Empower Your Citizens to Brand a Nation

After researching numerous websites about social media in South Africa, two big movements are readily apparent:  1) the Brand South Africa campaign, and 2) interest in the 2010 FIFA World Cup. I have never seen a similar branding campaign for a country before, so it was interesting to learn how the country is creating a unified, positive marketing movement for an entire country. A campaign of this nature will certainly help stabilize local marketing efforts, and plays an important role in the prevalence of World Cup news and information on many Websites. FIFA soccer is a huge event worldwide and puts everyone’s eyes on the host country, much like the Olympics do. By teaching South Africans to unify their overall message, and incorporate a bit of the soccer mania, the country is poised to become a center of attention, all while keeping focus on the offerings of South Africa. The Brand South Africa site even gives tips on how to take advantage of the coming World Cup. The Brand South Africa campaign as a whole delves deeper into social media with a full toolkit of Web 2.0 applications (picture at left), including videos, a Twitterfeed, Podcasts, Share buttons,  and a blog. In terms of using social media to advance a brand, this whole campaign has overarching possibilities because if the country of South Africa as a whole is looked upon favorably, it follows that the companies and the economy should benefit as well. So in terms of social media being used advantageously, South Africa really took the use of new tools to a high level.

In addition to a nationwide branding campaign, the South Africans went a step further with an entire “series of campaigns aimed at mobilising South Africans to get involved in creating the country they want to live in” comprised of a “network of organisations that have come together to inspire and mobilise South Africans to become active citizens for good.” Known as the Movement for Good, this campaign provides tips on how all South Africans can help spread the good name of SA. Furthermore, within the Movement for Good, there is the Social Networking Platform For Good. On this Website, people can join the campaign and receive SMS messages providing details and information on how to take action to show South Africa in the best possible light. (SMS was the chosen medium of delivery because only 10% of South Africans have access to the Internet, while many citizens have mobile phones.)

Overall, this campaign is interesting because it allows the citizens to share their stories and thoughts about South Africa through the blog and by uploading videos and participating in social networks. Conversation is a cornerstone of social media and active participation from somebody other than a PR or marketing person is key to a successful campaign. But more interesting is that these campaigns are about an entire nation participating in social and traditional media. There is no blog of the United States like there is a blog for South Africa. Nor does the United States have a Facebook page. So in that regard, South Africa is using social media in one of the most interesting ways that I’ve ever seen—marketing the country, as a whole, as a unified brand. Though other countries have tried similar campaigns, South Africa’s approach is unique because of the social media implications and I will be curious to see if other nations follow suit.

South Africa Will NOT Be Left Behind!

Social Media branding efforts has yet to be proven to be a complete waste of time in any part of the world and South Africa is not an exception!

One of the most insightful points I found in the reading was posted by Mario Olckers who stated that Social media scene in South Africa is too frail and disproportionate for companies to reasonably invest their time in.

Olckers reasoning for this theory is largely based on his assessment that due to the struggling economy, the average African is more concerned with obtaining and maintaining basic commodities like food, clothing and shelter NOT access to computers and internet. He further states that the mass majority of social media influencers in South Africa are comprised of “a small minority of predominantly white geeks and geekettes with an odd sprinkling of Coloured, Black and Indians…”—making social media strategy almost a pointless effort for companies to pursue.

While I do not disagree with the fact that there currently exists a small list of prominent bloggers in the South African Blogosphere, I do see the potential on the horizon and it is ignorant to underestimate the impact social media will have as South Africa moves into the future of bridging their digital divide—especially with the internet population in Africa expected to double from to over 9 million within the next five years.

I believe Social media can and will win BIG in South Africa and it is a shame that some people are too pessimistic about the current state of the country to believe it.   I believe AND the projected data reflects that it would be a mistake  to underestimate where the entire country of Africa is heading digitally.  Many critics falsely believed Apartheid would never in South Africa… until 1994 when it indeed ENDED!

Companies looking to reach South Africans through Social Media marketing strategies would be wise to invest on the forefront of the digital movement because as it arrives THEIRS will be the products and brands most valued and interesting to the people of the country. Companies can start by investing in emergence of the “digital villages” as a branding strategy for their products.

By helping the citizens of South Africa obtain computer usage and internet access,  companies can show good corporate/ social responsibility AS WELL as brand their products. Creating a Win-Win for all.

Crisis Meet Citizen Journalists, Citizen Journalists Meet Ushahidi

As South Africa evolves further and further away from its tumultuous past, citizens are arming themselves with their freedom to communicate. South Africa is one of Africa’s leading media centers with a diverse population. After apartheid ended in 1994 and the Bill of Rights was enacted in which guarantees that every citizen has the right to freedom of expression, which includes freedom of the press and media, the freedom to receive or impart information or ideas, etc. With South Africa undergoing an infrastructure upgrade to include online, wireless, and satellite connectivity, subscribers and users are on the rise. Subsequently, this increase in wireless technology has catapulted Africa to be one of the fastest growing mobile markets in the world. Online and wireless technologies aren’t perfect as there continues to be a disproportionate amount of poverty resulting in a vast majority of people remaining without reliable connectivity and technology capabilities.

Because mobile penetration has been on a steady rise and is more easily attainable to citizens than internet connectivity, Short Message Service (SMS) sent via mobile devices has become the most widely used form of data communication in South Africa.

With social media and mobile platforms on the rise in South Africa, popular sites are cropping up to disperse information to the public. Social media website Ushahidi seeks to build a platform to “crowdsource” crisis information. The purpose of Ushahidi is to allow “anyone to submit crisis information through text messaging using a mobile phone, email or web form.” The Ushahidi goal is to “create the simplest way of aggregating information from the public for use in crisis response.”

The website has been used to track reports of violence, send updates regarding major crisis activity, information on the general elections, and the communication of updates and information on health crises like Swine Flu.

Ushahidi is currently working to revamp their system to “create a platform that allows anyone around the world to set up their own way to gather reports by mobile phone, email and the web – and map them.”

Over the past year our globe has been plagues by various crises – terror attacks, war, heath concerns, treacherous weather, etc – and social media has been able to provide an open outlet to affected citizens to inform the world as to what is going on. This type of crisis communication has changed how our world becomes informed and updated on major events. Ushahidi provides a service to South Africans that engage citizens to communicate during a crisis to inform and be informed. Because so many South Africans have SMS capabilities, this service can reach many people, and very easily.

The future of Ushahidi looks bright – with proposed innovations to include mapping and visualization, this service will become duly important to users, especially during a time of crisis. Citizen Journalists coupled with other South African media outlets can use this platform as a means of coherent crisis communication.

For investors and corporations still hesitant to occupy space in South Africa due to continued socio-political unrest, this tool will serve to provide transparency to the public, from the public regarding events and critical information. This tool will also serve as a platform enabling citizens to become journalists and engage in social networking for the betterment of their society.

South Africa’s blogosphere: white network or open to all colors?

