketing ' s biggest challenges.
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For African marketers, solving this puzzle will become increasingly important as e-commerce expands across the continent. Success will depend on stronger first-party data, better measurement and closer collaboration across the ecosystem.
Collaboration Is the New Competitive Advantage
Innovation rarely happens in isolation. Whether engaging with technology companies, agencies, publishers or fellow marketers, the organizations making the greatest impact are those building partnerships rather than silos.
Marketing today sits at the intersection of creativity, technology, commerce and data. No single organization possesses every capability required to succeed.
For Africa, stronger collaboration between brands, agencies, media owners, creators and technology companies will accelerate innovation and unlock new opportunities for growth. Our future will be built together.
Creativity Remains the Greatest Competitive Advantage
If there was one lesson that challenged my thinking the most, it was this: We often speak about AI as though it will become the defining competitive advantage. I don ' t believe that ' s true. AI will become accessible to everyone. Creativity will remain scarce.
Technology can help us produce more content. Creativity determines whether that content changes behavior. Technology helps us optimize campaigns. Creativity gives people a reason to care. Technology can predict what consumers might do. Creativity inspires them to do something unexpected.
That message was reinforced repeatedly throughout Cannes, but nowhere more clearly than inside the Canva Creative Cabana. Creativity is no longer simply a communications function. It is a business growth strategy.
For African marketers, this should give us tremendous confidence. Creativity has always been one of our greatest strengths- from our storytelling and music to our entrepreneurship and culture. Our opportunity is not to become more creative. It is to combine that creativity with AI, technology and data to create measurable business impact.
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Leaving Cannes, I felt more optimistic about Africa ' s future than ever before. We are no longer observing the global marketing conversation from the sidelines. We are contributing to it.
Our creators are influencing global culture. Our entrepreneurs are solving uniquely African challenges. Our consumers are among the world ' s most connected mobile audiences. The question is no longer whether Africa can compete. It is how boldly we choose to lead.
That means investing in AI literacy, strengthening collaboration, building first-party data capabilities and embracing creativity as a commercial advantage.
Most importantly, it means telling authentically African stories that resonate both locally and globally. The world does not need Africa to imitate anyone else. It needs Africa to bring its own voice.
More African Marketers Should Experience Cannes
Attending Cannes Lions for the first time was one of the most inspiring experiences of my career. I returned home with fresh ideas, meaningful relationships and renewed confidence in what African marketers can achieve on the global stage. More than anything, I returned with perspective.
My hope is that many more marketers from across our continent will experience Cannes for themselves. Not because of the prestige. Not because of the awards. But because it expands the way you think. It reminds you that our challenges are shared, our opportunities are global and our ideas matter.
If Cannes Lions 2026 left me with one lasting conviction, it is that AI will transform marketing. Creativity will transform businesses.
Africa possesses both the talent and the opportunity to lead this next chapter. Now is our time to pair our creativity with technology, shape the future of marketing and show the world what African innovation can achieve.
Beatrice Mukami Njiraini is the Regional Director, East Africa, Eskimi, AI and Digital Marketing Thought Leader and a Top 25 Women in Digital( 2023). You can commune with her via mail at: Beatrice @ eskimi. com.