Brand-South Africa - Annual report 2015 - 2016

and south africa Annual Report 2015/2016
Through this process, Brand South Africa identified
three stakeholder groups (applicable both nationally and
internationally) that dictate the trajectory of the Nation Brand:
Government
• Ensure message alignment
• Partner for comprehensive understanding
of government’s role in the perception
and reputation of SA as a competitive
destination for inward investment
• Partner to help promote the NDP and
active citizenship through own platforms
Local stakeholder engagement
Government
Civil society
• Partner and drive domestic mobilisation
programmes
• Partner and drive joint domestic
mobilisation programmes, and relevant
platforms
• Access to digitally astute audiences
Business
• Ensure message alignment
• Participation in Brand South Africa media
programmes
• Joint funding of relevant activities
• Partner and drive joint domestic
programmes and relevant international
platforms
Successful partnerships with key government departments,
both locally and abroad, served to further enhance the
country’s competitiveness by working together to present
a single, consolidated and coherent message about South
Africa. Outlined below are some of the programmes that were
executed in partnership with government stakeholders.
Brand South Africa and the departments of Mineral Resources,
and Trade and Industry (the dti), collaborated in the facilitation of
a Team SA Programme at the Mining Indaba. Brand South Africa
hosted an Investment Seminar led by the Minister of Mineral
Resources, the Minister of Trade and Industry, and industry role
players. The discussion focused on the role and impact of the
mining sector in the South African economy. The overarching
message for Team South Africa was that South Africa is open
for business, which was successfully communicated through
the extensive media engagement programme and reporting
that followed.
The third annual South African Premier Business Awards were
hosted in partnership with the dti and Proudly South Africa.
The awards aim to recognise enterprises which produce quality
products and services through their technical and human
investment into various projects and activities. Brand South
Africa introduced a PYP Award to celebrate and inspire active
citizenship amongst corporates.
Brand South Africa partnered with the Department of Arts
and Culture and Market Theatre in celebrating the history and
heritage of theatre and amplifying the importance of the arts
as a component of the Nation Brand construct as well as its
positive influence on social cohesion.
Through the Department of Communication’s Ministerial
Community Outreach Programme, Brand South Africa was able
to engage the wider public about its role and build awareness on
the PYP Programme in the different provinces and communities
where the department hosted its outreach programme.
The entity collaborated with the Department of Home Affairs
to articulate new regulations for travellers in a simpler format
through the Travel Ready Campaign, which was executed
during the holiday season. Brand South Africa’s communication
platforms were used to disseminate these messages on relevant
regulatory matters to adults travelling into and out of South
Africa with minors.
Brand South Africa also partnered with the Department of
Home Affairs on brand alignment training of cadets and frontline
Home Affairs staff. This training aims to empower Home Affairs
officials who interface with foreign nationals to make them better
ambassadors of the Nation Brand, and thereby improve the
experience of foreigners coming to South Africa.
Civil society
The Civil Society Programme partners with a range of civil society
stakeholders to mobilise citizens to rally behind the Nation
Brand. This is driven mainly through the NDP to promote nation
building, active citizenship, pride, patriotism and social cohesion.
Brand South Africa’s civil society stakeholders include faith-based
organisations, non-governmental organisations, labour and
youth formations nationally, continentally and internationally.
Civil society partners provide access to ordinary citizens involved
in various community projects to drive and align with Brand
South Africa’s objectives to extend reach and impact. Below are
a few highlights from the civil society programme.
Interactions with faith-based organisations during the year
included a session with the Muslim Judicial Council, one of the
oldest, most representative and influential religious organisations
in South Africa with a local, national and international footprint.
The Council is founded on the values of Ubuntu and tolerance.
Brand South Africa and the Council agreed to promote the good
story of religious tolerance in South Africa jointly.
Through its existing collaboration with the Methodist Church
of South Africa, Brand South Africa was able to introduce the
PYP Programme to the Synod.
Brand South Africa also engaged with Solidarity, a South African
union founded on the Christian tradition of trade unionism.
The two parties will collaborate on ways to promote pride and
patriotism as well as jointly addressing issues of racism and
active citizenship for positive change in society.
Brand South Africa’s partnership with the Nelson Mandela
Foundation was cemented by a long-term collaboration
agreement on key flagship programmes to increase reach and
impact. One of the key outputs is the programme to engage with
tertiary institution students on the emerging campus conflict.
Following student uprising on various campuses in South Africa,
a group of like-minded active citizens joined forces to provide
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