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Good evening ladies and gentlemen,

It's a pleasure for me to be here tonight to launch a subject that is hotly under debate in government and, in particular, in my department: The Imaging of South Africa.

The image we have of our self as a nation is fundamental to our understanding of ourselves as a nation and how we project our image across the world.

It goes to core of who we are as South Africans and what we (South Africa) stands for.

We are fortunate to be embarking on this campaign in an international environment of goodwill.

There is enormous value in images that are recognisably South African. We benefit from our history as South Africa is seen by the world as a miracle: The unique example of a people who were divided in the past and are now building a democratic nation together.

That is why the Imaging South Africa campaign must be a national effort - both government and industry working together in a partnership.

We need to brand South Africa in a way that demonstrates our unique identity throughout the world.

It must be a brand that South Africans across the spectrum can take up and use as they travel the globe whether they are promoting the trade or tourism or foreign relations with other countries.

That brand is the generic image of South Africa as a whole.

With it we must carry the message that we are confident nation who have built democracy out of a divided country, that we are skilled with people of expertise, who produce top quality services or products of a high technological and design content, in a modern economy with good infrastructure. From the generic brand "South Africa" various industries will then be able to add their own specific to add value the overall image of the product.

In the long-term we hope that the process of branding South Africa will give South Africans the confidence to develop their own brands rather than selling little known American brands for which they pay royalties.

But for "Brand South Africa" to work we need to work together.

The process has already started.

Many South African key exporting industries, the tourism industry, artists, advertisers, and government departments are harnessing our collective and diverse creative energies.

The outcome will (and must be) a product that is "owned" and valued by South Africans.

Ownership comes with participation. And behalf of my colleagues in government here tonight, I would like to invite you all to participate and will ensure that your participation is made possible. Our role is to co-ordinate and integrate the wealth of ideas out there.

There are three ministries directly involved in this campaign and they will bring in different constituencies:

* Through Alec Irwin, Minister of Trade and Industry, our key exporting industries will be incorporated in the process. The DTI has already met with a large group of marketing managers from some of South Africa's leading companies.
* Through Dr Ben Ngubane, Minister of Arts, Culture Science and Technology, our arts community, design students and even school children will be invited to contribute their ideas.
* Through my ministry, we are working on a number of campaigns:

At the core is the Tourism Action Plan's international marketing campaign that kicks off early next year.

The plan is a strategic marketing framework that starts with major short-term campaigns in early 2000 in our "Big Six" markets, while laying the groundwork with detailed market research, in both established and emerging markets, that will inform our future campaigns.

The Tourism Action Plan also brings government and the tourism industry together for the first time in a public private partnership around the common goal of putting our country at the top of any tourist "must visit" list.

The launch of this Action Plan, which has the largest budget in Satour's 45-year history, starts a new chapter in the marketing of South Africa as a world-class tourism destination.

To prepare South Africans for this campaign we are launching a "Welcome to South Africa" project which will sensitise our people to the role that tourism plays in our economy.

Our three ministries work directly with both the Government Communication Information Service (GCIS) and Foreign Affairs so we build the image together in government.

In conclusion, ladies and gentlemen, the Imaging South Africa campaign is the next logical stage of the process that gave us our new flag, which now confidently carries the hopes and inspirations of our sports men and women around the world.

When the new South African flag was being developed it was almost impossible to believe that we could come up with a flag of which most South Africans could be proud. There were so many diverse interests and ideas.

But through a careful process of public participation, in which South Africans of all ages and walks of life participated, we came up with a flag which stirs the hearts of most South Africans and which is distinctive enough to be immediately recognisable to non-South Africans. The flag does us proud.

It unites us, captures an aspect of our unique South African identity, and promotes our country wherever it flies. It is my sincere hope that the Imaging South Africa campaign will achieve similar successes.

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