Brand South Africa is returning to Australia for the third time to meet with expatriates. This time, it will try to get those South Africans to get involved with initiatives back home.
Brand South Africa Reporter
Brand South Africa are returning to Australia this month to meet and network with South Africans currently living Down Under.
Two dinner gatherings, the first taking place tonight, 7 March, in Sydney and the second in Melbourne on 9 March, will look to incite pride and patriotism in the expatriates.
The events are part of the Brand South Africa’s Global South Africans (GSA) initiative, which reaches out to expatriates living and working abroad. Through GSA, the organisation keeps South Africans updated on developments in the country and involve them directly in efforts to promote and market the nation brand.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Australia is home to an estimated 150 000 South African immigrants. Many families have been living there since the 1970’s. However, they still maintain active contact through investments, family and friends.
They are also unquestionably proud of their roots, as a delegation led by the late Minister Collins Chabane, discovered in the first GSA visit to Australia in November 2014. They found that the South Africans still felt strongly about the country and were still willing to give back.
In the last visit to Australia in March 2015, Brand South Africa tried to understand the expats’ needs and perceptions, and identify ways the organisation can work directly with them.
For this year’s visit, Brand South Africa will be responding to some of the issues raised in 2015. The organisation will also:
- Provide updated information and feedback on the performance of the nation brand domestically and internationally.
- Share information on the GSA programme in other countries such as the US, UK, Africa and the Middle East.
- Make GSAs aware of Brand South Africa’s long-term partners – such as Gift of the Givers, Partners for Possibility and the Nelson Mandela Foundation – and try to get them involved. This will also involve starting student exchange programmes between learning institutions in both countries.
For more information, follow #SADownUnder on Twitter.
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