BRAND SA: How Do We See Ourselves?

Before any nation can change how the world sees it, it must first decide how it sees itself.

This is a statement that lingered in the room as delegates gathered for Brand South Africa's launch of the Global Reputation & Domestic Perception research; a study aimed at measuring  South Africa's reputation at home and abroad.  

Directed by Cathy Mohlahlanahe, the programme somewhere more fundamental: with a conversation about identity.

"Reputation cannot be separated from reality. People need to feel, see, so that they do not become devoid of the experience," said Cathy Mohlahlane as she welcomed delegates.

This invited the audience to ask two key questions; How do we see ourselves? And what does that say about the country we are still trying to build?

A fitting introduction to a morning centred on perception. Not perception as public relations, but perception as consequence. The way citizens experience their country and how it shapes the stories they tell, and how those stories shape how the rest of the world receives South Africa as a country, a destination and an investment hub.

Dr Gcina Mhlophe carried the thought further by rawing on the words of Nigerian poet Ben Okri, reminding the audience that "A nation is as weak or as powerful as the stories it tells itself, and the stories it is able to tell the world." 

For Brand South Africa Chief Executive Officer Neville Matjie, those stories cannot ignore reality. Speaking ahead of the presentation of the research findings, he identified crime as the country's greatest stumbling block. 

“It remains one of the most persistent barriers to confidence, influencing not only how the world views South Africa, but increasingly how South Africans view themselves, “ said CEO Matjie. 

The morning suggested that reputation cannot be built by looking away from the country's challenges. It is built by confronting them honestly.

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Among those in attendance was Deputy Minister in the Presidency Kenneth Morolong, who described nation branding as more than logos, slogans or campaigns.

"Nation branding is a deliberate and sustained process where a country narrates its stories," he said.

His remarks reflected the thread running through the morning: that nation branding belongs as much to ordinary citizens as it does to institutions. Every lived experience, every business success, every act of service and every difficult conversation contributes to the country's collective identity.

As Deputy Minister Morolong concluded,  he emphasised that "A country's reputation influences investment decisions long before contracts are signed."

The morning's opening session has set the stage for what follows. Delegates will now unpack the findings of the Brand SONA: Shift from Entity Trust and Global Survey reports before turning to a panel discussion with key stakeholders on what the research means for South Africa's evolving nation brand.

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