Business blows South African trumpet; patriotism pays

JOHANNESBURG – The billboards are covered with bold statements about national pride and optimism.

Television ads tell South Africans why they should pat themselves on the back 10 years into democracy. And it’s not just the African National Congress-led government, with slogans of ‘South Africa: Alive with Possibility,’ that is beating the patriotic drum ahead of the country’s third all-race elections in April.South Africa’s big companies — like Anglo American, Standard Bank and First National Bank (FNB) — have jumped on the feel-good bandwagon.They are spending millions of rand trying to spread the word: South Africa has its problems, but it has come pretty far since its first democratic elections in 1994.Unemployment is running at a third of the workforce, the crime rate is still terrifyingly high and AIDS is threatening to kill hundreds of thousands of people.’This country’s worth banking on.Don’t sell it short,’ says FNB.’There’s more holding us together than keeping us apart,’ trumpets Standard Bank in a campaign highlighting similarities between black and white South Africans.”You’ve got to love this place.We do,” says world mining giant Anglo American in a series of advertisements it is using to support the country’s bid to host the 2010 Soccer World Cup — an event that the bid committee believes will create jobs and boost growth.While some wonder why these companies are getting so excited about the country, others say patriotism pays.It also helps foster good feelings from the government — especially relevant if you are dependent on government-granted licences for your business.President Thabo Mbeki has repeatedly expressed his irritation with doomsayers he says consistently sell the country short — focusing only on its problems and not “the extraordinary story of South Africa”.SELF-SERVING IS OKAY Peter Vundla, who set up South Africa’s first black-owned advertising agency, said there was nothing wrong with such ads being self-serving.”Corporates can operate successfully in an environment of positivity and optimism,” he said.Anglo American is spending 12 million rand (US$1,72 million) on its advertising campaign.”Even though we are headquartered in London, we haven’t forgotten our country of birth,” said Anglo marketing head Kaizer Nyatsumba, adding that research showed that the global growth of the gold, diamond, platinum and paper group had caused concern among some South Africans.He denied the adverts had anything to do with the 2003 launch of a lawsuit seeking up to US$6,1 billion in damages from Anglo and its diamond business for victims of apartheid.Standard Bank’s Sarah-Anne Orphanides said the bank’s campaign was tapping into the positive vibe South Africans were feeling 10 years into democracy, where falling interest rates and a strengthening currency have helped spread optimism.Her bank’s ad ends with the tagline: ’44 million people.One nation.One truly committed bank.’”As long as we don’t have self esteem, we are not going to be a winner.We need to stop the destructive dinner table talk,” Vundla said.This talk — which often includes horrific details of the latest child rape or murder or violent robbery — is what encouraged two men to put together ‘South Africa: More Good News’.The book lists all the reasons for feeling positive about South Africa — the millions of people who now have access to clean water and electricity, the sharp improvement in the fiscal deficit, the burgeoning auto and tourism industries.The book is sponsored by FNB, whose brand director Derek Carstens said his bank wanted to give South Africans “tangible evidence” that things were not so bad.He said the bank’s ad campaign and book sponsorship made its customers “proud by association”, adding it was trying to win “the hearts and minds of South Africans with facts, not just emotions”.Neva Makgetla, economist at large labour federation Cosatu, said the advertisements were nice, but not enough: “We feel a much more fundamental effort has to be made to restructure the economy for growth and equity and to ensure local investment of the surpluses generated”.Fearing more job losses because of a flood of cheap imports, the Southern African Clothing and Textile Workers’ Union signed a deal late last year with seven major retailers to source clothes locally.And this year, a group of companies under the ‘Proudly South African’ campaign umbrella is launching a media drive to tell consumers how to identify locally made garments.If they succeed, then their mottos like: ‘The future is in your wallet’ and ‘Shop until unemployment drops’ may go some way to solving some of the country’s problems in the next 10 years.- Nampa-ReutersAnd it’s not just the African National Congress-led government, with slogans of ‘South Africa: Alive with Possibility,’ that is beating the patriotic drum ahead of the country’s third all-race elections in April.South Africa’s big companies — like Anglo American, Standard Bank and First National Bank (FNB) — have jumped on the feel-good bandwagon.They are spending millions of rand trying to spread the word: South Africa has its problems, but it has come pretty far since its first democratic elections in 1994.Unemployment is running at a third of the workforce, the crime rate is still terrifyingly high and AIDS is threatening to kill hundreds of thousands of people.’This country’s worth banking on.Don’t sell it short,’ says FNB.’There’s more holding us together than keeping us apart,’ trumpets Standard Bank in a campaign highlighting similarities between black and white South Africans.”You’ve got to love this place.We do,” says world mining giant Anglo American in a series of advertisements it is using to support the country’s bid to host the 2010 Soccer World Cup — an event that the bid committee believes will create jobs and boost growth.While some wonder why these companies are getting so excited about the country, others say patriotism pays.It also helps foster good feelings from the government — especially relevant if you are dependent on government-granted licences for your business.President Thabo Mbeki has repeatedly expressed his irritation with doomsayers he says consistently sell the country short — focusing only on its problems and not “the extraordinary story of South Africa”.SELF-SERVING IS OKAY Peter Vundla, who set up South Africa’s first black-owned advertising agency, said there was nothing wrong with such ads being self-serving.”Corporates can operate successfully in an environment of positivity and optimism,” he said.Anglo American is spending 12 million rand (US$1,72 million) on its advertising campaign.”Even though we are headquartered in London, we haven’t forgotten our country of birth,” said Anglo marketing head Kaizer Nyatsumba, adding that research showed that the global growth of the gold, diamond, platinum and paper group had caused concern among some South Africans.He denied the adverts had anything to do with the 2003 launch of a lawsuit seeking up to US$6,1 billion in damages from Anglo and its diamond business for victims of apartheid.Standard Bank’s Sarah-Anne Orphanides said the bank’s campaign was tapping into the positive vibe South Africans were feeling 10 years into democracy, where falling interest rates and a strengthening currency have helped spread optimism.Her bank’s ad ends with the tagline: ’44 million people.One nation.One truly committed bank.’”As long as we don’t have self esteem, we are not going to be a winner.We need to stop the destructive dinner table talk,” Vundla said.This talk — which often includes horrific details of the latest child rape or murder or violent robbery — is what encouraged two men to put together ‘South Africa: More Good News’.The book lists all the reasons for feeling positive about South Africa — the millions of people who now have access to clean water and electricity, the sharp improvement in the fiscal deficit, the burgeoning auto and tourism industries.The book is sponsored by FNB, whose brand director Derek Carstens said his bank wanted to give South Africans “tangible evidence” that things were not
so bad.He said the bank’s ad campaign and book sponsorship made its customers “proud by association”, adding it was trying to win “the hearts and minds of South Africans with facts, not just emotions”.Neva Makgetla, economist at large labour federation Cosatu, said the advertisements were nice, but not enough: “We feel a much more fundamental effort has to be made to restructure the economy for growth and equity and to ensure local investment of the surpluses generated”.Fearing more job losses because of a flood of cheap imports, the Southern African Clothing and Textile Workers’ Union signed a deal late last year with seven major retailers to source clothes locally.And this year, a group of companies under the ‘Proudly South African’ campaign umbrella is launching a media drive to tell consumers how to identify locally made garments.If they succeed, then their mottos like: ‘The future is in your wallet’ and ‘Shop until unemployment drops’ may go some way to solving some of the country’s problems in the next 10 years.- Nampa-Reuters