South Africa’s global reputation in the key areas of investment, tourism, exports, talent and general reputation has improved significantly since 2022, according to the results of a study that surveyed 9 800 respondents in 17 countries.

The 2024 South Africa Global Reputation study, a collaboration between Brand South Africa and nation branding firm Bloom Consulting, aimed to reveal South Africa’s nation performance in comparison to that of established international markets and emerging market competitors. Bloom Consulting defines Nation Branding as the “systematic and coherent management of perceptions surrounding a country”.

The study, first conducted in 2022, uses analysis based on three pillars: perceptions by international audiences, digital appeal, and South Africa's digital identity, to give an overall percentage of the positive perception of the country. The results of the 2024 research indicated that South Africa’s positive perception rose from 57% in 2022 to 68%. Overall, the study came to the conclusion that the country has a “moderately positive perception”.

Emerging market competitors that South Africa was compared with included Egypt, Nigeria, Brazil, Chile, Turkey, Vietnam and the United Arab Emirates.

The country performed particularly well in the categories of natural assets, sports and culture, while safety and crime perception remained a concern, particularly from respondents in Europe and the Americas. Willingness to invest increased by 13% from 2022, while willingness to travel to the country registered a marginal 1% increase.

“There were many findings in the study that give hope. But there is room for improvement. There is always room for improvement. What this research provides us with is the ability to focus on addressing the more negatively perceived facets of the country, and also determine how we can best dispel misconceptions about South Africa,” said Brand South Africa Acting CEO, Sithembile Ntombela.