You don’t have to look far to find a blogger. Platforms Blogger, WordPress, Twitter and others put blogging and micro-blogging into the hands of anyone with a computer and an Internet cosnnection. Armed with those tools, a blogger can quickly generate an audience of friends and family, but finding other readers can be difficult. In South Africa, some of the country’s most talked about bloggers are white, leading others to speculate the color barrier supposedly eliminated with the end of apartheid may still exist in the blogosphere.

The issue came to the forefront when writer Mandy de Waal posted a story on ITWeb about Who’s Who in South Africa’s social media world. Mandy’s list, generated from the recommendations of tech-savvy professionals, was all-white. She even points out, at the very end, that she listed no blacks or anyone of color.

Finally, in doing this article there’s the obvious realisation that the article header should rather have read “Welcome to the white boy’s club”. Empowerment seems to have touched every other industry sector, but this one.

That seemingly throwaway line, tucked at the very end, led to a firestorm of emotions—everything from celebration of those social media types mentioned in the story to anger from Ramon Thomas who compiled his own list because he believe Mandy’s list was “lazy journalism” without any non-whites and frustration from Mario Olckers who wrote that South Africa’s social media for business is:

an almost pointless pursuit for businesses in South Africa when the same small group of people who are also the same group who got the contracts to develop these sites, now have to go around and stir up their small, limited circle of friends to go and see what Company A or B has put up and comment there or add a digg, or del.icio.us bookmark or in South Africa’s case Muti or Laaik.it or Amatomu or Afrigator.

Without knowing the debate in the South African blogosphere, companies looking to develop or grow their brands in the country could stumble into the trap Olckers warns against—friends connecting with friends, but not truly spreading the word to the larger public (black, white, and beyond). To avoid this pitfall, I pulled together a list of insights that I learned by studying South Africa’s social media scene and the wine industry, which is the subject of my classmates’ upcoming social media assignment.

1. Look Beyond the Obvious. Every country has its influential bloggers and social media experts, but that does not mean your customers are reading their blogs or subscribing to their Tweets. Do your research and find out who your customers are really reading. You might be surprised. For example, a recent survey by the Pew Internet and American Life Project found that 11% of American adults online use Twitter or a similar service. In South Africa, Twitter is the ninth most visited site, according to Alexa. If your strategy hinged only on Twitter, you would be missing too many people.

2. In-person Relationships Matter. In South Africa, social media experts don’t rely on online interaction to build their audience. They meet in person through 27Dinner, a program that encourages professionals to get together and talk technology in person over dinner on the 27th of every month. In the wine industry, VinTank, a social media consulting company, released its social media report for the wine industry with an lively discussion in person.

3. Social media begets more social media. A blogger (D Chetty) who wanted to break into the influential circle within South Africa got good tips from other bloggers. First, you cannot allow your blog to stand alone. Get out there and reference it on Twitter, Facebook, and beyond. D Chetty listened and learned.

4. Your Tools Matter. The same blogger (D Chetty) was also advised to drop Blogger and turn to WordPress for more creative and individualized content. As his blog grew, he launched a new site powered by WordPress.

5. Good Social Media Takes Care and Attention.

Murphy-Goode is looking for the next really goode social media expert.

The owners of Murphy-Goode winery in California got lots of recent attention online in their A Really Goode Job contest to find a social media guru to build their online profile. The candidates who rose to the top ten were not social media neophytes, but skilled communicators who were already online every day with blogs, their own websites, and other social media tools (just check out Eric’s top ten entry).
In the end, no matter the country, quality online work takes time. Companies headed to South Africa need to heed the same advice. Don’t launch online unless you have the time, skill, and attention to devote to your new media adventures.

It Takes a Village

The dark cloud of legal racial segregation has been lifted from South Africa as the country celebrates 15 years of democracy.  The country has experienced a renaissance that has allowed South Africa to flourish economically, politically, and racially.  An emerging black middle class has materialized; however, despite its success, the repenting model nation still remains divided.

A digital divide exists in most developing countries. South Africa is no exception.  Presently, less than 10% of individuals are internet users and less than 400,000 households have broadband access.  The lack of broadband has severely restricted South Africa’s online population.  However, if South Africa plans to become a player on the world stage, it has to build a bridge and connect their population with the rest of the world.

The development of an a new undersea telecommunications cable will be the first step in connecting South Africa.  This development will allow South Africa’s broadband to grow fivefold over the next five years as South Africa gets high-speed broadband internet access.  The internet population is expected to double from 4.5 million to over 9 million by 2014.

The 2010 World Cup will provide the perfect stage for brands to more than market but truly engage with South Africans. Telkom, Africa’s largest integrated communications company and a signature partner of the World Cup, has already begun positioning themselves for internet growth.  They have partnered with Microsoft for over five years to create state of the art computer resource centers known as  “Digital Villages”.  These centers have given schools and communities the ability to harness technology in order to develop computer skills.  “This project provides another opportunity that brings South Africa a step closer to bridging the digital divide,” says Minister Frazer-Moleketi.

It would be beneficial for Mahindra Satyam, a World Cup sponsor, to adopt a strategy similar to Telkom and move beyond just being a sponsor but to create a strategy that will enable it to become an engaged partner. Presently, they are setting up and managing 240 self-help ticketing terminals in South Africa to distribute nearly four million tickets. However, this isn’t enough; they should actively connect with South Africans by donating computers and access to internet through townships, Citizen Post Offices, and internet cafés.  This will align with their rebranding effort as corporate partner after the scandal that has plagued this India company. It won’t remove the dark cloud that exists with their accounting dilemma, but by becoming an entrenched partner, it will allow them to leverage an event with a critical social need to bridge the divide and a template to follow in India for redemption.

South Africa, Full of Possibilities

Less than 20 years ago, South Africa was a country that legally separated whites and non-whites. Despite the suffering of its people, violence at home and international sanctions, the country did not end apartheid until 1994.

Although far from being problem-free, in 15 years, South Africa has gone from being an internationally condemned country for its racially oppressive government, to one that is slowly trying to recover from decades of damage and attempting to move forward to resolve its issues and present a better face to its people and to the world.

Despite acceptance by the world’s athletic community, recognition of the country’s natural beauty by travelers and the admiration of South African wines by connoisseurs, it is no secret that problems remain. The government is making a strong effort to position its brand and to portray itself in a more positive light while dealing with the issues that still plague and divide its society, including HIV and AIDS, poverty, violence against women and racism.

South African officials are very conscious of how they want to present the country to the world. Social media already has a place in South African government, with Facebook and the country’s Brand South Africa blog featured prominently on the country’s web portal. The website invites visitors to join the conversation, and asks how the world perceives the country, which ispoised to host the FIFA World Cup next year. Efforts to boost tourist traffic go beyond a website and a blog to include a frequently updated Twitter account.

Wider use of social media might give the world a different glimpse into modern South African society, and also enable South Africans to get a different perspective on how the rest of the world lives, bringing both worlds closer to each other. Social media by its very nature is more open, authentic and transparent—and, for better or worse, not ruled by the same norms as mainstream media.

