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A feel-good campaign acknowledging the role ordinary residents have in making Joburg the city it is, has been launched. It is, after all, "the people who make Joburg pretty cool".
WHAT makes Joburg a great city? Over and above its infrastructure and music, the ingenuity of its people, its arts and culture, diversity, wealth and its rich tapestry of history and heritage, you - the resident - make Joburg great.
Reaching out to Joburg residents
This is the message of a new campaign from Joburg's marketing department. You Make Joburg Great acknowledges the contribution of ordinary residents to making Johannesburg the city it is.
Gavin Rheeder, the deputy director of the department, noted that the initiative was tailored to make residents feel like real contributors to the city's growth. "People like and live here. After deliberations, it came out that it is actually the people who make Joburg pretty cool. Yes, Cape Town has its mountain and the sea, but Joburg has got the coolest people."
He said it was a "feel-good campaign" aimed at giving people the "recognition they deserve. We want people to focus on the positive and recognise that their contribution is making Joburg great. Whatever part you play, whether you are a waiter, a politician or a salesman, if you are doing your job to the best of your ability, then you are contributing to making Joburg great," he explained.
"If a waiter gives you good service, tell them ‘you make Joburg great.'"
Joburg is the economic hub of South Africa. It stretches over an area of 1 644 square kilometres and is home to more than three million cosmopolitan people. It is the most densely populated and urbanised municipality in the country. The city has seven regions, inhabited by a culturally diverse population, who are thriving against a robust and competitive economic background.
Rea Vaya launch
Rea Vaya, the Bus Rapid Transit public transport system, has dovetailed its marketing strategy with that of You Make Joburg Great. Its strategy was launched on Thursday, 1 April at inner city Rea Vaya bus stations.
MMC for transport, Rehana Moosajee, lends support to the campaign
At the launch, holding a You Make Joburg Great placard, Joburg's portfolio head for transport, Rehana Moosajee, said regardless of the world-class infrastructure and world-class projects that the City spearheaded, it was the people "that make it all worthwhile".
"There is no doubt that it's the people of Johannesburg that make Joburg great and today we are out thanking members of the Rea Vaya crew, both drivers as well as station staff, for the wonderful job they are doing in portraying a fantastic image of Joburg. Each one of them makes Joburg great," she said.
Holding aloft cardboard placards inscribed with the bold words "You Make Joburg Great" and sporting white T-shirts bearing the same message, Rea Vaya activators were high-spirited when spreading awareness of the campaign.
The ear-splitting noise of car hooters, the ruckus of engines, shrills and squeals of delight, gashed the morning rush in the inner city. Vehicles gridlocked and traffic officers on the corner of Rissik and Commissioner streets battled to control the flow, much to the chagrin of some taxi and truck drivers.
Some motorists excitedly watched out their windows; some passengers stood on bus seats to get a better view, all the while loudly reiterating what the campaign activators were saying: "You Make Joburg Great." Some did not understand what the fuss was about, others seemed perplexed. Those who appeared reticent were cheered on, until they too began ululating and smiling.
Dance
Pedestrian Angel, the transport department's mascot, was also on hand, boogieing for pedestrians, passers-by and motorists, while hoisting up a You Make Joburg Great placard. The activators danced the Diski Dance and handed out You Make Joburg Great stickers and brochures about transport values.
Doing the Diski Dance
By 8am, the Rea Vaya Carlton East and West Bound stations in the city centre were hives of activity, with a jaunty mood pervading the air. Pedestrians milled about, looking on; commuters jostled their way to work through the packed bus stations.
Some stopped to watch the Diski Dance, fused with a customised, energetic Rea Vaya dance featuring hand-clapping and foot-stamping, to the sound of song and chants, ululations and squeals of delight. Others joined in the fun.
Wearing You Make Joburg Great T-shirts, Rea Vaya employees posed for photographs and received certificates of appreciation from Moosajee for the services they rendered.
Patricia Mokgehle, who started as a volunteer at the Carlton East Bound Station and is now employed full time, said that many people like her made Johannesburg a great city in which to live, play and work.
"I make Joburg great. Firstly, I volunteered at Rea Vaya and now I've got a proper job. Everyone, including the passengers, the staff and all the people who are coming here for the World Cup will be happy because I make Joburg great," she said.
Joburg's marketing department, which conceptualised the campaign with a private marketing company, hopes it will permeate the city and will remain infectious. It will run indefinitely. The campaign is designed to entrench Joburg's position as a world-class African city, a city whose spirit comes from the great people who live in it.
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