We have become so inured to looking at the problem (hole) that we have forgotten how to look at the benefits (doughnut).
On Tuesday, March 3, 2026, during the unveiling of the 10-meter-tall bronze statues of Nelson Mandela and Oliver Tambo in eThekwini, President Cyril Ramaphosa used the occasion to link the legacies of Mandela and Tambo to the current conflict in the Middle East.
His comments centered on the idea that Nelson Mandela and Oliver Tambo were, above all, “men of peace” and “champions of dialogue.”
Ramaphosa specifically invoked the historical partnership of Mandela and Tambo to address the escalating violence:
He stated that Mandela and Tambo would have been “gravely concerned” by the current military strikes and the loss of life. He emphasized that they would have insisted on the United Nations Charter being upheld as the only framework for resolving such disputes.
BUT, We think that Cyril got it wrong
He missed an ideal marketing opportunity…
South Africa is sufficiently far away from the conflict to offer a safe haven to everyone in the target area.
A simple call for people to come to South Africa AND an incentivisation plan to get as many people as possible to settle here would go a long way to marketing South Africa in a positive light.
Imagine if Tourism SA, SARS, DIRCO and Economic Development got their heads together today and came up with a campaign showing how attractive South Africa is from a tourism, tax and investment perspective in contrast with bombs falling at random?
SAFE SOUTH AFRICA:
A call to all South African expats to relocate back to SAFE SOUTH AFRICA and into the bosom of friends and family could really help in reversing the brain drain.
And, in both cases, would help immensely with foreign money inflows into SA.
“SAFE SOUTH AFRICA is offering a 5 week break whilst you wait for the dust to settle in the Middle East!” AND; “For a limited time significant investment in SAFE SOUTH AFRICA will grant you the following discounts/incentives.”
War is an Opportunity for SA
If we market ourselves as a SAFE SOUTH AFRICA we will be positioning ourselves in a very positive light on the global stage.
Why should we let weapons manufacturers be the only ones to profit from war?
Shouldn’t SAFE SOUTH AFRICA also profit?