Heightened use of social media in a country that is embracing change to move forward presents opportunities for companies willing to take the associated risks. And although limited Internet penetration presents a challenge, mobile Internet usage is popular and on the rise in South Africa, giving marketers an expanded platform for reaching customers. The South African government, people and organizations have shown they can use social media to communicate with the rest of the world. With the upcoming World Cup events, as well as booming business and increased world attention on South Africa, social media tools give marketers a way of communicating their message to people and organizations in South Africa.

In her blog, South African marketer Yvonne Johnston commented that “new media poses an amazing opportunity, as everyone becomes connected by the Internet or cell phone, the possibilities for communication open up. It is up to Africans to tell their story because in fact, THEY are the brand”

Johnston writes also about the role all Africans play in helping build the African brand, and in contributing to change world opinion about the continent and the countries within it. It is a country poised for renewal, and companies willing to take a risk can both contribute to this renewal and benefit from it.

There’s more to cafes than coffee

Having lived and worked on three continents (Africa, Europe and now North America) I think I know a thing or two about how relative norms can be. In the process of researching this week’s post, I could easily come to the conclusion that there is little to no point in trying to connect online with blacks in South Africa. The consensus seems to be that all bloggers are white products of privilege and all the blacks are using mobile phones, mostly to text.

The data supports those broad generalizations and to be honest, I’m not concerned with that. What I am concerned about for the purpose of this post is that ‘access’ to the internet is being discussed as synonymous with ‘computer at home.’ If the measure of access is a computer at home then absolutely, as a marketer I would probably not bother with the black population in South Africa. However, if the measure of access includes people who use the internet at work, at an internet cafe or on a mobile phone then I would sit up, take note and start strategizing on how I will connect my brand or product to the Black Diamond, the emerging and emerged black middle and upper class in South Africa.

Here’s why:

South Africa has an abundance of internet cafes, so many in fact that tourism site Why Go South Africa uses the stats as one of the key selling points, boasting:

South Africa is wired! The internet is everywhere here – well, almost everywhere – is decently fast and relatively cheap, and there are hundreds of internet cafes eager to bring it to you. Don’t ever pay more than R25/hour at an internet cafe! Chances are, the next one down the road is cheaper… Most have headsets for Skyping, and charge R15/hour or less.

• The majority of South Africans who regularly use the internet do so via mobile handsets, which makes sense since the nation has 10.5% population penetration for internet usage via a computer compared to over 98% mobile phone population penetration
• In Soweto for example, people even offer internet cafe services in their homes so what is counted as one household with ‘access’ to a computer could be something totally different in practice
• In 2006 mobile phone giant MTN, recognizing the demand for internet access in Soweto and the infrastructure limitations of providing access via fixed lines, leveraged its 3G and Edge wireless network to provide high speed internet access at a phone shop in Alexandria township, the first of its kind in the world
• The UNHCR recognizes South Africa as having high level of digital media freedom.
• Affordability and capacity is expected to increase significantly in South Africa with the Seacom undersea fiberoptic cable this year.

• South Africa is currently ranked fourth in Africa’s Top Ten of countries with people on the internet. That is fourth on a continent that has seen an increase in internet use growth of 1100% between 2000 to 2008 compared to 332.6% in the Rest of the World for the same period.

Don’t take my word for it, according to World Wide Worx,

South Africa’s internet population is expected to grow as much in the next five years as it has in the 15 years since the internet became commercially available in the country.

In my opinion, South Africans clearly want to be connected to the rest of the world – the mobile phone stats speak to that. Internet service providers have been limited by infrastructure and simply could not meet the demand or make access cost effective or attractive to the masses. I’m willing to bet that with the Seaweb project expected to increase available international bandwidth 30-fold, South Africa will be topping the charts for internet population penetration sooner rather than later. In the meantime just remember that in some places people go to cafes for everything but coffee!

SMS = Social Media Strategy (in South Africa)

According to a March 2009 article in the Guardian, 5% of Africans use the internet. South Africa’s internet penetration is about double that, with 5.1 million internet users out of a population of 49 million. This is still only a small percentage of the country’s population and when considering the huge socioeconomic disparities that exist as well, this subgroup is not only unrepresentative of the greater whole but excludes the vast majority. When we talk about social media, we mean that EVERYONE HAS A VOICE. While a web-based campaign may be designed to reach a select demographic, it really goes against the whole idea of social media when 9 out of 10 people can’t participate in the conversation.

That doesn’t mean that social media in South Africa is a nonstarter. It means that web-based social media is an inappropriate approach. But there is ample opportunity with the 42.3 million mobile cellular telephone users. Most every South African can participate in a social media conversation using a cell phone. In the West, we equate social media with the web (as in Web 2.0), but they are not necessarily one and the same. To paraphrase what Clay Shirky said at TED in June, social media innovation can happen anywhere where people take for granted the technology and appreciate that we’re all in this together…it’s not about whiz bang technology [or even web technology].

Most African cell phones are built for voice and SMS. The majority have no cameras or 3G+ capability. But companies can none-the-less communicate with the South African market and the market with them via SMS. Shirky provided an example of how Nigerians used a wisdom of the crowds approach by having the public send SMS messages to monitor elections for possible voting irregularities. This successful model was used in the U.S. a short while later (an interesting example of global technology transfer originating where there is less tech capability). A corporate campaign could be based on this approach, i.e., soliciting consumer opinion by SMS to catalyze consumer involvement with a brand. No video. No social networking. Just pure participation 140 characters at a time.

There is one major challenge that comes along with this strategy, however. There are 11 official languages in South Africa:
>Afrikaans
>English
>IsiNdebele
>IsiXhosa
>IsiZulu
>Sepedi
>Sesotho
>Setswana
>SiSwati
>Tshivenda
>Xitsonga

Languages in South Africa

I would suggest that a social media campaign, if budget limited, start with the top three languages, isiZulu at 23.8%, isiXhosa at 17.6% and Afrikaans at 13.3% for two reasons:
1. Each is used in fairly targeted geographical areas, making it easier to roll out complimentary advertising and generate offline word of mouth.
IsiZulu

IsiXhosa

Afrikaans

2. They are used by up approximately 50% all speakers, maximizing ROI if all languages can not be incorporated into the campaign.
-Gregg Rapaport

According to Stephen Newton’s BizCommunity.com article, The RSA just reported the highest rate of internet growth since 2001, up 12.5% to 4.5M users. And according to Jonathan Gosier’s blogpost, Social Media in Africa Part 1, Africa is the fastest growing mobile market in the world with an average growth rate of 34%. The Republic recently made history as the first country in Africa to hold a political debate on Twitter, Facebook and blogs, and the Obama Administration has made digital outreach to the continent an integral objective (as evidenced by his recent sms engagement following his Ghana speech)

While South Africans comprise one of the most robust and engaged online social networking communities in the world, we cannot ignore the cultural context within which this fact exists. Fifteen years after apartheid, all things are not equal in this republic. The continent overall still suffers from disproportionate amounts of poverty, and of the roughly 48M people living in the RSA, only somewhere between 2-5M (about 10%) have access to a PC with broadband connections. They are the white elite who largely control the republic and influence the dialogue which tends to dominate the overall thinking and consumer behavior across the continent. The other 90%; however, are very active on mobile social networks and most do have mobile phones that support these applications.

