Brand-South Africa - Annual report 2015 - 2016

United States of America
In 2015/16, Brand South Africa in the USA continued with
multiple high-level political and business engagements and
events, some of which are highlighted below:
• Held a session with international trade agencies, in
partnership with the dti and the Gauteng Investment
Centre, on the amended Broad-Based Black Economic
Empowerment Codes of Good Practice. Brand South
Africa also partnered with the centre on an inbound trade
mission from the USA, which was led by US Assistant
Secretary of Commerce, Mr Arum Kumar
• Collaborated with the South Africa Chamber of Commerce
in America and the South Carolina Chapter in Greenville
to host an investor roundtable discussion on key priorities
and investment opportunities in South Africa
• Visited Atlanta to support the Minister of Communications
and the Deputy Ministers of Small Business Development,
and Arts, Culture and Heritage by arranging business
meetings and media engagements
• Attended the African Global Economic and Development
Summit in Los Angeles to highlight investment
opportunities in South Africa and spoke at the awards
ceremony named after the former South Africa Consul
General, Mr Cyril Ndaba
• Partnered with Junior Chamber International (JCI) South
Africa and shared feedback on the Brand South Africa
Domestic Perceptions Study with the Federation of
Unions of South Africa and JCI
• Met with Ambassador Mninwa Mahlangu and Deputy
Chief of Mission, Ms Nowetu Luti, to discuss hosting
GSAs in the Beltway area (Washington DC, Virginia and
Maryland)
• Profiled the South African Embassy’s Distinguished
Diplomatic Award by the World Affairs Council in
Washington, DC
• Hosted a delegate-boosting reception at the 39 th World
Hospital Congress in Chicago. The City of Durban will
host the 40 th Congress in 2016
• Supported the Minister of Trade and Industry in
Washington, DC, in his advocacy efforts on the African
Growth and Opportunity Act.
Brand South Africa continued to strengthen its media
relationships in the USA, and during the reporting period
engaged with several new and existing partners, including
the Mimi Geerges Radio Show, Ms Rosalind McLymont,
Executive Editor of The Network Journal and CEO of
AfricaStrictlyBusiness.com LLC (both influential publications
in the USA among black professionals and black business),
Foreign Policy Magazine and Golfer’s Digest. Brand South Africa
hosted a table for high-level South Africans at the Foreign Policy
Magazine Diplomat of the Year Awards Dinner in Washington,
DC. The USA Office also organised a media engagement
programme for the Governor of the Reserve Bank, Mr Lesetja
Kganyago, who was chosen as the media representative of
a JSE-led visit to New York. This included interviews with the
Wall Street Journal, Reuters, and Reuters TV.
A joint marketing initiative with SA Tourism, SAA and the
South African Consulate in Los Angeles ensured a strong
South African Nation Brand presence at the 2016 USA Rugby
Sevens tournament and exhibition, which was well attended
by South Africans living on the West Coast.
Brand South Africa partnered with the African Group of
Ambassadors in Washington, DC, to celebrate Africa Day.
This platform was used to distribute about 400 booklets
containing messages denouncing the spate of xenophobic
attacks. This was embraced with great enthusiasm by Africans
and Americans in attendance.
GSAs remained a focus of the USA Office. Through its
partnership with the Home Coming Revolution, Brand
South Africa hosted two events (in Johannesburg and New
York) to enhance awareness of the GSA Programme. In
addition, the USA Country Manager did a presentation at the
SpeedMeetAfrica event at Thomson Reuters building in New
York City. Brand South Africa, in collaboration with the South
Africa Consul General in New York, co-hosted the National
Minority Business Council. The event was a call to action to
encourage fellow South Africans to join the GSA network. Brand
South Africa also co-hosted an evening with Imbizo New York
Host Committee, an association of South Africans in the USA,
to mobilise South Africans in the tristate region (New York,
New Jersey, and Philadelphia) to play their part through skills
development programmes, exchange initiatives, investing in
South Africa, and by being good brand ambassadors.
Africa and the Middle East
Brand South Africa delivered a focused stakeholder and
reputation programme in these regions as required by its
strategy and Business Plan, aimed at ensuring a positive
disposition among stakeholders and target audiences.
Hosting of dialogues and stakeholder
engagements
Brand South Africa undertook a series of successful in-market
engagements with stakeholders and media in Angola, the
DRC, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria and Senegal. The engagements
culminated in the Roundtable Dialogue sessions (in all these
markets) that were held with creative arts industry practitioners
under the theme ‘Re-imagining the Future towards AU Agenda
2063: The Ties That Bind Us’. For the year under review,
the dialogues focused on Aspiration 5 of the African Union
Agenda 2063: ‘An Africa with a strong cultural identity, common
heritage, values and ethics’.
Brand South Africa’s approach (utilising the culture and
heritage pillar of the Nation Brand hexagon) in managing
the country’s reputation received a positive response in all
the countries. Stakeholders applauded this as an important
building block towards deepening the economic integration
of the continent.
Brand South Africa pursued this powerful medium (dialogue
sessions) as a channel to change perceptions about South
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