Keen-eyed spectators of Nascar may have noticed something particularly patriotic at this past weekend’s race – a car branded with the South African flag.
That’s right, Brand South Africa has partnered with DMG Racing to promote South Africa as an investment and tourist destination in the Nascar Cup and Xfinity Series, which counts itself as a top-five sport in the United States in terms of the number of eyes watching every round.
As primary partners of the event, DGM Racing’s flagship car No.91 – driven by Kyle Heartman – featured a big and bold Brand South Africa logo on the hood as well as a variety of other emblems from local businesses such as Switch Energy Drink, the Black Coffee Foundation, and Veldskoen apparel company.
It marked the first time a Nascar race car in the Top 3 Series was dedicated to promoting South Africa and South African businesses.
“Our partnership with Nascar serves as a great way to strengthen partnerships and make new connections in the United States, while exposing South Africans to events that make the United States unique,” said Brand South Africa.
Boosting South African business
Neil Diamond, President of the South African Chamber of Commerce in the United States (SACCUSA), said that the participation of South Africa in the Nascar Cup and Xfinity Series is the latest in a long line of initiatives that aim to bring local businesses in front of the eyes of American citizens.
The typical Nascar race sees a viewership of anywhere between one and two million people, versus something like a Formula One race that only attracts roughly 500,000 bodies.
“We’ve seen that traditional methods of marketing our product have not yielded the results that we’d like,” Diamond told SABC News.
“Hardcore economic diplomacy has been under strain, and using what we call ‘soft diplomacy’ or ‘cultural diplomacy’ through sports and culture, we are able to position South African brands centre stage within the United States.”
He explains that it is the goal of Brand South Africa and the SACCUSA to establish a platform for South African companies to market their goods to potential customers in the United States.
At present, American companies support approximately 600,000 jobs in South Africa, however, the local market contributes very little to the American fiscus with the exception of a few niche industries.
As such, the Nascar sponsorship seeks to promote small and medium South African enterprises in the world’s biggest economy.
“Every single item that we can export from our country creates a job back home supports a family back home and drives our economy to deliver on the mandates that we require back home,” said Diamond.
“So we are very excited for this opportunity.”
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