PROUDLY SOUTH AFRICAN CAMPAIGN UPDATE

Procurement - Is the lowest price the best deal for South Africa?

How much of government and business procurement benefits local companies using local content and local workers? Do buyers simply look for the lowest price, irrespective of whether the products are imported? Few buyers would disagree that economic development is the key to addressing unemployment, poverty, disease and crime. Yet when it comes to their day-to-day decisions, many buyers turn their back on this solution by making decisions unfavourable to local companies. They save a few rands, but the hidden cost is incalculable. Proudly South African has placed the issue of local content procurement preference firmly on the agenda. A task team has been set up to look into it at Nedlac, and Proudly South African is also approaching individual companies and government departments to discuss their procurement policies.

UCT Graduate School of Business offers Proudly South African members preference on the School's Company Analysis course. Companies signing up will have a group of about six MBA students analyse their business - at no charge! The report would include company history and culture, operations, production, human resources, sales, marketing, suppliers and customers. The local, national and global environment is also evaluated.

Estimating the employment impact of the "Proudly South Africa" campaign Research is soon to be undertaken which will be able to simulate the employment impact of the Proudly SA campaign. PSA is calling for research proposals from economists and researchers to develop an econometric model to measure the likely effect on direct and indirect job creation of the campaign, given various degrees of success in changing consumer behaviour.

Proudly South African to get tough on companies misusing its slogan

A number of companies which have declined to join Proudly South African as members, have nevertheless been using the slogan, or parts of it, in their positioning and advertising. Apart from the fact that the phrase "Proudly South African" is registered and protected in terms of the Merchandise Marks Act, and may not be used without permission, PSA is disappointed that these companies have used the proudly South African concept as a positioning statement after declining to formally support a campaign which enjoys the support of all sectors of SA society. Proudly South African will be taking steps to protect the use of the logo and phrase.

100th Member signs up

House of Monatic, one of South Africa's biggest clothing manufacturers and a major exporter, was the 100th company to join the Proudly South African campaign. House of Monatic, which sells more than half of its production overseas, was a past recipient of the exporter of the year award, and recently celebrated the export of its 1 millionth suit. In bearing the Proudly South African logo, Monatic will make a significant contribution to the South African brand in global markets.

Memorandum of Understanding with Cosatu

An agreement with Cosatu which will formalize its contribution in the form of research capacity, advertising space and leaflet distribution, is to be signed shortly.

Proudly South African has moved into Nedlac's new building

New Contact Details
Telephone: 011 327 7778
Fax: 011 327 3844
Postal: PO Box 1062, Saxonwold, 2132
Email: labanem@proudlysa.co.za (membership manager)
Web: www.proudlysa.co.za