Satour is dead - long live South African Tourism

AT the vibey official opening of South African Tourism's new head office in Illovo, Johannesburg by Minister of Tourism and Environmental Affairs, Mohammed Valli Moosa on Monday, the organisation unveiled its new logo and corporate identity.
During his address, Minister Moosa welcomed South African Tourism's new look, saying that, with a whole new identity, it was time to invigorate the industry, it being high time to "get those mandated to sell the country overseas out of a rigid civil service environment". The move from Pretoria, he added, was in keeping with the organisation's vision to be a cutting edge marketing organisation based at the heart of the commercial and tourism hub of South Africa.
South African Tourism's new colourful beaded logo uses the SA flag within a circle, with the aim of creating a "less official feel" to the design and to reflect the "light, fun and relaxed" nature of tourism.
Explaining the rationale behind the new logo, chief executive officer, Moss Mashishi, said: "The boldest shape in any design is the inherent strength of a circle. Add to that the internationally recognised strength of the SA flag's design (which, in research conducted in the UK, was one of the world's most recognised flags) and you have a logo that will ensure that South African Tourism becomes an internationally recognised brand."
In hailing what is essentially the rebirth of South African Tourism, Mashishi committed - on behalf of the 'dream team' he has started to put together at head office - to leading the way forward for "the most effective tourism marketing drive South Africa has yet to see".
He said that, with this change in operation, South African Tourism had also taken the decision to use its full name as opposed to the abbreviated 'Satour'.
"Internationally, the name Satour was found wanting in terms of effectively communicating the identity of the national tourism authority to the potential customer who wished to travel to South Africa. The expectation is to see reference to the country as a whole."


(Elizabeth Sheridan)