Strongest outcome of study on perceptions of
SA and its citizens shows that Nigerians and
Kenyans believe they need more awareness
that they are part of Africa Kenyans and Nigerians believe South Africans
should have a stronger awareness that they are
part of Africa, according to a pilot study
released on Thursday. This was one of the strongest outcomes from
the study, conducted by Brand South Africa
(BSA) to assess the perceptions of South Africa
and its citizens in Nigeria and Kenya, BSA said
in a statement. BSA interviewed a range of respondents,
including diplomats, business people, citizens,
policy makers and artists. BSA said the study had also yielded the
following outcomes: Respondents in Nigeria and Kenya
follow South African domestic events
very closely and are very well informed
about South Africa Respondents equally view themselves as
having contributed to South Africa's
freedom due to the material support the
citizens of both Nigeria and Kenya
contributed during the struggle against
apartheid South Africans are viewed as liberal and
open in nature and by implication South
Africa was seen as welcoming and open. "However, South Africans are also viewed as
aggressive and domineering in their business
relations in these countries," BSA said. "The respondents, particularly in Kenya, also
indicated that South Africans should be more
nuanced in their business entry strategy when
considering expansion into Kenya." They felt that South African companies do not
take sufficient notice of particular market
conditions and the needs of the market. "In Nigeria, however, contrary to popular view,
respondents suggested that they view the
management practices of South Africans very
positively," said BSA. Nigerian respondents sought to take lessons
from the way in which South African
companies were run. The study indicated that South African culture,
including music and arts, was viewed very
positively among respondents in Nigeria and
Kenya. "Although the first in a series, Brand South
Africa's research has indicated that South
Africa and its citizens enjoy strong brand
appeal and positive associations," BSA said. The research did have implications for bilateral
citizen interactions since relations — political
or social — arose from people as
representatives of their various institutions. Similar research would be conducted in Ghana
later this year, BSA said.

http://www.bdlive.co.za/africa/africannews/2014/09/19/south-africans-dont-see-themselves-as-african-say-kenyans-nigerians