Thandisizwe Mgudlwa
South Africa should strongly consider reviving the Proudly South African (PSA) campaign.
The PSA Campaign was born out of socio-economic necessity to create jobs, under the leadership of the former South African President, Nelson Mandela.
And through the National Economic Development and Labour Council (NEDLAC), the campaign was officially launched in 2001.
To give it the strength it needed , the PSA campaign was from the on set supported by national government, organised Business (BUSA), organised labour and organised Community.
In over a space of just over a year, by January 2003 the campaign had generated so much attention and had become a highly visible brand.
It was seen on the CDs released by the Soweto String Quartet, Judith Sephuma and Vusi Mahlasela.
Fundamentally, PSA is an endorsement brand that signifies a particular company, service or product has met a set of criteria relating to local content, fair labour practices and environmental responsibility.
The founder and now former CEO of PSA, Martin Feinstein had said at the time, the emphasis is on protecting and creating jobs.
``The more South African-made products we buy, the more we stimulate local production and this will help create the conditions for producers to need more workers.''
At it's inception in the late 1990s, PSA was just a twinkle in the eye of the trade union movement, which proposed at the 1998 presidential jobs summit that a ``buy South African campaign might help to stimulate demand, production and employment''.
In 2000, a Nedlac (National Economic Development and Labour Council) task team investigated the idea. The results of the task team's research assisted decisions on disputed issues and showed how the campaign could work.
Research was then conducted among consumers. The name of the campaign came directly from consumer respondents.
According to PSA, more than half said they'd support local products as they were proud of being South African.
Three quarters said they'd find it encouraging if, when buying a product, they knew it would create jobs.
The campaign board was set up to include leaders from the social partners to ensure everyone shared the same vision and to see the benefits of such a message.
Futhermore, the board then consisted of former SA Chamber of Business CEO, Kevin Wakeford, Cosatu president Willy Madisha, trade and industry director-general Alistair Ruiters and chairperson Tim Modise, a TV and radio personality.
The logo was unveiled in October 2001. By the end of the year a communications campaign had kicked off. Billboards began appearing countrywide, while a print campaign promised the logo would be ``appearing soon on SA's finest''.
A children's road show campaign, featuring Simba the lion was met with enthusiasm in schools across the country.
The next phase in the TV advertising campaign involved the now late Baby Jake, Ruda Landman, Steve Hofmeyr, Zola, Felicia Mabuza-Suttle and other sporting and TV personalities explaining the campaign and why they support it.
Furthermore, there are three reasons why manufacturers and marketers would take PSA seriously.
Firstly, there is a promising trend towards tender preference for PSA member companies. A task team was set up at Nedlac to investigate how this can be put into practice in public and private sectors.
The national and provincial departments of education became the first government departments to commit to tender preference.
Secondly, the buy-in of retailers such as Pick 'n Pay means FMCG products which have PSA status will be differentiated at the point of sale.
Thus products which actively leverage and promote their Proudly South Africanness will have a distinct advantage.
Remarkably, I&J was officially the first company with consumer products bearing the logo.
And, thirdly, the PSA campaign was to invest more than R80 million over the next three years (from 2003 onwards) in building the brand. This was accomplished.
PSA also attests, "When a consumer sees the symbol on a product they will feel good about making a personal contribution to building a better country."
The brand values of PSA pride, quality and integrity are not unique but this non-commercial brand can strike an emotional chord with every South African in a way that helps to promote local products.
In 2003 Feinstein had commented, ``We've spent the last eight years focusing on making a new country. Now it's time to focus on what our country makes.''
Needless to say, the PSA campaign has taken a dip.
Not much is reported on its activities and events. Even the newspapers that posted its logo on the front pages, many in not all of them of them no longer have the PSA logo let around cover the successes or failers of the campaign.
For what ever reason or reasons, the campaign has simply failed to get much commentary and in many quarters it is as good as dead.
Nedlac, is supposed to be a forum where government meets with organized business, organized labor and organized community groupings on a national level to discuss and try to reach consensus on issues of social and economic policy. The aim being to put meat into the phrase "social dialogue".
This appears to what has gone wrong with the campaign. A forum like Nedlac could have also played a bigger role in the execution and implementation of the PSA campaigns programmes, projects and policies.
South African need to remember that the PSA "buy local" campaign calls on the nation to buy local products, make use of local services, with the mission of stimulating the local economy and helping with job creation.
According Proudly SA, the campaign further promotes national pride, patriotism and social cohesion. This makes a lot of sense with the racism the country is still confronted with.
South Africa should strongly consider reviving the Proudly South African (PSA) campaign.
The PSA Campaign was born out of socio-economic necessity to create jobs, under the leadership of the former South African President, Nelson Mandela.
