International Marketing Council; Cellular Telephone Radiation: briefing

Meeting report

COMMUNICATIONS PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE, FOREIGN AFFAIRS PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE: JOINT SITTING
1 November 2000
INTERNATIONAL MARKETING COUNCIL; CELLULAR TELEPHONE RADIATION: BRIEFING

 

GCIS presentation document on International Marketing Council
Report by Dr Sheila Johnston (neuroscience consultant) on radiation from cellular telephones

Chairpersons: Mr N Kekana (Communications); Mr E Ebrahim (Foreign Affairs)

SUMMARY
The Government Communication and Information System briefed the committee on their efforts to market South Africa abroad. The International Marketing Council has been formed which comprises of members from GCIS, other government sectors and the private sector. Members make input as to what they feel is needed to market South Africa overseas. The majority of the council members felt that the negative image of South Africa created by foreign journalists seems to be a major stumbling block. A common suggestion was that South Africa needs to create a brand identity for itself and that the focus should be on promoting the positives in our country.

The South African Cellular Telephone Association (SACTA) made a presentation on the issue of whether radiation from cellphones poses a health risk. The association had invited two leading independent experts in the field of radiation research to address the committee on the subject. The experts quoted research to qualify their belief that radiation from cellphones are not harmful. Certain committee members were still not convinced as the presentations were very technical. The Chairperson said this issue would continue to be explored.

MINUTES
Government Communication and Information System (GCIS)
Mr Kekana (Chair) stated that the need exists to change the world’s perception of South Africa. He believed that there should be a concerted effort to attract foreign investment.

The briefing by GCIS comprised of inputs from the following persons who are all members of the International Marketing Council:
Joel Netshitenzhe (CEO of GCIS)
Tholi Ngwenya (Project Manager, International Marketing and Mobilisation, GCIS)
Portia Maurice (Chief Director: Government and Media Liaison)
Koos Bekker (Managing Director of Naspers)
Sipho Pityana (Department of Foreign Affairs)
Rustum Mohammed (Trade and Investment South Africa)
Sally Du Plessis (South African Tourism)

Mr Joel Netshitenzhe stated that they hoped to build consensus on how to increase tourism and investment in South Africa. He stressed that an integrated image of South Africa must be created. In the period 1994 –1998 South Africans were under the false impression that the positive attributes of South Africa would automatically be able to sustain themselves in changing global markets. We therefore failed to actively promote South Africa and as a consequence negative influences like crime and instability in Africa have damaged our image abroad. In view of this dire situation they had established an International Marketing Council comprising of members from government (such as Departments of Trade and Industry & Finance) as well as from the private sector (Investec, Naspers, Pam Golding Properties). A shift in perceptions must take place at three levels of intervention:
- Ongoing social change should take place- process of democratisation. We should encourage socio-economic development.
- We should believe in South Africa, establish a brand identity with which other countries can identify us.
- Global positioning and international marketing. Mr Netshitenzhe pointed out that a combination of marketing and communication is needed to achieve this. They have studied the examples of Ireland and Portugal where it was a success and a failure respectively.

The International Marketing Council acts as an advisory body to Cabinet on international marketing. Council members from the private sector were concerned that efforts to market South Africa have not been aggressive enough. The Council intends to formulate a business plan to market South Africa abroad. Early next year they are engaging in a major campaign to create public awareness of their plans to market South Africa abroad. He reassured the committee that their research has shown that the majority of South Africans would support such a campaign.

Mr Tholi Ngwenya added that they need to work hand in hand with foreign media to change perceptions of South Africa and partnerships need to be forged to create a brand identity for South Africa.

Mr Koos Bekker stated that the same principles that apply to the marketing of a product apply to the marketing of South Africa as a country. The emphasis should be on the positives of our country but this does not necessarily mean suppressing the negatives. Negatives like crime, violence must be attacked head on and eradicated. All that is needed is to identify which aspects of our country we are going to market - it could be our beaches, sports or even our rainbow nation.

Mr Sipho Pityana, Foreign Affairs Director General, stated that Ms Zodwa Lali, their Marketing Officer would make inputs on his behalf. Ms Lali stated that a campaign called, ‘Celebrate South Africa’ had been launched in the United Kingdom under the supervision of the High Commissioner to London. The aim of the campaign is to inform foreigners about the strides that South Africa has made in various fields such as telecommunications, arts and culture and financial services.

