Brand South Africa aims to contribute to the objectives of the National Development Plan by undertaking coordinated initiatives to build South Africa’s reputation and contribute to the country’s global competitiveness. Our initiatives provide an opportunity for South Africans to participate and become part of the nation’s brand community.

NATION BRAND FORUM

The Nation Brand Forum (NBF), first launched in 2016, is Brand South Africa’s flagship programme to drive active participation of the country’s key stakeholders to achieve a coherent and compelling Nation Brand image, reputation and competitiveness for South Africa. The forum brings together diverse stakeholders from government, private sector and civil society, to constructively address the current issues and discuss interventions that will contribute towards the positive positioning of the Nation Brand.

 

Follow the link below to download the 2021 Nation Brand Forum (NBF) Report. The report covers the 5th Annual Nation Brand Forum held on 28 September 2021, the State of the Nation’s reflection and more, including topics such as business and investment, tourism and social cohesion.

Download the 2021 Nation Brand Forum Report

Flourishing Imports and Exports

 

51.00%

South Africa has one of the most open economies in the world (exports and imports collectively represented approximately 51% of GDP in 2020), with preferential access to numerous global markets.

Africa’s Arable Land

 

60.00%

Around 60% of Africa’s arable land is uncultivated and the continent has abundant water resources for agriculture development (incl. climate smart technologies, irrigation), potable water.

Highly Skilled Workforce

 

79.04%

South Africa’s well-developed services sector plays a crucial role in the economy. It is also the largest broad sector of the economy, accounting for 76% of total GDP in 2020 and employing 9.3 million (79.4% of total formal employment).

PLAY YOUR PART

Play Your Part is a nationwide initiative created to inspire, empower and celebrate active citizenship in South Africa. It aims to lift the spirit of our nation by inspiring all South Africans to contribute to positive change, become involved and start doing. A nation of people who care deeply for one another and the environment in which they live is good for everyone.

 

Created to inspire, empower and celebrate active citizenship in South Africa, Play Your Part’s objective is to lift the spirit of our nation by inspiring all South Africans – from corporates to individuals, NGOs to government, youth platforms and young to not so young – to contribute to positive change, social cohesion and nation brand ambassadorship. Helping people to become involved and to start doing – because a nation of people who care deeply for one another and the environment in which they live is good for everyone.

GLOBAL SOUTH AFRICANS (GSA)

A network of exceptional South Africans living abroad, formed to enlist the talent, experience and credibility of South Africans living abroad to build the Nation Brand internationally.

NATION BRAND MASTER CLASS

As custodians of the Nation Brand, Brand South Africa aims to empower and guide key stakeholders with the nuances of cohesively communicating a Nation Brand on multiple platforms.

 

The Brand South Africa Master Class on the Nation Brand is a formal framework of equipping strategic stakeholders who are “flag carriers” in their own right, from the public as well as the private sectors, with the necessary skills to profile the unique features of the South African Nation Brand. The key outcome of Master Class training sessions is the commitment of stakeholders to aligning their entities’ marketing and communications initiatives (in terms of Nation Brand corporate identity, as well as messaging) to those of Brand South Africa.

RESEARCH

Brand South Africa tracks, commissions, and analyses several sources of research and information regarding the Nation Brand’s global reputation exposure. Main sources of information utilised is the Nation Brand Index, and Brand South Africa’s International Investor Perceptions research.

Such findings are further supported by extensive internal analysis, desktop research, stakeholder engagements, and direct Brand South Africa research interventions through its SA Inc. research project to develop in-depth profiles of the Nation Brand’s exposure to international markets. Findings are extensively shared with stakeholders in government, business, and academia..

NATION BRAND PERFORMANCE

Unlike corporate brands, a nation brand, its performance, perceptions thereof, and its reputation is shaped by actions taken by citizens, business, civil-society, and government. To this end the Nation Brand Performance Monitoring conducted by Brand South Africa aims to identify competitive strengths, advantages, and challenges stakeholders should bear in mind when engaging with issues that impact on the Nation Brand.

Through platforms such as the South African Competitiveness Forum, Brand South Africa Research seek input from stakeholders on factors that shape the profile, reputation, and competitiveness of the nation brand.