South Africans have been under so much pressure and strain that any form of amusement has become a welcome relief to provide us with an escape, if only for a moment.
It is not surprising, then, that a recent incident in which President Cyril Ramaphosa found himself wrestling with a face mask caused amusement among fellow citizens.
I have since witnessed an insurgence of these colourful masks adorned by some among us, even by those who occupy positions of authority.
As of Friday, the country moved to level 4 lockdown, and all citizens are required to wear a mask or cover their mouth and nose when leaving their home.
Since we are a “rainbow nation”, would it not have more meaning and significance if the one common item of clothing that millions of South Africans will be wearing for the foreseeable future carries our national colours as we collectively battle the pandemic? In this instance, something as simple as a mask could go a long way towards entrenching a form of national identity.
After all, we wear scarves branded with our flag when we host international events or during state visits. This is a deliberate effort to showcase and sell the brand that is South Africa. We dare not miss an important opportunity to create that emotional connection during this moment of crisis.
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Internal marketing helps employees, citizens in this instance, to make a powerful emotional connection to the brand and what it stands for. Without that connection, employees/citizens are likely to feel disengaged or, worse, hostile towards the brand. Brand marketing research has demonstrated that, when people care about and believe in the brand, they’re motivated to work harder and their loyalty increases.
A Harvard Business Review on Selling the Brand Inside says that employees are unified and inspired by a common purpose and identity. It states that the brand presence should be directed at a citizen’s “touch points”, the day-to-day interactions that influence daily existence. In this instance, a country’s national colours can be used to instil pride, unity and a common national identity.
Contributing to the high-level panel report chaired by former president Kgalema Motlanthe, Human Sciences Research Council researchers assessed the effect of legislation on social cohesion and nation-building in South Africa since 1994.
One of the findings was that, despite social cohesion and nation-building becoming significant themes in the national discourse, the country remains a deeply divided society.
A study funded by the National Research Foundation of SA for The Journal of Modern African Studies found that social identities were being constructed on resident’s local neighbourhoods and, sadly still, long-existing ethnic, class and racial identities.
Is it any wonder that, if you were to ask an ordinary South African what our common identity and purpose was, you would be guaranteed a rainbow of responses? Yet, if you posed a similar question to a US citizen, you would get the resounding response that they are striving for the “American dream”. That is a country of more than 300 million citizens striving for a common goal. The same can be said about the Cubans; they know that they are “the defenders of the revolution”. In Namibia, they are clear that they are the “land of the brave”.
This demonstrates that we should spare no effort in trying to foster the culture of social cohesion, nation-building and a common national identity.
We remain one of the most unequal societies in the world in terms of socioeconomic status. Therefore, linked to this, as we look to rebuild our economy, it must be an inclusive one, founded on the real principles of redressing the wrongs of the past towards prosperity for all. It is perhaps time for government to establish a state-owned bank and a sovereign wealth fund. The project of nation-building will indeed be complete once balanced with the eradication of the triple challenges of unemployment, poverty and inequality.
Magadla is founder and managing director of media agency LSM 360 and former spokesperson for the National Youth Development Agency