So whether you are trying to reach the 90% of disenfranchised blacks who use mobile networking or the 10% of affluent whites with broadband PCs, plan on the flow of information in RSA being controlled by the latter.

When researching marketing trends in social media and other information about South Africa, I’m astounded by just how much of the information is coming directly from bloggers. The RSA similar to many emerging economies worldwide have more active bloggers than those of the USA. In an April 2009 blog post, Oresti Patricios estimates their online activity rate as having grown by 58% between 2006-2008. Patricios believes, as do I, that the RSA is ripe with opportunity for marketers to engage in the relationship-building, brand monitoring and ongoing dialogue that can pay huge long-term dividends for their company.

Just as Newton argues that companies wishing to penetrate the market in the RSA, should not underestimate the importance of getting online during this global economic downturn; it’s how they get online that can make or break their sales here.

With the cost of internet slowly going down, and its speeds slowly accelerating, many South Africans, are opting to save money by staying at home. Additionally, they look to online reviews of products and services to get the most value for their money.

If you wish to market to consumers in the RSA, engaging bloggers there is not an elective, it’s an imperative. Brands “live” through shared experiences of other consumers, brand equity will be enhanced or compromised based on consumer interaction online. Because bloggers dominate the online content within and about South Africa, their credibility is nearly unmatched by any other marketing outlet. E-WOM is the leading factor in driving sales here. Sites that rate user-generated content like Muti, Afrigator and Laaikit are exploding and vibrant, which gives bloggers unrivaled credibility and influencing power.According to Patricios only 15% of consumers trust advertising, compared to 72% who trust what others tell them about products, therefore, bloggers in the RSA can exponentially increase the reach of your message and the equity of your brand among African consumers via mobile and online social networks like Mpesa, Celpay and Etranzact in ways unmatched by any other medium.

Their opinions matter and their reach is vast. They are almost exclusively PC-live which means that their influence will reach the wealthy elite consumers first, and their endorsements will quickly spread to the mobile social networks—reaching non-affluent consumers via mobile social networks.

While there are relatively few cultural nuances for American marketers to consider when engaging this audience, one reigns supreme: you must not treat them like journalists, but rather thought leaders, and avoid spamming them with press releases or advertisements. Instead, focus on establishing credibility and building a genuine relationship with them that is based on a mutual interest in common issues. Strategies here should seek to involve them in an aspect of your brand by soliciting their expertise or thoughts on issues as they relate to your brand.

If you can create an experience for these thought leaders that they positively associate with your brand, they will be your strongest ‘E-vangelists’—exercising their formidable WOM platform to drive your brand in the RSA and throughout Africa.

Presidential visit to Africa + social media = new lasting relationships

Barack Obama makes first visit to Africa as president using official social media and mobile messages to increase participation.

One of the world’s most influential leaders visits Africa and social media is extending the buzz created by the trip and maybe something more substantial than hype?

A new lasting relationship between the U.S. and nations in Africa started through social media. The modern version of the pen pal.

In the blog post “From Creating Buzz to Creating Lasting Conversations” the author makes the case that “a company entering the South African market and looking to make a long lasting impression, it is a good idea to first identify and market to, through and with value-added influencers to leverage the full potential of social media marketing.”

The point is the visit of an influential leader President Barack Obama is a flash point to further grow the conversations taking place in the social networks and provides other companies or political candidates to ride the buzz to build their own brands.

The African people are used to foreign leaders coming to their countries promising things and getting no results. Worst of all they may not even have a voice in the matter.

A visit by the president is not just official talks and a parade anymore, it’s a chance for participation with the president taking questions from Africa using Twitter and Facebook. With the growth of social media across South Africa and the continent average citizens have access to these tools and can be part of positive change for Africa.

Mary Deane Conners, Charge d’Affaires of the US Mission in SA praised news organization iol.co.za which had “provided an extraordinary opportunity for South Africans to engage through a social media platform with the White House.” President Obama will reply with answers to the “Questions for Obama” campaign.

What better way to get new Africans interest in social media than when the first black President of the United States visit the continent and for the first time it will involve official U.S. government social media and mobile messages.

People are watching his speech at U.S. embassies in the region, while others participate online via Twitter, Facebook, and the White House blog. According to the blog speech excerpts were sent out to thousands of SMS subscribers in Africa and around the world.

During the presidents visit organizers invited users to pre-send SMS messages via MXit, a South African SMS service with 14 million users worldwide.

The U.S. government has set up a site where users can register to receive SMS (Short Message Service) updates about Obama’s visit and send messages and comments. The visit organizers invited users to pre-send SMS messages via MXit, a South African SMS service with 14 million users worldwide.

I know the President is on the ground in Africa for 22 hours and a speech, blog and a few SMS messages will not change the live of millions of Africans. It is to much to ask from centuries of upheaval that social networking and a man who has been in office for six months to change. But, this President has the credibly, Kenya was his father’s birthplace, and equally as important the star power and respect of the African people.

The much-hyped trip is expected to raise the level of local content and access to social media as a communication tool, and just may form new relationships that can improve the lives of millions of Africans.

You know the President’s recent campaign slogan and it can and will work to help Africa through the power of social conversation.

“Yes we can!”

Mo the Meerkat: A Face Only A Mother Could Love

Vodacom is the leading and first cellular network in South Africa, with an estimated market share of 58% and more than 23 million customers.  I came across Vodacom while browsing through Zoopy, South Africa’s first video and photo sharing social network.  An online and mobile social media site, Zoopy is doing pretty darn well in South Africa with no signs of letting down!  On June 26 2008, Vodacom purchased a 40% share stake in Zoopy and increased their stake to 75% on February 13 2009.   Holding such a high stake in the company, it’s no wonder that Vodacom receives prime (and sole) ad space on Zoopy.

A new ad campaign by Vodacom (which I originally found on Zoopy) is called “Connect to Fame.”  The campaign announces that you could be “internet famous with Vodacom…It’s easy, Your dance video could become part of the next TV ad” and you could win the grand prize of R300 000 (which equates to a little over $35,000).  Before I go any further, a recap of Vodacom’s recent history and relationship with its consumers is necessary…

In 2006, Mo the Meerkat was released as the new face of Vodacom.  That same year, the Sunday Times 2006 Generation Next survey, which is claimed to be “the most comprehensive research into kids’ brands in the country,” awarded Vodacom with the Coolest Telecommunications Provider Award.  Mo the Meerkat was proclaimed the third Coolest Brand Icon, “after David Beckham, and Simba the Lion”…seriously!?

