Ask Afrika makes bold appointments for global expansion

“Ask Afrika is starting 2024 off with exciting new appointments as well as a new company structure”, Andrea Rademeyer, founder and former CEO, explains. To realise global growth Rademeyer took on the new position of Executive Chair. She will be active in the research industry and involved in Ask Afrika, assisting the company in formulating new strategies, growing client value and forming global alliances.

Rademeyer started Ask Afrika in 1995 as a single-person business and has built Ask Afrika into the largest independent South African market research company with international flair that guarantees local relevance and globally benchmarked expertise to its clients.

Ilan Sparrius has joined Ask Afrika as the new CEO. Sparrius is an industry doyenne with more than 24 years’ experience leading businesses and teams in the retail and consumer-goods industries and has a deep understanding of emerging market consumers. Most recently, she was Director of Product at Touchsides (a subsidiary of Heineken) and Head of eBusiness for Heineken SA.

Luan de Wet has returned to Ask Afrika to assume the role of Chief Client Officer. With 15 years of experience in diverse consumer insights roles, de Wet is a dynamic young leader known for her adaptability to change and proficiency in working with multicultural markets. She will focus on excellence in strategic client partnerships, driving a focus on client-centricity, creating value from data, and delivering professional services. She previously served as Senior Manager of Customer Insights at Telesure Investment Holdings (TIH).

Sarina de Beer, longstanding Managing Director of Ask Afrika was promoted to Global Products Director. “We have excellent benchmark products. Making these products available in a global market will enable our client partners to gain comparative insights using the same benchmarks, and Sarina’s new role will enable Ask Afrika to grow in emerging markets.”

“This is a fantastic New Year’s gift of global value add to our clients, and with additional human capital on board we can bring our vision of being the ultimate authority on benchmarks in emerging markets a reality!”, Rademeyer concludes.