about us

Alison Steven

Founder & Managing Director

Alison Steven has a B. Comm Industrial Psych & Marketing (Wits) and Honours in International Marketing (Unisa). She has lived and worked in SA, USA, and the UK. Alison has been running The Brand Surgeon for over 2 decades, but her background is in companies like Unilever, Pepsi/ Pizza Hut and she was Head of Marketing for Pret (UK).

Alison’s key strengths are her incredible years of experience, insatiable curiosity about all things consumer and businesses, as well as her energy and passion for leading and mentoring others.

She loves helping brands understand their customers better.

Over 50 young South Africans that have been through The Brand Surgeon doors over the past 2 decades through her intern / mentorship development programmes.

Outside of work, she is passionate about her husband of 25 years and their 3 kids – Hannah, Alexander, and Paige. If she could have a superpower, it would be the ability to give young people the relational and problem-solving tools to excel in life!

Rachel Morgan

Project Manager

Rachel is a project manager at The Brand Surgeon.
She has a Bachelor of Business Administration; her overall goal is to achieve a Master’s in Business Administration.

Besides research project management, Rachel also has experience within the construction industry, events management, business administration & development.

She enjoys working with a wide range of people while striving to ensure harmony and cooperation in working towards a common goal. She brings a mix of creativity, reliability, and responsibility to any team she has the privilege of working with.

In her time away from work she is involved in her church as the team leader for the audio-visual team, one of the youth group leaders and also a worship leader (she loves to sing!).

Tebogo Dlamini

Field Manager

Tebogo has a Media studies Diploma, majoring in video production. He found his way into research by freelancing for one of the top three global research companies as a video editor. He became a researcher and field manager and ended up spending 13 years running research in many African countries.

He is a great problem solver and always ready to step in and work with the team to accomplish any required task. He remains calm in difficult situations. Loves meeting new people and starting new conversations to understand respondent’s thinking, reasons and emotions behind certain actions or decisions.

His superpower is to find efficient and effective ways to gather information from respondents using different approaches, whether it be over the phone, surveys or face-to-face in field. I pride myself in delivering quality work on time and my personal attributes show very quick.

Tebogo is a family man who is married and a father of 3 young boys. He assists his kid’s soccer team as a technical assistant.

Mojalefa Malope

Systems Manager & Recruiter

Mojalefa is a really smart and reliable team member who holds a Diploma in Business Management.

He is passionate about learning new skills, especially in the Marketing Research Industry. After finishing his diploma, Lefa did his internship with The Brand Surgeon, where he helped with recruiting and system support.

He has continued to work for The Brand Surgeon as a valued member and has topline skills in IT that assists the team with projects.

Outside of work, he is responsible for the administration of his mother’s Day Care Centre. He also enjoys his family, especially his nieces and nephews.

Ebenezer Hadebe (Nqobile)

Research Project Manager

Ebenezer is an experienced professional whose work spans diverse research projects across Africa. With a career built on precision, discipline, and adaptability, she has engaged in every stage of the research process, ensuring that projects are executed with accuracy and integrity regardless of scale or methodology.

Her academic foundation in journalism strengthened her attention to detail, critical thinking, and ability to work in diverse environments; qualities that continue to shape her professional journey. These skills, combined with her practical expertise, enable her to approach complex tasks with clarity and purpose.

Ebenezer takes every step of research seriously, from recruiting participants and organising teams, moderating, transcribing, translating, editing, and maintaining rigorous quality control. Her hands-on approach ensures that every element is carried out thoroughly, reflecting her belief that excellence is achieved through consistency and commitment.

Known for her self-discipline and resilience, Ebenezer thrives under demanding conditions and adapts to varied project requirements with ease. Her professional depth is matched by her personal passions, which include gardening, cooking, watching documentaries, and playing the trombone -interests that bring balance, creativity, and focus to her life and work.

Siwe Nhlapo

Recruitment Specialist

Siwe is a vibrant and inquisitive LLB Graduate at the University of South Africa.

She has worked as a paralegal assisting with banking ombudsman cases. Siwe also has experience in report writing, business administration and Sales.

She is a passionate recruiter who is great with client communications and respondents especially through computer assisted telephonic interviews (CATI).

Siwe is driven by her love of helping people and exploring new information. Outside of work she enjoys running her small business and fitness.

Kimberly (Kim)

Recruitment Specialist

Kimberly is a compassionate, kind, and creative individual, deeply committed to service and encouraging others. She holds an undergraduate degree in Sociology and Organisational Psychology from the University of the Witwatersrand, as well as double honours degrees in Psychology and Drama Therapy.

Driven by a desire to serve and support others, Kimberly is also an Authorized Listening Hour Guide. She is passionate about writing and is a gifted vocalist, serving as a Worship Leader at her church.

Through her work, Kimberly has gained valuable experience in report writing and looks forward to further developing these skills in market research while using her love for people through recruitment and client engagement.

In every role, Kimberly strives to be a source of encouragement and support, drawing on her unique blend of empathy, creativity, and academic knowledge to uplift those around her.

Stewart “St2” Steven

Head of Administration

Stewart runs The Brand Surgeon office. He attends to any
maintenance, facility, in-person research / catering / venue
needs. He also oversees our finances.

Stewart is an experienced project manager who ran our Real-
Life Rooms venue in Sunninghill for several years. He is invaluable to our team.

Stewart always has a smile on his face and keeps The Brand
Surgeon running smoothly. He is an incredible, good-natured,
and versatile person.

If he could have a superpower, he’d choose the ability to allow
people to see the good / gold inside themselves.