Even the president of Vodacom was smitten with Mo, short for Maurice.  He was cited as gushing over how the youth just loves the meerkat. Well, why don’t you be the judge.  Check out a couple of ads featuring Mo for yourself:

Suffice it to say, Mo was not as well received by the ‘youthful generation’ of South Africa as the 55 year old president of the company had believed.  A Facebook group entitled “I [expletive] hate the animated meerkat from Vodacom” was established and to date has almost 15,000 members.  Many people have come forward online to tell how much they dislike Mo the meerkat from all of the Vodacom commercials.  Haters even went so far as to plot his death (animated, of course) and post it on YouTube.

All of this online chatter made for high ranking searches galore.  Even now, the first page and first link of a google search for Mo the Meerkat leads one to websites that declare hatred on the creature like “No to Mo...”; “STOOPID MEERKAT.  Kill Mo” and even the YouTube video that plots his death. The power of online social communities is huge.

It is my understanding that Mo was eventually fired … although there is some evidence he could still be linked to the company.  In any case, this leads us to present day where Vodacom has newly launched its campaign “Connect to Fame” in which it is clearly trying (and struggling) to get its name and reputation back with its young audience.

Sorry, Vodacom, but it looks like you failed once again!

The July 2008 campaign launch is not only based on a song that has reached its peak of popularity months ago (“Single Ladies” was great in its heyday!), but it also created a lot of customer anticipation when before actually announcing the details of the campaign leading some customers to believe that rates would be cut or better plans would be presented.  This caused a lot of customers to be very disappointed.

Vodacom is the leading cellular network in South Africa, and luckily has a strong foothold in its market.  However, even though they are a big company, they still must be strategic in their marketing strategies and listen to its customers.  They are on the right track with the idea behind their new campaign by allowing the  consumer to participate in the conversation.  The anticipation leading up to the campaign announcement was very misleading and therefore detrimental to the overall campaign (not to mention based on a song that has already come and gone in the fast paced music-hit industry).  Only time will tell for this ad campaign in particular which ends in August.  But, I have a strong feeling it will sink.

South Africa-GOAL!

Before I touch on my insights of South African social media, I want to point out how fascinating it is that a country has branded itself. Every effort that goes into branding an organization or a product South Africa has done for the country as a whole. Everything from the consistency in using the colors of the flag to creating a slogan, “Alive with possibility.” I have never experienced a country other than caribbean islands which are known for their tourism.

I thought that was very interesting to point out which brings me to the point of this post. As South Africa prepares itself to host the 2010 World Cup I am throughly impressed with how South Africa is using social media to connect with the world. From Blogspots, Twitter, The Facebook, and Flickr South Africa is using various social media outlets to promote the 2010 World Cup. Now, the use of these various online mediums is nothing new. However, what is very insightful is how these social mediums are used to promote not just the 2010 World Cup but South Africa as a brand. How smart to use this opportunity where tourism will be at its highest for South Africa to potentially retain that level of tourism by pushing the South Africa brand. The use of showing pictures of South Africa through Flickr, telling real life stories through blogs, and communicating in real time with potential tourist via Twitter are ways that countries have never connected with the world.

On the Brand South Africa site there is an interactive communications tool kit #mce_temp_url# available for download for potential sponsors and companies that maybe interested in participating in the 2010 World Cup. This tool kit provides updates and marketing information useful to these potential sponsors. This is a great resource for sponsors who need to keep abreast with preparation for the World Cup.

Social media has been used for various aspects of marketing but I believe that South Africa has done a great job of showing how social media can be used to promote a country.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Helpful links:

http://www.imc.org.za/

http://www.imc.org.za/index.php/marketing-materials.html?8b92bc26342e4f8742d4350d3680e5bc=6e057b59504f612d95c8db74b0ea596b

From Creating Buzz to Creating Lasting Conversations

In a time when tourists and investors rely on a country’s image to make economic decisions, the “new” post apartheid South Africa is in the process of re-branding theirs.

For a company entering the South African market and looking to make a long lasting impression, it is a good idea to first identify and market to, through and with value-added influencers to leverage the full potential of social media marketing.  Sure, mobile marketing platforms, such as MXit are huge in South Africa, but mobile marketing alone is not good enough when searching for a long-term solution. Only after you rally your troop of willing influencers (creating interest, buzz and conversation) is it wise to use mobile marketing and other social media tools for short-term campaigns and marketing.  

 

Influencer Roles

 How does influencers improve the marketing of your product or service in South Africa?

• Marketing to influencers increases awareness of the product or service within the influencer community.
• Marketing through influencers uses influencers to increase market awareness of the product or brand amongst target markets
• Marketing with influencers turns influencers into advocates of the product or firm.

South African winery Stormhoek sent a bottle of wine to South Africa’s top bloggers and held a Geek dinner party with Robert Scobel and Dave Winer, just one of the many events they hold for social media influencers.  Stormhoek’s plunge into social media marketing has won it several awards and accolades for marketing innovation. Sure, they also take part in tactical gimmicks, such as Facebook giveaways and funny viral Youtube videos, but when the last prize was won and the last laugh silenced, they returned to the relationships they took time to build in the social media community that transformed that initial buzz about their brand into lasting conversations.

In one of its many efforts toward re-branding South Africa, The Brand South Africa International Marketing Council (IMC)
is bringing a group of top-notch US bloggers to South Africa (accompanied by top South African bloggers) in the first week of December and hosting them on an eight day tour that will showcase South Africa as an extraordinary nation of creative and innovative problem-solvers.

It’s Web site states:

South Africa is alive with possibility, but whose word are you going to take for it? Ours? We hope so, but let’s be candid. It really helps to hear first-hand from balanced and independent voices telling their own stories.

Explaining the thinking behind the tour, an IMC representative said:

“If you’re in the market for almost any product or service these days, and you have an Internet connection, the net is your buyer’s guide.  You don’t need to listen to sales pitches or succumb to slick ads. You go online and get recommendations from people your trust, other consumers, your peers. That’s the new reality for everyone in the marketing business.”

Paving the Way for South African Social Media

Launching a social media communications/marketing campaign can be risky if not done correctly for even the strongest, most mature brands, but is even more so in an environment such as South Africa, where technology, internet accessibility and mobile communications are still relatively concentrated to the upper class.  While some thought leaders feel as though South Africa has made enormous strides post-apartheid, others such as Mario Olckers, author of the blog “Social Media Today” argue that “South Africa is still in a very fragile state of uneasy equilibrium socio-politically, nearly fifteen years after the end of apartheid the overall majority of the black population is not very much better off than before the end of apartheid in 1994,” the result of which means that there is still unequal distribution of access to technology and subsequent tools. 

