South Africa Awaits — Come Find Your Joy!

Thembisle Sehloho, Chief Marketing Officer of South African Tourism, launches its latest global brands campaign, South Africa Awaits — Come Find Your Joy!(Image by Danette Breitenbach)

In her welcome, the CEO of SA Tourism, Nombulelo Guliwe calls the campaign “a bold and exciting new chapter for our destination”.

She also says that the campaign is a result of a remarkable journey, “one defined by dedication, collaboration and a deep understanding of the evolving global tourism landscape”.

“From the outset, we understood that the campaign needed to be something more than just a marketing message.

“We wanted to do something that South Africa and the destination has never seen before because the time is now for us to do something different.”

She says the country is going through some interesting developments, including hosting the G20 this year.

Domestic travel

Importantly, she adds, this campaign speaks not only to international audiences but also to South Africans.

“It is important that as South Africans we visit and explore our backyard, and I hope this campaign will do just that for South Africans, and build a culture of travel and inspire us to travel,” she says.

No sector is left out, as the campaign also includes business tourism and the Mice sector.

Addressing all sectors

While the campaign is destination-focused, Thembisle Sehloho, chief marketing officer of South African Tourism, explains that this broader campaign will be broken down into segments ranging from culture to food as well as the provinces to be explored in more detail as it is promoted.

She points to the intentional addition of a South African celebrity chef and musician in the TVC as a hint to this.

Exceptionalism

What was key for her when building this campaign was that she wanted a piece of work that would last long and be loved by South Africans.

“It had to resonate authentically.”

She says they positioned the country through exceptionalism - the exceptional nature of our people and places and culture, but in doing so, we wanted to do it in a way that has never been done by any destination.”

Adding that we need to remember that we are fighting with other destinations for the same pie, she says, “We want people to come here instead of going to Thailand, for example, and so we want to be innovative in the way we do this.

"We wanted to build a campaign that's going to be memorable, and for the country to be remembered for all its beauty and everything it has to offer. But most importantly, we want people to pick up their suitcases and get on the next flight and come to South Africa to experience it for themselves.”

A sense of wonder

Explaining the insight behind the campaign, Sehloho, says they wanted to instil a sense of wonder as seen through the eyes of a child.

Phil Ireland, chief creative officer of Avatar, the creative agency responsible for the campaign, adds that one of the great reasons to travel is to discover and find your inner child again, but you want to do it for yourself.

“That insight to reconnect with that purer version of yourself, that better version of yourself, and the best expression of that, the purity of expression, is expressed through the eyes of a child."

This insight - seeing the country through the eyes of childlike wonder – also relates to the humanity of South Africa.

“In exit interviews when tourists leave, they always comment on the South African people and their friendliness and we wanted to bring that in,” explains Ireland.

He says this is very much what drove them, plus a bit of science.

Icons featured

Apart from featuring some iconic South Africans, such as internationally renowned musician and producer Zakes Bantwini and acclaimed chef Wandile Mabaso, the campaign music was written and performed by legendary singer-songwriter Vusi Mahlasela.

Commenting on the music, he says, “I love my country; it is my home, and this ad reminds those living here and everyone visiting how amazing South Africa is.

“It shows all sides of our country, shares its beauty, and highlights the warm welcome you will always get when you arrive here."

Attract more international visitors

The chairperson of the Board of South African Tourism, Dr Gregory J Davids, says he has no doubt that this campaign will not only attract more international visitors to our beautiful country but also inspire South Africans to explore and appreciate the beauty of our country.

“We will continue to grow our tourism industry and strengthen our global footprint as we enter the new financial year.

“We do this with optimism and confidence as the global tourism landscape is fiercely competitive, but we believe this campaign positions South Africa as a sought after, must-visit destination, and will drive the increase in visitors number we all strive for.”