Freedom of movement; the dignity of work; the joys of travel and experiencing wide open spaces; the human interaction of friendship and of love beyond the four walls are all hard-won freedoms for South Africans. But in the past few weeks, the nation has had to lay these down for the sake of humanity.
Ahead of an important landmark in South Africa’s history, Freedom Day on 27 April, South African Tourism has released a new television advert that acknowledges the great sacrifices South Africans have made since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak.
This piece of communication honours all the South Africans who have given up their freedom to jealously guard the value of each South African life as the country’s greatest treasure. It inspires the many people who have the desire to walk freely as well as the many travellers who are yearning to explore and enjoy the country once again, to continue to endure a little longer.
Done in collaboration with The Nelson Mandela Foundation and Videovision Entertainment, the advert calls upon the undeniable tenacity that South Africans have to triumph over turmoil in the same way that the late former President Nelson Mandela and all those who fought for freedom had to endure for the greater good.
“South Africa’s history has always been important to tourism in this country, and in particular the story of our beloved global icon, Nelson Mandela. This year we celebrate Freedom Day under serious movement restrictions as we all try to contain and arrest the spread of the Coronavirus. While the tourism industry is one of the hardest hit industries, this is a message of hope,” said Sisa Ntshona, CEO of South African Tourism.
“We are particularly pleased to have collaborated with The Nelson Mandela Foundation and Videovision Entertainment in this project. As solitude gives us time to realign priorities and set clear goals, this piece of communication also encourages of us to take this time to shut out what is out there and look within. Partnerships such as this one allow us to do this and more, together. When we recover from this pandemic, we hope all South Africans will continue to join efforts in rebuilding our industry and our economy so that we can all travel again,” added Ntshona.