However, one company – WildEarth.tv – is doing it right, making strides and therefore should be used as a model of what brands should do when constructing a South African social media outreach plan.  What makes WildEarth.tv brilliant is the fact that the organization has not just created an integrated social network (which should be commended,) but rather they have produced a “social ecosystem” as outlined by Stacy Lukasavitz, author of “That Damn Redhead” in the post “Someone in South Africa’s doin’ social media right!!”  This “social ecosystem” is thriving because of the interaction and engagement of the audiences.  WildEarth.tv is not operating in a traditional top down way of disseminating information, but rather is fostering a two-way conversation evident by a community of fans known as “WEangels”, who have formed their own Facebook group and MySpace page.  While WildEarth.tv laid the initial social media groundwork, audiences have taken on a form of ownership of the “social ecosystem”.  In turn WildEarth.tv has become part of these people’s daily lives.  Furthermore, the level of interaction by the fans is equal to that of the crew, thus solidifying a sense of partnership. 

While the subject matter – adorable leopard cubs – works to the organization’s advantage, the inside-out communications model should not be underscored.  In fact this method of listening to customers has been the focus of traditional public relations as outlined by the Arthur Page Society for many years.  WildEarth.tv proves that there is not only room for these traditional ideals to exist in social media, but there is a real need for them as well. 

Make no mistake; South Africa still has a long way to go in terms of bridging the gap between internet and mobile phone users due to the unequal distribution of wealth throughout the country.  But by following a model based on engagement, two-way conversation and audience ownership, brands can lay the groundwork for success and truly manage for tomorrow.

Beyond The “In Crowd”: Social Media At Work In Rural South Africa

One of the provided readings this week gave an interesting point of view of “Why Social Media In South Africa Will Fail” and this peaked my interest. The author Mario Olckers argues the point that there is still a very unequal distribution of access to the tools and technology needed to use and benefit from social media. The post also stated that when talking about social media in South Africa you are referring to a select minority of privileged individuals.

I do agree that South Africa is emerging from a severe state of political unrest and that the black population is still proportionately disadvantaged than its white counterparts some 15 years after the end of apartheid. However, being a borderline optimist I was inspired to go deeper and find out if there are any programs in South Africa working to bridge the gap between these groups.

My research came across a joint project by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and CSIR Communications called The Digital Doorway. This initiative is modeled off of the Hole-In-The-Wall program in India created by Dr. Sugata Mitra to support his hypothesis that Minimally Invasive Education (MIE) is a viable form of education.

This program is a great example of social media at its most basic level. Here is how it works:

The Digital Doorway places computer kiosks equipped with learning programs and Internet access in rural neighborhoods of South Africa where community members can learn through experimentation. The vision of the project is to create a sustainable network of Digital Doorways in every rural community in the country. The belief is that through improved computer literacy all South Africans can be included in the information society.

The computers operate under a wireless mesh network and enable communities in remote settlements to share information between and among themselves using various applications such as chat programs, e-mail or voice-over IP.

In my opinion, this is what social media is about, the peer-to-peer conversation that creates a wealth of shared knowledge. Although the members of these rural communities may not be blogging, tweeting, or MX-ing IT just yet, they are connecting to one another and having a conversation.

I think it would be wise for any organization, NGO, NPO or Corporation to support The Digital Doorway program because it is connecting with a target that has previously been overlooked.  I am not saying they should do this for commercial interests alone but more for societal improvement. Public Health agencies could place updated information about health concerns currently facing the population (HIV/Aids, Cancer, domestic violence).

Social media is unique and powerful because it gives anyone with an internet connection the opportunity to have a voice by writing a blog, joining a social network or tweeting every. single. detail. of their daily life: 

The point is they have a platform as well as the opportunity to seek information (relatively speaking, we know this freedom varies around the world). When I think about The Digital Doorway I think of the infamous quote “If you build it they will come”, from the film A Filed of Dreams. You have got to build the resources in order to understand the potential of bringing this platform to rural communities.

I think that this program is a positive first step towards empowering a disconnected population and giving them a chance to have a dialogue with the rest of the world. ^JT

See Ya Later, Afrigator!

Africa’s first social media aggregator tracks more than 1,000 Africa-related blogs, podcasts and news sites.   South African CEO Justin Hartman created Afrigator to provide bloggers and users with an opportunity to present information specifically related to African news, video and content.  Brands that are looking toward South African audiences as a marketing strategy can use Afrigator to post to the several thousand African blogs, podcast, and videos already on the site. 

 Afrigator is a great example of the type service that any brand could use to support the growing number of social media sources around the world.  If brands plan to market their products through blog postings in South Africa, Afrigator’s most notable change on the website features podcasts and videos together with blog posts, making it easier for brands to channel audiences through multiple social media tools. 

 While growing attention toward Afrigator continues to expand social media mediums for South Africans, in a population of over 43 million, only 4 million internet users currently exist according to Internet World Stats.   Even though the South African population is constricted by the lack of broadband, there is still no doubt that any social media tool or online usage in South Africa—through computer or cellular devices—will be a major competitor with other countries once internet is more readily available. 

Teenagers in South Africa are spend more time interacting with friends via social networking sites than in front of the TV,  in part due to the fact that economic downturns have forced more families to stay home and spend money wisely.  In South Africa, the cost of Internet access is set to fall and speed acceleration which is making the internet an increasingly more powerful social media tool for brands targeting South African audiences.

Since the launch of Afrigator in 2007, the site leads as a major competitor in South African online markets as a base for increasing communications in a country with limited online resources.  It presents the kind of marketing that brands can take advantage of through cost effective and innovative social media solutions.

Social Media and the Apartheid

After reading this blog I realized the importance of South Africans participating in social media. Years after the apartheid South Africans remain uneasy and segregated. White South Africans consider leaving the country because they feel their quality of life has declined, Asian South Africans consider moving because they are unsure of their future, and Black South Africans have nowhere else to go – yet feel their quality of life has not improved since the apartheid ended in 1994.

Social media is imperative in order to engage these groups with each other. Although Olckers may disagree I do believe it is possible for this country to progress past its hierarchical thinking. Social media is an excellent platform form for South Africans to engage each other and move on.

 With South Africans avidly participating online with Twitter, Facebook and Afrigator (even Obama has reached out to Africans using social media), I believe that social media will prevail despite what skeptics may suggest.

 It is just a matter of time.

Speak to Me

When the second most popular brand in South Africa happens to be a mobile networking company, there is definitely an opportunity to connect with individuals using social media. MTN is a billion dollar brand that has paved the way for South Africans communicating through cellular phones. MTN Group is head-quartered in Johannesburg, SA, and has 100 million subscribers through its operations in 21 countries. The brand is successful for many reasons and one is their invested interest in the African community. Their statement on their ‘About Us’ states,

As a major communications company, MTN is focused on the African continent. We believe that through access to communication comes economic empowerment.

Their recent campaign in conjunction with the 2010 FIFA World Cup sponsorship has an emphasis on malaria deaths in Africa. They are not only dominant in their market with many competitors they are socially involved with making a difference for the people in their country. They are a company that markets well to South Africans and here are some reasons why.