And through the National Economic Development and Labour Council (NEDLAC), the campaign was officially launched in 2001.
To give it the strength it needed , the PSA campaign was from the on set supported by national government, organised Business (BUSA), organised labour and organised Community.
In over a space of just over a year, by January 2003 the campaign had generated so much attention and had become a highly visible brand.
It was seen on the CDs released by the Soweto String Quartet, Judith Sephuma and Vusi Mahlasela.
Fundamentally, PSA is an endorsement brand that signifies a particular company, service or product has met a set of criteria relating to local content, fair labour practices and environmental responsibility.
The founder and now former CEO of PSA, Martin Feinstein had said at the time, the emphasis is on protecting and creating jobs.
``The more South African-made products we buy, the more we stimulate local production and this will help create the conditions for producers to need more workers.''
At it's inception in the late 1990s, PSA was just a twinkle in the eye of the trade union movement, which proposed at the 1998 presidential jobs summit that a ``buy South African campaign might help to stimulate demand, production and employment''.
In 2000, a Nedlac (National Economic Development and Labour Council) task team investigated the idea. The results of the task team's research assisted decisions on disputed issues and showed how the campaign could work.
Research was then conducted among consumers. The name of the campaign came directly from consumer respondents.
According to PSA, more than half said they'd support local products as they were proud of being South African.
Three quarters said they'd find it encouraging if, when buying a product, they knew it would create jobs.
The campaign board was set up to include leaders from the social partners to ensure everyone shared the same vision and to see the benefits of such a message.
Futhermore, the board then consisted of former SA Chamber of Business CEO, Kevin Wakeford, Cosatu president Willy Madisha, trade and industry director-general Alistair Ruiters and chairperson Tim Modise, a TV and radio personality.
The logo was unveiled in October 2001. By the end of the year a communications campaign had kicked off. Billboards began appearing countrywide, while a print campaign promised the logo would be ``appearing soon on SA's finest''.
A children's road show campaign, featuring Simba the lion was met with enthusiasm in schools across the country.
The next phase in the TV advertising campaign involved the now late Baby Jake, Ruda Landman, Steve Hofmeyr, Zola, Felicia Mabuza-Suttle and other sporting and TV personalities explaining the campaign and why they support it.
Furthermore, there are three reasons why manufacturers and marketers would take PSA seriously.
Firstly, there is a promising trend towards tender preference for PSA member companies. A task team was set up at Nedlac to investigate how this can be put into practice in public and private sectors.
The national and provincial departments of education became the first government departments to commit to tender preference.
Secondly, the buy-in of retailers such as Pick 'n Pay means FMCG products which have PSA status will be differentiated at the point of sale.
Thus products which actively leverage and promote their Proudly South Africanness will have a distinct advantage.
Remarkably, I&J was officially the first company with consumer products bearing the logo.
And, thirdly, the PSA campaign was to invest more than R80 million over the next three years (from 2003 onwards) in building the brand. This was accomplished.
PSA also attests, "When a consumer sees the symbol on a product they will feel good about making a personal contribution to building a better country."
The brand values of PSA pride, quality and integrity are not unique but this non-commercial brand can strike an emotional chord with every South African in a way that helps to promote local products.
In 2003 Feinstein had commented, ``We've spent the last eight years focusing on making a new country. Now it's time to focus on what our country makes.''
Needless to say, the PSA campaign has taken a dip.
Not much is reported on its activities and events. Even the newspapers that posted its logo on the front pages, many in not all of them of them no longer have the PSA logo let around cover the successes or failers of the campaign.
For what ever reason or reasons, the campaign has simply failed to get much commentary and in many quarters it is as good as dead.
Nedlac, is supposed to be a forum where government meets with organized business, organized labor and organized community groupings on a national level to discuss and try to reach consensus on issues of social and economic policy. The aim being to put meat into the phrase "social dialogue".
This appears to what has gone wrong with the campaign. A forum like Nedlac could have also played a bigger role in the execution and implementation of the PSA campaigns programmes, projects and policies.
South African need to remember that the PSA "buy local" campaign calls on the nation to buy local products, make use of local services, with the mission of stimulating the local economy and helping with job creation.
According Proudly SA, the campaign further promotes national pride, patriotism and social cohesion. This makes a lot of sense with the racism the country is still confronted with.
As Leslie Sedibe, Proudly South African CEO says: “Every single product purchased affects a South African family somewhere and by buying Proudly SA, consumers and business are making a personal contribution to nation- building” Buy local this festive season and create jobs.
Crucially, this campaign is one we need to take seriously in the face of growing unemployment and economic inequalities bedeviling South Africa today.
Crucially, this campaign is one we need to take seriously in the face of growing unemployment and economic inequalities bedeviling South Africa today.
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