The Golden Highway

The R553 is a 62km stretch of regional route that connects Vanderbijlpark and Johannesburg, via Sebokeng, Orange Farm, Lenasia, Eldos and Soweto. I have spent the past 41 years travelling this route and over the years the prevalence of informal settlements on the side of the road has grow rapidly as people come to seek a better life for themselves in Jozi.

The Golden Highway for me, has come to be symbolic of the current road we are on as nation, as we transit between the second and first economy on a daily. The toll gate representing the gateway between the haves and have nots. There is a “Golden Highway” in our townships no matter the province you find yourself in, through which our best talent migrates to the suburbs where services and amenities are far more superior and reliable. ?

On the 2nd November I left for Tembisa (for what felt like a lifetime of driving), to join colleagues for the inaugural of #TRIS , and as I joked to the audience that I had to pack skaftin (pad kos) for this trip, the response in the room echoed the narrative I often get, “why do you live so far man, come closer!”.

Far from what and who? I ask. I am exactly where I should be – in my community and amongst my tribe.

It is the “opportunities” that are from me. We have come to normalise an absurdity that was engineered by our predecessors in 1948 and have even given it euphemistic labels: #TheBottomOfThePyramid, #TheEmergingMarket , #TheSecondEconomy , #PeopleWithLittleMoney , #TheNillionaires .

Townships were never set up as places where people could have meaningful lives, but as labour camps to resource South Africa’s economic ambitions; lives there were seen purely through the lens of a resource. That is still true today, people in townships spend a large portion of their income on transport and their time travelling for work, leaving very little on the table for personal growth.

Miles Kubheka, our moderator at TRIS, asked a provocative question to the panel, “Why is that you only want to invest in the building of malls in our townships? Where is the other stuff, where are the high-rise buildings and other amenities?”

The difference this time round is that the opportunity is seen through the lens of the consumer, we will never transform townships into meaningful places where our best talent wants to stay and grow their communities, till we purge that word “consumer” from our marketing speak. People must be seen for their own sake – as people, whose needs are fulfilled by our brands and services.

By doing so, a paradigm shift takes hold, we move from talking about taking advantage of an opportunity to achieving shared value for our brands and people. Sustainability takes on a whole new meaning. It focuses on lifting the collective so that they can afford premium service and products, after all who wants to live their life in the mainstream lane.

I am not na?ve about the realities of life. In life as in many other things, we may be in the same sea but in different boats, however a rising tide raise all boats. Brands can rise with the people that support them.

Please join me alongside esteemed colleagues at this year’s MarketingMix as I reflect on 40 years of my township life in an attempt to give this market a human face and share thought starters on how shared value can be achieved through sustainability focused marketing.

Township Marketing Opportunities 2023 webinar series – 9th, 16th and 23rd Nov: ?https://www.marketingmixconferences.co.za/shop/township-marketing-opportunities-for-23-webinar-series-in-nov-22/