Mr Rustum Mohammed emphasised that from a trade and investment point of view they wish to increase exports to other countries. The problem lies in the fact that efforts to market South Africa are starting from a negative base. It is difficult for South Africa to recover from this default image, as people believe the perceptions that are created by the global media. He stressed that "we must be proactive in our efforts to market South Africa…We are world class and we must portray this image". He stated that perceptions internationally is that South Africa lacks capability. The onus is therefore on the country to prove the opposite.

Ms Sally du Plessis stated that South African Tourism had launched a campaign to market South Africa abroad in January 2000. The campaign focussed on the following countries: United States, United Kingdom, Germany and France. Ms du Plessis pointed out that the campaign involved only the use of printed media even though they would have liked to use television and radio. However the cost implications were too great. She stated that their goal was to use expatriates from South Africa to market South Africa in their adopted countries. They would additionally also want to create a brand identity for South African tourism.

Discussion
Mr Pheko (PAC) asked:
- Does South Africa have an image? If not, how do we get an image?
- What does South Africa Unlimited convey?
- What is the effect of the regional instability in Africa on our image?

Mr Netshitenzhe replied that there is an image of South Africa that is not too complimentary. It is for this reason that they have embarked on a campaign to improve the image of South Africa. The focus is no longer on the political scene of South Africa as past political tensions have stablilised. He pointed out that the international media are looking for alternatives to fuel their need for sensationalism. Mr Netshitenzhe felt that journalists have blown the negative aspects of South Africa out of proportion and he wished that they would concentrate more on the positive aspects. The concept of South Africa Unlimited was conceived due to the diversity of the country which has so many things to offer. There is tourism, sports, arts and business just to mention a few. He admitted that the regional instability in Africa does negatively impact on the image of South Africa. Once again he stressed that the emphasis should be on the positives. The positive here being the role that South Africa is playing in trying to resolve regional conflicts, especially in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Mr Pieterse (ANC) asked how do they perceive the role of parliamentarians in the campaign to market South Africa.

Ms Maurice answered that parliamentarians themselves must find ways to contribute towards the marketing of South Africa. Mr Pityana added that they have interacted with various persons including parliamentarians.

Ms Mahomed (ANC) stated that much of the marketing effort is concentrated in Europe and the USA. She stressed that more effort should be made in countries in the Middle East. These countries annually spend millions in Europe, why not attract them to spend this money in South Africa?

Ms du Plessis replied that even though marketing in the Middle East is not as vigorous as it is in Europe, they are looking at ways to expand their activities.

Ms Hajajj (ANC) asked what is being done to change the perceptions of the local public. She also asked why the Department of Home Affairs had not been consulted in their efforts to market South Africa.

Ms Maurice believed that their approach needs to be rooted in partnership with the public. She felt that people must be asked what they can contribute to the campaign. Ms Maurice stated that they need to find answers to such questions as: what is the identity of South Africa and what is South Africaness? Mr Netshitenzhe noted that the International Marketing Council’s core function is to market South Africa abroad. This is why the Department of Home Affairs was not invited to be part of the council. However they have been liaising with Home Affairs on this campaign.

Mr Ramgobin (ANC) stated that he agrees that the foreign media is responsible for the bleak picture that foreigners have of South Africa. He felt that the foreign media is still reporting in the same vein of negativity stemming from the Apartheid era. The media has been conditioned over time to report negatively on conditions in South Africa. He felt that the foreign media must realise that the climate in South Africa has changed and that their reports must reflect this change. He disagreed with Ms du Plessis about using expatriates to market South Africa overseas. He felt that if they were proper patriots they would not have emigrated in the first place. Such expatriates tend to have a negative image of South Africa so how could they be considered as ambassadors.

Ms Smuts (DP) disagreed with Mr Ramgobin. She felt that not all expatriates feel negatively about South Africa, many of them still feel proud to be South African. Consequently felt that they could contribute to marketing South Africa overseas.

South African Cellular Telephone Association (SACTA)
Mr Gert du Plessis, SACTA chairperson, stated that cellular telephony is the fastest growing industry in the world - at present there are 450 million subscribers world-wide.
The purpose of SACTA is to co-ordinate the various aspects of the cellular industry: manufacturers (Nokia, Ericsson, Motorola etc), networks (MTN and Vodacom) as well as the installation companies. They are affiliated to international bodies so as to keep track with trends and developments overseas. Their association promotes transparency and it is sensitive to the needs of government and the public.

