WATCH | Buying and creating local brands for SA’s youth

There’s something about international brands that seems to hold a certain cachet and appeal for South Africans. 

As South Africans, we often find ourselves choosing more expensive imported products  over our own locally produced products that are often of far higher quality.

It could be that we perceive the quality of production and technology to be better than our own, or perhaps it's because lavish campaigns and budgets targeting our market give these companies and their products added visibility and status.

Whatever the reasons, youth perceptions of brands are shaped what they’re exposed to on a daily basis — whether it’s through music, television, online, or on social media through influencers. 

Brand surveys frequently reveal that today’s youth aspire to own branded items that are, for the most part, imported. And expensive.

In the current economy, something’s gotta give.

Post-Covid, fewer families will be able to splurge on branded items as they may have in the past. Thousands of businesses in SA will be need every bit of support they can get. 

We need to change our mindsets — we need to embrace “local is lekker”; we need to support, nurture and buy proudly SA goods.

By failing to appreciate the value of our own creators, innovators, designers, suppliers, producers, farmers, machinists and entrepreneurs, we are dealing our local economy another crippling body blow. And we’re doing a disservice to our children who will have nowhere to turn if we don’t create a thriving, sustainable economy to support the talents of our own people.

Join the Sunday Times GenNext digital series in partnership with Proudly South African for a conversation with Refilwe Maluleke (YellowWood MD), Siyabonga Zungu (Proudly South African brand manager, and young entrepreneur) and Portia Mngomezulu, (Portia M Skin Solutions MD) on the socioeconomic value of supporting home-grown products and brands in SA.

Date: June 30 2020
Time: 10am