Marketing is Business® – and the IMC exists to prove it.
Thursday, 17 September. Attend in-person (Mosaïek Teatro, Johannesburg) OR virtually.
About the Nedbank IMC
The Nedbank IMC – the Integrated Marketing Conference – is Africa’s biggest marketing conference. Founded by Dale Hefer and launched in 2019 with Nedbank as naming sponsor, the conference is held annually in Johannesburg and attended by marketers, brand leaders, agency executives and business leaders from across Africa and beyond. In 2025 the Nedbank IMC broke its own attendance record, welcoming over 3 300 delegates from more than 20 countries in person at Mosaiek Teatro and virtually. It is the flagship event of the Integrated Marketing Collective, a neutral, independent platform committed to the growth, recognition and commercial credibility of marketing across Africa.
The Nedbank IMC is presented in association with the Marketing Association of South Africa (MASA) and in active support of leading industry bodies including the ACA, PRISA, DMASA, ARB, The Creative Circle, The Loeries and The Effies. No other marketing conference on the continent convenes this breadth of industry representation in a single day.
The annual conference takes place on a single focused day – no filler, no sales pitches, no panel fatigue. Keynotes are curated, not crowdsourced. Speakers are selected for relevance, credibility and the quality of their thinking. The format has remained deliberately concentrated because the belief behind it has never changed: one day of the right thinking, with the right people in the room, moves an industry further than a week of noise.
The 2026 Nedbank IMC takes place on Thursday 17 September at Mosaiek Teatro, Johannesburg, with a virtual attendance option. The theme is Shift Happens™. In-person phase two tickets are R3 500 excluding VAT. Virtual tickets are R950 excluding VAT.
The Nedbank IMC is owned and produced by IMC Academy (Pty) Ltd. The intellectual property portfolio behind the conference includes the registered trademarks Marketing is Business®, Shift Happens™, Heartspeak®, Marketing Gets Naked® and Integrated Marketing Collective®. These are not decorative brand assets – they represent a body of original thinking about the role of marketing in business and society, developed over years of conference programming, industry engagement and original research.
The future starts here
We do not just talk about the next generation. We invest in it.
Through initiatives such as the IMC YOUTH1000, students from across Africa gain access to the Nedbank IMC experience, with thousands attending virtually each year at no cost.
With bursaries, mentorship and attendance opportunities valued in the millions, we are breaking barriers and opening doors for the talent shaping tomorrow’s industry.
Our partners and academic allies share this mission: to build a marketing profession that is inclusive, ethical and future-ready.
The people behind the movement
Dale Hefer
CEO, IMC
Liese Page
Delegate Sales Manager
Tsungai Desando
Marketing Manager
Mlungisi Ngwenya
Speaker Liaison and Special Projects
Ann Kushlick
Delegate Sales / Client Service
Kaitlyn Noble
Junior Designer
Ibrahim Lukombe
Media Manager
Laurence Lukhele
IMC Eswatini
Mary-anne Kwidini
IMC Zimbabwe
What we stand for
We believe in marketing with purpose and proof.
We believe in education, access and opportunity for all.
And we believe Africa’s marketers deserve their place at the centre of business.
We believe in education, access and opportunity for all.
And we believe Africa’s marketers deserve their place at the centre of business.
Join the movement.
Book your Ticket Now.
Be part of Africa’s most relevant marketing conversation, in-person or online.
Who should attend
Professionals shaping growth, relevance, and impact across business, brands and culture in a world that won’t stand still.
Join the movement. #ShiftHappens #NedbankIMC2026
All delegate fees are subject to South African VAT where applicable. In-person attendance in South Africa is subject to 15% VAT. International virtual attendance from outside South Africa is invoiced without VAT, subject to confirmation of country of residence and billing details.