After returning from a visit to Europe where people take such price in their local culture and produce and also after this week’s Heritage Day celebrations with its focus on what is dear to us, I was again reminded of the importance of supporting local. One would think that supporting your own would be the natural thing to do, but it often isn’t as straightforward as that.
We all realise that supporting local business is good for the local economy, but there is much more to it. More than the business benefits, supporting local reinforces a sense of community and society. It also has environmental benefits as it contribute to a sustainable food system and requires shorter supply chains.
But of course, our society is shaped by our economy and the economic benefits of supporting local are far-reaching. By keeping the money local, the overall prosperity of the area increases. Individuals and various businesses supporting each other for services and goods, are to the benefit of all and leads to more job opportunities in smaller communities. If the local economy is strong and offer opportunities, you can expect investment, development and for people to stay, rather than moving to cities. In this way, everything contributes to the survival and prosperity of small and remote communities.
If it so beneficial, why don’t we all choose local? Unfortunately, it is not that easy. There are a few reasons why supporting local is challenging in the South African environment. A large part of our population is poor and do not have enough dispensable income to buy much – whether it is produced locally or not. For the same reason, they often don’t have access to capital to finance their entrepreneurial ideas of to get their own business off to a sound start. Local businesses often struggle with poor infrastructure, red tape and also poor governance.
But we would hardly be South African in spirit if we only considered the negatives. We do have some strong positives too. Government has realised the need for strong local businesses and entrepreneurs and therefore, if you can jump the hurdle of red tape and corruption, there is government support for such endeavours. I believe that despite the fact that many of us still order from low priced international platforms, consumer awareness about supporting local as well as buying locally produced products are increasing. I think it is in fact at the higher end, where the sentiment towards local production has changed substantially.
At some stage, imported goods or international brands were deemed of superior quality to South African products. That might still be in the case in certain areas, but I believe that the creativity, artistry, unique and diverse offering as well as quality assurance of many artisans have changed this perspective. Trend-setters and influencers (in the traditional use of the word) identify and appreciate these qualities and there is no denying the potential of the local market.
Many years of Marketing has taught me that positioning your brand by trying to push from the bottom is the wrong approach. Rather than promoting from the bottom, invest at the top and if you do it well, the bottom-end will benefit from it too. I hope that this is what will happen for local production too. While South Africa’s beautiful, artistic and quality options might be available at a reasonable price, it might still be a little out of reach for many who have to settle for the less unique, poorer quality, but more affordable mass-produced and imported options. Hopefully, the investment at the top will work its way down to the bottom – even if it only means buying your fresh produce from the local market rather than a supermarket in a neighbouring town.
Cheerleaders for local, like The Local Edit that celebrated its 4th birthday this week, do exceptional work to create awareness of what is available locally. They also provide a platform for such local artisans to collaborate, promote and sell their work. Dedicated shops selling these products have become shopping experiences rather than just a retail option, but even big brand retailers and online shops are starting to embrace and include local artisans in their offering.
Proudly SA is much more than a rainbow flag sewn onto a garment. It is a sentiment about believing in ourselves. We have challenges when it comes to infrastructure, capital and buying power, but when it comes to production, we make up for it with genuine talent, exceptional creativity, innovation – and business savvy.
I believe, with just a little guidance and support, the exceptional local produce could add to the quality of our everyday lives – both as businesses and consumers – and that it can even be another feather in the South African tourism cap.