An inaugural University Dialogue on Nation Branding will be held by Brand South Africa at the University of Pretoria on Wednesday 5 October 2016 from 8am-8pm. It will assess the theoretical discourse around the discipline of nation branding in order to enable South Africa to evaluate how the current efforts to build a cohesive nation brand can be strengthened. 

An expert in nation building, Miss Wendy Tlou, has argued that building a successful nation brand is not about a geographical location, but about the people in that location. She also pointed out that before a country's rebranding effort can be effective, the government must obtain the buy-in of the citizens, who then naturally become the project’s ambassadors.

South Africa’s position in the Global Competitiveness Index has remained virtually stagnant in the bottom third out of 144 countries. The ranking of our micro-economic environment has deteriorated from 43rd to 69th and of our Labour Market Efficiency from 97th to 113th. Our higher education ranking has deteriorated from 75th to 84th – not surprisingly, as the threshold to exit high school is an embarrassing 30 percent.

Miller Matola, Brand South Africa’s chief executive officer, believes the 60-second commercial, unveiled with the new slogan on 4 July at The Theatre on the Track at Kyalami in Midrand, encapsulates the “can-do” spirit of South Africans. He trusts that it will illustrate the determination of the country’s citizens to overcome obstacles and find new and better ways to get things done.

Miller Matola, CEO of Brand South Africa, says since 1994, South Africa has continued to exceed expectations in keeping its regulatory and financial environments sustainable and on par with the rest of the world.

“The top ten Most Valuable African Nations are without a question among the most dynamic African nations at the forefront of re-inventing Africa’s image, reputation and competitiveness,” said Thebe Ikalafeng, founder and chairman of Brand Africa.

President Jacob Zuma has appointed leading businesswoman Charlotte Chichi Maponya as the new chairperson of Brand SA. Maponya takes over from Anitha Soni, who has chaired the board since 2009. Supersport CEO Happy Ntshingila has, meanwhile, been appointed as deputy chairperson to the Board of Trustees of Brand SA, formerly known as the International Marketing Council.