Marko Stavrou.

Gugu Mthembu

Desmond Koolen.

The discussion will be facilitated by Telkom’s chief marketing officer, Gugu Mthembu, bringing senior marketing leadership into a discussion about how brands remain relevant as new generations reshape markets, culture and influence.

Hosted under the conference theme Shift Happens™. Are You Ready? The 2026 Youth Panel – The Next Shift: A Gen Z-Gen Alpha Conversation – brings together young voices and senior leadership to explore how businesses can stay relevant as new generations reshape markets, culture, and influence.

Rather than treating youth as a distant future audience, the panel reflects a growing reality: younger generations are already shaping purchasing decisions, influencing culture and redefining how brands earn trust.

Youth panel speakers

Marko Stavrou – The Gen Z Guy. Founder, Genlink
Gugu Mthembu – Chief marketing officer, Telkom
Desmond Koolen – Performer and Gen Alpha digital creator

From insight to impact

At just 21, Marko Stavrou has become one of South Africa’s most prominent business strategists and entrepreneurs. As the founder of Genlink, an investor-backed consulting and insights firm, he advises organisations on unlocking the commercial potential of next-generation talent and customers. Having worked with the likes of Standard Bank, Nedbank, Universal Music South Africa and presented at more than 100 events – from student audiences to some of Africa’s top CEOs- Stavrou represents a generation stepping confidently into authority.

Representing the emerging voice of Gen Alpha is Desmond Koolen, whose viral rendition of I Feel Good captured global attention and earned recognition from international audiences, including Hollywood actor Will Smith. Now a young performer, sportsman and digital creator, Koolen reflects a generation growing up fluent in digital culture, where authenticity and relatability drive influence.

The discussion will be hosted by Gugu Mthembu, one of South Africa’s most respected marketing leaders, who brings more than two decades of experience in ICT and telecommunications. As chief marketing officer at Telkom, she has led a bold transformation of the brand, embedding data science and digital-first thinking into its growth strategy and securing major industry recognition, including Best Mobile Provider in the 2024/25 Ask Africa Orange Index and a place among South Africa’s 30 Most Admired Brands.

Her recent appointment as Jury President for the Creative Business Transformation category at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity further underscores her global influence in shaping how brands drive meaningful business impact.

Why this conversation matters now

Gen Z and Gen Alpha are not just future consumers. They are already influencing household spending and shaping culture, while redefining how the next generation will work, spend and engage with brands. For business leaders, this means rethinking how brands earn relevance, how companies attract talent and how trust is built in a digital-first world.

“The Youth Panel is not symbolic,” says Dale Hefer, CEO of the Nedbank IMC. “It’s about understanding where growth will come from next. If you want long-term brand strength, you need to understand how younger generations think, spend and participate.”

Hosted as part of a single-stream experience convening more than 3,500 delegates across in-person and virtual platforms, the Nedbank IMC gathers CMOs, founders, agency leaders and strategists from more than 20 countries. The Youth Panel is designed to challenge established thinking and spark practical action in the boardroom.

Grounded in real youth engagement

This conversation is not theoretical. It is shaped by the IMC’s long-standing investment in young talent.

Through its Youth1000 programme, in partnership with MASA, the conference has brought more than 1,000 marketing students into the IMC experience over the years, ensuring that emerging voices are in the room. The presence of scholars and young marketers adds a real-time perspective to the discussion, making it as informed by future industry leaders as it is by current ones.

With scholars and young professionals in the room, The Next Shift reflects the real energy of the next generation, not an abstract interpretation.

Shift happens™. Are you ready? Join the movement.

Join the movement. Book your ticket now.

To find out more, visit www.imcconference.com