Rowan Callaghan
Bayathenga 2000 has joined the call for increased local content, only this time the issue is not broadcasting but support for locally manufactured goods.
Bayathenga — meaning all the people are buying — is a section 21 company which plans to embark on a massive “buy South Africa” campaign to promote increased support for local goods and services. It hopes to do this both domestically and internationally till the year 2000.
Chief executive Brian Sandberg says companies which manufacture or sell goods which have a minimum of 60 percent local content may apply for membership of Bayathenga. Members are entitled to identify these goods and services through the labelling and marketing use of the Bayathenga logo.
Sandberg entered into the project after he realised that the high number of imports was strangling local business. The Department of Trade and Industry reports South Africa has a trade deficit of R570-million. The idea was also taken from similar projects in Australia and Ireland.
Despite his “local is lekker” stance, Sandberg is quick to point out that he fully supports free enterprise. He did, however, caution against allowing trade barriers to fall without first building up local enterprises.
Sandberg said Bayathenga was prepared to compete with outside corporations, but it did not want to make it easy for them to come here. He was,however, fully supportive of overseas companies which built factories and created jobs.
Quality control is a noticeable aspect which appears to be missing from the Bayathenga project. It is feared this may lead to poor-quality local goods being endorsed by the organisation. “The idea is to identify what is domestically made and let the consumer make the decision,” responds Sandberg.
Bayathenga supporter, Brian Brink of Textile Federation added that some of the quality controls in South Africa are not applied to imported goods which allows these to slip through unchecked.
Sandberg believes his strongest opposition will come from the importers who have been bringing in products “through the back door.”