Gradual though South Africa's rise may be, Miller Matola, chief executive of Brand South Africa, which is tasked with projecting a positive image of the country, does not take it lightly. He said it was one of the reasons South Africa was entering 2012 in a "position of strength".

For South Africa, this is the true value of Web 3.0. This is a game-changer in how society works. The web of openness will offer tremendous opportunities for us all. I hope my book will go some way to making sure that we are ready to grasp those opportunities and make the most of them.

The introduction of non-stop flights between the two destinations promises to facilitate business and leisure travel between the two countries. "Introducing direct flights between China and South Africa will promote tourism and trade, not only to South Africa, but also to all Southern African Development Community and other African countries," Mzimela said.

Despite priding ourselves as a friendly, hospitable nation with a warm and vibrant people, Jamaica is increasingly branded as one of the most homophobic societies in the Western Hemisphere. Within the current global context, defined by the spread of information, culture and trade, Jamaica's 'quality brand' would appear to be at risk.

By May, A.U. diplomats had succeeded in convincing Qaddafi to sit out any new regime in liberated Libya — a fact little known in the West — but they failed to implement the roadmap fully. Their very decent proposal was lost to South Africa’s communication failures and poor public diplomacy.

The Delhi International Arts Festival (DIAF) lined up a host of cultural activities to celebrate the 100th Year of the Emergence of Delhi as the capital city. In its 5th year, India’s ‘Signature Festival’ maintained its strong position on the international cultural map... The festival served as a significant platform for cultural diplomacy, cutting across geographical barriers and looking beyond cultural stereotypes.

What the report does highlight, however, is the need for SA to change some perceptions of our investment and economic climate.
SA remains a globally competitive economy and our best practices – in banking, stock market regulation and auditing and reporting in particular – have drawn favourable ratings from other world bodies.

SA HAS learnt the hard way that playing a prominent role in global affairs does not come cheap...The department’s spokesman, Clayson Monyela, said yesterday that "public diplomacy and protocol have been elevated to full- fledged branches with additional staff, hence the rise in costs during this financial year".