Mr du Plessis admitted that the question of cellphones being a health risk or not, has been hotly debated for some time. He wished to put peoples’ minds at rest that intensive research has shown that cellphones do not pose a health risk. The World Health Organisation recently published a report confirming this.

Mr du Plessis had invited experts in the field to address the committee on what the findings were in terms of research. He emphasised that in no way would these experts be biased. SACTA was not remunerating them for their services as they were doing it voluntarily. The guest speakers were Prof Barney De Villiers (South African Forum for Radiation Protection chairperson, head of Community Health Department: Stellenbosch University) Dr Sheila Johnston (internationally renowned neuroscience consultant).

Prof De Villiers stated his job in the Electromagnetic Fields Project entails investigating radiation risks. The project was started by Eskom in 1990 and taken over by the South African Forum for Radiation Protection in 1996. Their general function is to monitor what is happening internationally and to make sure that South Africa is up to date on developments. He admitted that South Africa is not spearheading research in EMF.
They work closely with international organisations such as WHO to ensure that South Africa’s level of radiation is well below internationally set guidelines. He made an interesting point that the cellphone itself regulates the level of radiation emitted depending on the strength of the signal it receives. The weaker the signal, the higher the emissions. However true this may be, he was still confident that the levels of radiation emitted by cellphones in South Africa are well below the guidelines and do not pose a health risk. Prof de Villiers concluded that each country should not set individual levels of acceptable radiation emissions but adhere to an international standard as it leads to conformity throughout the world.

Dr Sheila Johnston elaborated on the outcomes of international research on the subject. She shared the views of Mr du Plessis. She noted that she is not employed by SACTA nor is she getting paid by SACTA. Dr Johnston stated that worldwide research has been done on the effects of cellphone radiation. This research covered various spheres of health: epidemiology, nervous system, thermal effects. Dr Johnston stated that the results of research conclusively show that the radiation emitted by cellphones do not pose a health risk. Common perceptions that cellphones cause cancer, affect brainwaves and cause fluctuations in body temperatures are all untrue. However, what is true is that cellphones do cause minor interferences with older medical equipment but the latest equipment has been insulated against this.

Dr Johnston made the point that radiation levels from base sets or antennas (masts) are also well below the international standards. They are being continuously monitored. She made the point that all countries have the same standards and the situation in South Africa is no different from the rest of the world.

Dr Johnston wished to clarify that the research she refers to is well documented and it must also meet the WHO criteria for research. She stressed that the research is not done by the industry but is done independently. However Dr Johnston did admit that the industry does fund a large portion of this research.

Discussion
Ms Smuts (DP) stated that there is concern that emissions from masts could affect pacemakers. She asked if there is any truth to this.

Prof de Villiers stated that the emissions from masts are a thousand times below the set guidelines, and consequently it is unlikely that pacemakers could be affected.

Dr Rabinowitz (IFP) stated that there were concerns over using cellphones for long periods of time. She asked if prolonged use could cause harm and whether the radiation emissions from a cellphone are similar to those of x-rays.

Dr Johnston replied that x-rays emit ionising radiation that is harmful to humans, whereas cellphones emit non-ionising radiation that is not harmful. She added that if cellphones have no negative effects on humans per se then they could not have negative effects over long periods of time.

Mr Mulder (FF) asked whether using an earpiece is more harmful than using a cellphone directly. He also asked whether current models of phones have been adapted to make them safer.

Mr du Plessis replied that neither way causes any harm. On the second question, he said that phones have been designed to be safe and to maximise its energy use. He added that cellphones are highly sophisticated apparatus and that people should not tamper or try to adapt them.

Mr Pieterse (ANC) commented that the presentations were very technical and that committee members’ concerns on the issue were still not totally addressed.

The Chair, Mr Ned Kekana, asked how the cellular regulator, the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) felt about the discussion.

Mr Pieter Ziemrie (ICASA) stated that all standards of base stations are in tune with SABS standards. He added that they have received complaints from parents as to why base stations are located at schools where children are present. He also confirmed what Prof de Villiers had earlier had said about the level of emissions from a cellphone depending on the strength of the signal (distance from the base station).

Mr Kekana (Chair) stated that the cellphone issue has only been introduced to Parliament and that much discussion must still go into the topic. He was however concerned about standards of equipment and products and whether they are acceptable. Mr Kekana emphasised that it is not the intention of Parliament to limit the growth of the industry as it has great potential in various applications such as health and telecommunications.

The Chair adjourned the meeting.