Brand-South Africa - Annual report 2015 - 2016

and south africa Annual Report 2015/2016
South African
Competitiveness
Forum
Provincial
Focus Groups
The South African Competitiveness Forum (SACF) is one
of Brand South Africa’s strategic platforms through which
it consults with stakeholders from business, government,
civil society and academia. During the year under review,
Brand South Africa’s primary SACF action plan took the
competitiveness and reputation discussion to each of the
nine provinces.
Based on the 2013 findings of the SACF, its outreach activities
during the reporting period were aimed at gathering input
into the brand positioning, strengths and challenges faced in
terms of the country’s overall competitiveness and reputation.
These activities were carried out in the various provinces,
metros and cities.
The strength, appeal, reputation and concrete human and
economic offerings of provinces and cities play a critical role
in shaping and ultimately supporting the Nation Brand. In
focus group discussions, provincial participants were asked
to reflect on the unique strengths of the relevant province,
the contribution it makes to the Nation Brand, and its unique
challenges. Participants identified key factors that impacted
positively and negatively on:
• Country/provincial reputation
• Country/provincial competitiveness drivers
• Sector-specific issues
• Ideas for country messaging
• Recommendations and executable actions to rectify what
is wrong, and to enhance and leverage off that which is
recognised as competitive and reputational strengths
were also discussed.
Brand South Africa derived 13 key lessons from the focus
groups in all nine provinces. The outcome of the provincial
SACF discussions will inform planning for a Nation Brand Forum
that Brand South Africa will host during 2016/17.
heritage were in the spotlight. In March 2015, a controversy
erupted at the University of Cape Town regarding the presence
of a colonial era statue, that of Cecil John Rhodes, on campus.
These incidents sparked a national debate on the country’s
heritage, as well as historical perspective.
During May 2015 Brand South Africa and the Nelson Mandela
Foundation hosted a research reference group on the theme
‘Evolving the Nation Brand identity through a collective heritage’,
which called on participants to assist Brand South Africa to
develop a more nuanced approach to the representation(s)
of South Africa’s national identity and heritage. Due to the
evolving nature of the South African post-Apartheid identity,
the two parties felt compelled to interrogate the issue of
national identity and heritage.
The following questions were posed to the reference group:
• Are we doing enough to incorporate elements of the
varied and rich streams of history, and heritage, which
collectively shape national identity, into the brand image
and message projected domestically and internationally?
• How do we creatively respond to and reconcile opposing
views regarding the nation’s collective heritage, while
remaining sensitive to the fact that our collective national
identity and heritage are evolving features of a relatively
young (21-years-old) democracy?
Nelson Mandela Reference group
on heritage – Cape Town
Research Reference Group
Early in 2015 several incidents pertaining to historical symbols,
statues and the public representation of South Africa’s national
Nelson Mandela Reference group on heritage – Cape Town
40