Business Talk – Heineken Beverages’ Marketing Director Andrea Quaye on why brands must earn their place in culture
In this Business Talk with Michael Avery interview, Andrea Quaye discusses the role of brands in South African culture.
Quaye is the Marketing Director at Heineken Beverages South Africa, a position she has held since 2024.
She is a seasoned Brand Management and Marketing specialist, having started her career in 1998 at Unilever, where she represented Dove South Africa and Rexona Argentina.
Five years later, Quaye moved to South African Breweries (SAB), where she assumed the position of Marketing Development Manager.
She took on multiple other positions at SAB, including Marketing Capabilities Manager, General Manager for Carling Black Label, General Manager for Castle Lite, and ultimately, Marketing Director.
During this 13-year stint, Quaye briefly left SAB to work as the Head of Consumer Marketing at Cell C for just over a year before rejoining SAB.
In 2016, she became the Vice President of Marketing in Africa for Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB-InBev), a position she held for three years.
She then joined The Coca-Cola Company in 2021 as the Vice President and Global Category Lead for Coffee in Dublin, Ireland.
During her career, Quaye’s expertise has allowed her to navigate and excel in diverse markets across Africa, Europe, North America, Latin America, Asia-Pacific, and the Middle East.
She has received many accolades throughout her career, with prestigious local and international awards.
Under her leadership, the Carling Black Label ‘Be the Coach’ campaign won 12 Cannes and 4 Pencil Awards as well as a Grand Prix at the Loeries.
Along with her extensive experience, Quaye holds multiple degrees, including a Master’s in International Business from the University of Poitiers in France.
Business Talk interview
In this interview, Quaye unpacks the difference between a brand representing South African culture and one that allows itself to be influenced by it.
She suggests whether businesses should have a say in shaping culture, and how they could do that responsibly.
Quaye also explains what responsibilities come with the influence brands have on culture, and how to recognise when a brand is participating in the culture with meaning.
She then discusses how Heineken Beverages balances global brand consistency with authentic local influence.
Finally, Quaye talks about the responsibility brands have to strengthen the ecosystems that generate the cultural relevance from which they benefit.
Watch the full interview with Andrea Quaye below.
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