In 2005, BBC News reported that Africa was seeing the fastest mobile growth rate . The report further expressed that during their survey, 85% of small businesses operated by blacks relied solely on mobile phones for telecommunications and that 62% of them said mobile use was linked to an increase in profit despite higher call costs. These advancements were happening four years ago, and although one would assume that these changes would increase over time, it’s definitely appropriate to take in account the recent economic situations affecting the world globally.  However, Ernst & Young recently looked at the penetration of mobile phones in South Africa and assessed that it’s around 98%. Well Deon Liebenberg, Regional Director for Sub Sahara Africa Research in Motion, definitely took notice. This is the same company behind Blackberry Solutions, who has seen the opportunity for Blackberry devices and Internet to have a stake in this rising market.

Cellular phones definitely set a platform for a brand to generate conversation. Yet, notably you have to take in account what South Africans are talking about, interested in, and how what you or provide will impact them. South Africa is definitely land of diversity. Many cultural and sociological factors are part of the make-up of this region, including the fact that South Africa has 11 officially recognized languages. This can make marketing to this region extremely difficult especially through mobile outreach. Despite this challenge, South Africans are engaged through social communication. Only 6 hours ago, a recent article posted that 5,000 text messages were sent to Obama in anticipation to his upcoming speech Saturday in Ghana. Macon Philips, director of new media at the white house stated,

The text messages had come from more than 64 countries. “South Africa was particularly enthusiastic, we have seen a real spike in activity in South Africa,” he said.

“I think what we found is despite various economic challenges and development challenges, Africans across the continent have used technology to communicate very actively with one another.

Text messaging has even been used to raise awareness about the HIV-epidemic affecting South Africa.

I think one should  understand that the social ramifications of apartheid still linger in the minds of South Africans. However, they are prideful and vocal about the changes they want for their country. South Africa was the first country in Africa to hold their first political debate on Twitter, Facebook, blogs, and other interactive websites reported by Rebecca Wanjiku for Computerworld Kenya. The religious politician Desmond Tutu, coined as the messiah of Africa during the apartheid era has also embraced social media tools such as Facebook to convey his messages and advice to Africa and America.

While browsing blogs on Afrigator and looking at the impact of MixIt. I definitely think brands have an opportunity to connect and engage a South African audience.  Despite misconceptions, I believe that it’s a very diverse user group connected through the Internet and with mobile access. The privileged and fortunate population of South Africa are not the only ones utilizing social media to voice their opinions and thoughts. A student at the University of Cape Town challenged statistics about mobile usage and visibility in low-income communities.  He found that in that particular community about 83% of the youth he surveyed had some form of Internet use and 47% utilized mobile instant messaging applications in some capacity. Now this still proves their is a disparity between the “have and the have-not” people in South Africa; however, I don’t think this notion would be particular different in viewing any other country.

In essence, South Africa is a country of opportunity for brands using social media if you’re engaging, invested, and have a genuine message or contribution.

Taking a Brand into the Next Century of South Africa

Google “South African social media,” and interspersed with hits on mobile phone technology, you will find metrics, blog posts, and articles about how and why this vibrant nation is on the verge of becoming a social media powerhouse on the African continent.

South Africa already has the second highest number of internet users in Africa, behind Nigera.  While only 10% of South Africans are online today, a recent report indicates that the number of internet users is growing exponentially.  Increased growth is expected to continue for the next five years, taking the number of South African internet users to 9 million by 2014.

In the blogosphere, South African membership far outweighs African sites on Afrigator, a social media search engine and blog aggregator (62% of Afrigator’s 2,270 blogs are South African).

No longer relying on pre-apartheid stereotypes of what the face of a campaign must be, South African brands are now reaching consumers through social media platforms and messages that embrace diversity.

South African agencies Cerebra and Youth Dynamix, the creators of the hugely successful Converse Century campaign, are leaders in this movement.

Launched in 2008, the campaign embraces the unique culture of urban black African youth to reach Converse’s target demographic, 16 to 24-year-olds.  The campaign Web site serves as a portal to each of the communities Cerebra and Youth Dynamix created, and enables consumers to flip through a virtual catalogue of Converse products.

The Converse Century blog, the most successful portion of the multi-faceted campaign, was a top 20 lifestyle blog on AMATOMU.com, a South African equivalent of Technorati.  The Converse Century Facebook Group attracted over 17,000 fans worldwide.

Converse’s Trace Your Lace competition, which was launched on the campaign blog, encouraged consumers to “take the brand to the next century” by submitting their own Converse shoe designs.  The winners’ designs were featured on the campaign blog.

By the end of the competition, Converse had received over 2,500 Trace Your Lace design entries.  Consumers can still scroll through an online gallery of all 2,500 designs.

One of this campaign’s key takeaways is that today’s internet-savvy South Africans are ready for more than a simple product pitch.  They are receptive to interacting with brands online and willing to respond to calls to action.  Accordingly, brands in the South African marketplace must create opportunities for consumers to contribute to their trademark products, and provide them with the social media tools to do so.

Consumer-driven brands can accomplish this by enabling potential buyers to submit product ideas through a corporate blog or engaging target audiences to create a unique product blog through Afrigator.  Facilitating niche product communities on Facebook or user-generated videos on Zoopy and YouTube are other viable options.

Converse’s messaging encouraged South Africans to share their unique personal style within the context of the campaign’s social media communities.  Their call to action – designing a sneaker online – enabled consumers to take the brand to the next century.

Through strategic use of social media, other South African brands can and should seek to do the same.

Is South Africa Ready for Social Media?

Social media may not catch on as quickly in South Africa as it has in other countries due to the fact that most of the nation is still in a very fragile state. If you take a look at their social and political factors, it’s been fifteen years since the end of the apartheid in 1994 and still for the majority of the black population nothing much has changed.

Economically speaking, the country’s wealth is controlled by a select few. About a quarter of the population lives on less than US$ 1.25 a day. This disproportionate distribution of wealth means that for many South Africans computers and mobile phones are luxury items that only the very rich can afford.

So social media strategy and social media marketing online in South Africa is only existent for a small minority of the privileged population, who utilize South African social media tools such as Muti, Laaik.it, Amatomu or Afrigator. The rest of the population who may only have limited access to computers through work or school often only access the web to check the odd e-mail.

“You then find a situation like you have at present in the online Web 2.0 South African zoo, those who have been benefitting from apartheid through privileged education and upbringing and access to good education and resources banding together only with those from similar privileged backgrounds.” Mario Olckers, from the Social Media Today Blog http://www.socialmediatoday.com/SMC/40745

So the question that comes to mind is…How can business be conducted through social media if the majority of the population has no clue as to what blogging, facebook, and twitter mean? The only way that South Africa can truly embrace social media is to first embrace the legacy of apartheid and the fact that it has been difficult to compensate quickly for generations of educational and social neglect.

In order for social media to fully encompass the diversity of thought and cultures that South Africa has to offer it must first be made available to ALL people.

