Brand Summit Africa 2020 will kick off 1 June in Cape Town and this year’s theme, Recapturing the South African Narrative; Interrogating Africa’s Brand Potential, will analyse evolving perceptions about Africa, recommend practical steps for generating global goodwill, look at developing skills for the future and realising a sustainably integrated African economy. Since 2018 calls have continued to grow for the event’s thematic and strategic reach to expand further in order to embrace the entire African continent, as destination perception issues at country-level also reappear at continental level, at home and abroad, and inform attitudes about individual countries and the entire African continent. Ultimately, perceptions inform investor sentiments and attitudes. These can make or break any destination’s success in generating goodwill; which is the basis for positive engagements with the outside world.
Individual countries in Africa and the continent at a broad level continue to fail using all of their resources and potential to benefit African economic development and to position the continent as net exporter of food crops, a magnet for key and rare global skills, a magnet for foreign tertiary students seeking quality higher education whose credentials are respected around the world, as well as a magnet for lucrative foreign exchange earning business in meetings, incentives, conferences, and events.
The summit also urges African leaders to work harder at creating an enabling an environment for cross-country and regional business; growth of the agrarian economy, seamless movement of goods and skills, as well as business friendly customs regimes where companies, especially established brands that work across various borders, are not subjected to unnecessary red tape.
In the minds of millions of people around the world, especially those who have never been to Africa, perceptions about Africa tend to be negative, on the whole. Immediate associations with Africa/ being African, reference poverty, corruption, laziness, maladies, backwardness, archaic traditional systems, mores that stand in the way of modernity, etc. Such perceptions often work against all efforts to promote Africa as a place to do business, to go for tertiary studies, etc. In the end, they impede Africa’s full integration into the world economy as a place of new knowledge creation, innovation, beyond it being a mere source of natural resources.
Since the Brand Summit Africa-Africa Brand Summit proposes to become a respected platform for frank, politically unaligned, conversations – a place where Africans get to look into the mirror and acknowledge their own role in Africa’s perennially negative image – some people might find it to be an uncomfortable platform to participate in.
To date, the initiative has managed to attract the participation of highly respected, ethical, and inspirational leaders in the public service, private business, civil society, media, etc. to speak at the summit. And with so much to talk about, a few key speakers that attendees can look forward to are, Prof. PLO Lumumba, Premier Alan Winde, Bennie Van Rooy, Sipho Pityana, Busisiwe Mabuza, the UN’s resident coordinator in South Africa, Nardos Bekele-Thomas, and Prof Thuli Madonsela. These speakers are global giants in their respective fields and their impact, individually and collectively will raise the bar this year.
Individual countries in Africa and the continent as a whole continue to suffer from perceptions, at home and around the world, that continue to work against the continent’s need to generate global esteem and respect;
As a result of the generally negative perceptions of Africa and what it means to be African, Africans tend to be negatively profiled and treated with suspicion when they:
1) Go through customs/passport control around the world;
2) Enter restaurants, stores, business meetings, etc.;
3) Are assumed to be incompetent/potential criminals until they prove themselves otherwise, even when they possess respected academic qualifications and are experienced in their trade.
To initiate, facilitate, and host frank, pan-African conversations about the current image of Africa (continent’s brand image) and how it impacts perceptions, goodwill and, eventually, socio-economic development and to eventually establish an Africa-based global destination image ‘research and advisory service’ to provide globally applicable best practice in destination branding, positioning, and destination reputation management. The service’s approach will aim to be 80% proactive and 20% curative, helping countries understand possible reputational ramifications of new policy proposals before they are adopted (80%).
There will also be crisis recovery advisory services on how best to manage ‘in crisis’ and ‘post-crisis’ communication.
To become a sponsor to nominate and individual or business or to register visit: www.sabrandsummit.co.za
