Ghana, South Africa working to lift Africa's image

Brand Ghana and Brand South Africa are devising strategies to help improve the competitive brands of the two countries, and those of other countries in Africa.

Ms Benedicta Nkrumah-Boateng, Acting Chief Executive Officer of Brand Ghana, said at a dialogue in Accra that the collaboration with Brand South Africa was very important as it would help build and improve the image of Africa.

She said even though there were numerous positive stories on the continent, the outbreak of Ebola had negatively impacted on the continent, and it was imperative to portray such positive stories to the rest of the world.

She said citizens’ behaviour in nation building was very important, and Brand Ghana would continue to introduce programmes and projects that would help citizens play active roles in the nation’s development.

She assured that Brand Ghana would continue to hold community-based interactive programmes to help inculcate the virtues of patriotism and loyalty in the citizenry.

She also promised to continue engaging the media as another way of educating and informing the public.

In a speech read on his behalf, Mr Murtala Mohammed, Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, said countries needed to brand themselves in order to remain competitive in the business world.

Thus, he said, a country that failed to brand itself would be branded by other people either through the negative or positive way.

He said Africa would be able to take its place in the comity of nations, if it branded itself, and commended Brand Ghana and South Africa for taking the initiative of branding the continent.

He said Ghana and South Africa had some similar features, which needed to be branded, especially in the areas of good governance, cultural heritage, tourism and sports.

Ms Sindiswa Mququ, General Manager, Africa and Middle East, Brand South Africa, said Africa was making progress and it was important that such rich stories were told to the rest of the world.

She said the collaboration with Brand Ghana was in order, as it would help in the sharing of ideas and programmes between the two countries.

She said such collaborations would be sustained for the mutual benefit of all.

Mr Selai Khuele, Acting South African High Commissioner to Ghana, commended Ghana for its unique cultural heritage and called for more collaboration between the two countries.