Question of the Week: South Africa

Every week the members of the class will answer a new question on this blog. We’ll focus on a different region of the world for each week throughout the rest of the class.  Here is this week’s question:

From your reading and research on South Africa, highlight one key insight or finding you found unique and interesting and discuss what implications it has for brands wanting to use social media to reach an audience in the South African market to promote their products or services.

Ubuntu and SMS Connect South Africans to Fight Crime, Save Lives

Ubuntu, according to Archbishop Desmond Tutu (right),is a philosophy that “speaks particularly about the fact that you can’t exist as a human being in isolation. It speaks about our interconnectedness. You can’t be human all by yourself, and when you have this quality – Ubuntu – you are known for your generosity.”

Nelson Mandela has been characterized as the personification of Ubuntu. He has said that Ubuntu “does not mean that people should not address themselves. The question therefore is – are you going to do so in order to enable the community around you to be able to improve?”

Ubuntu came up repeatedly in our readings this week and I found it fascinating.  This philosophy is intended to underpin society with respect, caring, sharing, community and trust.  Several bloggers wondered aloud whether Ubuntu was dead because of  continued crime in South Africa.  Several however, spoke about the situation with hope.   One freelance journalist working for the Mail & Guardian online, Kristin Palitza, blogged just last week about an incident in her neighborhood that she said exemplified that Ubuntu still exists.  Her post focused on two thieves in her neighborhood who vandalized her car but were seen and chased down by her elderly neighbor, who then tracked them down and soon, they were back putting the hubcaps on her car. Even though they returned to vandalize a friend’s car just a few days later, Palitza wrote that her neighbors’ actions had restored her faith in “all the great people living in this country.”

Another man, Bernard Erasmus, (left) was hailed last month as a hero when he saved a 13-year old girl from being raped in Somerset West.  He said that “it’s what any ordinary person would do,” but police suggested that citizens who want to intervene “to prevent a crime should be certain that they could do so without risking their own lives and without braking the law.”    

In fact, in 2007, crime in Johannesburg reportedly fell by 63% – the same year that a new initiative involving texting tips to an anonymous tip or Crime Line was launched.  Within one hour of the site going live, the first criminal was caught as a result of one of the texted tips. There was criticism because the program isn’t free but there were also positive comments that the program is working and may have played a role in the dip in Johanneburg’s crime rate. 

I think this kind of  initiative exemplifies Ubuntu 2.0, taking that “interconnectedness”  that Archbishop Tutu referred to and the “community” that Nelson Mandela underscored the importance of improving.  Social media has provided a new way for Ubuntu to be rebranded for a new generation. SMS technology is just one example of social networking connecting South Africans, saving lives and fighting crime – all at the same time but now online.

Social Media in South Africa? It’s a Chance!

(^MK) Today’s Question of the Week is how social media impacts South Africa? And the question I immediately asked myself after researching some facts about South Africa is, whether South Africa is a social media market at all?

• South Africa has an economy which is more advanced than other African countries, but still far less advanced than modern Western economies. According to the CIA Wordfact Book the industrial sector accounts for 31.3% of the economy, the service’s sector accounts for 65.3% and agriculture is a minimal 3.4%. Other African economies are far more heavily dominated by the agriculture sector. The dominance of industry and services in the economy makes it more akin to Northern American and European economies.
• The Gross Domestic Product per capita is $10.000 (2008) and ranks the country #104 in the world. By comparison, the gross domestic product per capita in the U.S. is $47.000 (2008), which is the 10^th highest in the world.
• 50% of South Africa’s population lives below poverty line, due in no small part, to the high unemployment rate estimated at 21.7% in 2008.
• HIV/AIDS is a major problem that impacts life expectancy. It is estimated that 18.1% of the population carries the virus – the prevalence of the disease is the 4^th highest in the world.
• Also, South Africa’s life expectancy is 48.97 years and places the country #209 in the world. By way of illustration, the U.S. is ranked #50 (78.11 years), Sweden #10 (80.86), Germany #32 (79.26), India #145 (69.89).

It is not possible to say definitively in this blog whether social media will be viable in South Africa. As I looked into South Africa’s social media market I found two incidents, one pointing to the fact that social media can work and one that suggests the exact opposite.  

The social media blogosphere frequently cites MXit as an example of a very successful instant mobile messaging platform.  MXit is an application that runs not only on PCs but also on GPRS/3G mobile phones. There are 11 million subscribers based throughout 123 countries, of these  MXit counts nearly 9 million subscribers in South Africa. There are 250 million messages distributed over the network a day. The price of sending one message to multiple subscribers costs a fraction of a cent. MXit founder and CEO Hermann Heunis sees tremendous growth opportunities in the African and Asian markets. MXit would like to tie up with organizations that are willing to provide free educational services using instant messaging service to Africans. Heunis also revealed that a new version will be launched soon for Apple’s iPhone.

I think Mr. Heunis’ growth plans for MXit into a relatively poor population sound ambitious, but achievable. The CIA Wordfact Book reveals that there are 42.3 million cellular phones in use in South Africa. This ranks it #21 in the world for cellular phone use. It is even more interesting to note South Africa’s cellular phone penetration, which is 86,23% of its 49 million population. By way of illustration (and be surprised by these numbers!), the United States has got a cellular phone penetration of 83%. To get a sense of South Africa’s cellular phone market, India has a rate of 31.1%, China: 40,9%, France: 88,5% and Germany: 110,5%. These percentages are calculated usind the CIA Worldfact Boog statistics.

Given the fact that the literacy rate in South Africa is 86.4% (2003, estimated), Mr. Heunis’ intention to cooperate with organizations willing to provide free educational services promises success!

An article published in April 2009 in Computerworld Kenya quoted that: “South Africa made history as the first country in Africa to hold political debate on Twitter, Facebook and blogs, as well as on interactive Web sites that allowed improved interaction with voters.” This tells a different story. The article stated further that South Africa is following in the steps of U.S. President Barack Obama’s technology-driven campaign.

I think this article is misleading, given the fact that only 5.1 million people out of a population of 49 million use the Internet/have access to the Internet. With that in mind, the online political debate was not accessible by the majority of voters. Mario Olckers states in his blog Why Social Media in South Africa Will Fail that only a few – predominantly rich and white people – use the Internet. The vast majority does not have the education or the access to use social media. Another blog supports his point of view, saying that many of the active participants in the South African blogosphere or Web2.0 scene share only one thing: being white and their parents having benefited from the previous apartheid regime.

With these two examples I question whether South Africa is an interesting country for marketers to use social media to reach a mass audience. However, instant mobile messaging is potentially a big mass market here.

It is however not all negative. Ushahidi is an example of an effective and worthwhile use of social media. Ushahidi is an online platform which maps SMS reports of violence by location, so that members can get information about social unrest and violence in all South African regions. Ushahidi relies heavily upon GoogleMaps as the basis for its messages. It is a great example of how social media (the collective voice of the people) could benefit the lives of so many (if only the majority in South Africa had access to the Internet).