BrandSouthAfrica.com

MEDIA RELEASE

In the week of South Africa’s 12th Freedom Day celebrations, a survey of South Africans living abroad shows their massive support for South Africa as “home” and “a place to feel patriotic about”.

The research, sponsored by the International Marketing Council of South Africa, was undertaken by Toni Joubert of Research Surveys, South Africa’s leading marketing and social insights company. Nearly 2 000 global South Africans responded in just a month.

• 90% often recommend that people visit or holiday in SA;

• 83% told people about positive developments in SA;

• 83% return to visit the country when they can;

• 81% said they were proud to be South African; and

• 80% support SA teams during international matches.

Yvonne Johnston, the Chief Executive Officer of the International Marketing Council, says most expatriates are “global South Africans”. She says: “Whilst the perception is that South Africans living overseas are all negative, in fact, the research disproves this. The majority of them are positive and help build Brand South Africa with their patriotism.
 

Facts from the Scatterlings survey

The survey was undertaken by Research Surveys using a viral online survey technique – where an email invitation is sent by an individual to everyone s/he knows living overseas to fill in and pass on. 

Viral online sampling is a non-probability sampling methodology.

In just one month (February 2006), nearly two thousand (1 938) South Africans completed the viral online survey.  

The vast majority of respondents live in the United Kingdom (41%), USA (14%) and Australia (13%), followed by New Zealand (6%), Ireland and Canada (5% each).

The reasons South Africans left influenced their choice of adopted country.  Those living in the UK were attracted by the employment and financial opportunities (67%) and the chance to travel and see the world (38%).  In contrast, while those in the USA and Australia were also attracted by the employment and financial opportunities (55% and 52% respectively), South Africa’s crime was a push factor for them leaving (38% and 55% respectively cited crime).  

A third of the respondents (34%) indicated a willingness to return to South Africa. This figure was highest amongst those living in the United Kingdom (49%) while only nine percent of those living in Australia and New Zealand expressed an interest in returning.
 
ENDS
 
Issued by: Meropa Communications
On behalf of: The International Marketing Council of South Africa (IMC).  For interviews contact: Tumelo Kumalo: (011) 483 0122/ 084 692 5829,
 
For further information, please contact:
Toni Joubert:  (011) 778-7733/  083 285-6636,  
Neil Higgs: (011) 778 7500/  082 376 6312,
Or alternatively, read the full paper on the Research Surveys website www.researchsurveys.co.za