Perhaps it’s because of how long South Africa was isolated from the international community, or perhaps it is because we're physically isolated from the rest of the World. For whatever reason (and if you think you know, please feel free to share this with me), South Africans are prone to buy what is trendy and famous outside of Africa.

That’s not to say we aren't proud of local products and trends: there are distinctly local products that every South African loves. Just ask any ‘Saffa’ living overseas what they miss and they'll say things like ‘biltong’, ‘Niknaks’, ‘Romany Creams’, and ‘braais’. But when it comes to branding and marketing products to sell within the country, it helps to give the impression that it’s not from South Africa. We've been told that ‘local is lekker’ and that we should buy ‘Proudly South African’, but I have a feeling that we're not entirely convinced by this.

If you want to convince a South African that a product is good, give the impression that it’s not from Africa.

Here’s some examples:

Fast food : There is no distinctly ‘African’ fast food or restaurant chain. There were queues that lasted for days outside of both McDonald’s & Burger King when they finally opened in South Africa. Nando’s? It’s a Portuguese theme (and not thought of as being ‘South African’ even when the outlets are outside of our borders). Chicken Licken? That’s ‘soul food’ — styled as being ‘Southern US’ more than ‘Southern African’. Ocean Basket? Greek. Mugg & Bean? American. Even Spur — ‘the official restaurant of the South African family’ — is themed on Native American culture! (An exception: Cape Town Fish Market (CTFM), although that might even actually confirm my idea…)

Music : It sounds like local musicians are trying to sound more American every day. Look, there are certainly exceptions where local singers and bands are creating a local sound. But those ‘distinctly South African’ musicians who are considered locally to be successful have often needed to become famous outside our borders before they're considered to have ‘made it’. I’m thinking of Hugh Masekela, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Seether, Miriam Makeba, Johnny Clegg… Even The Parlotones left our shores to go ‘get famous’! What’s the best selling music in South Africa? I don't have the figures here but my guess would be that it’s not music made in Africa.

Fashion: We're suckers for international fashion, especially American brands. Local South Africans will proudly wear clothing branded with the names of sports teams which they don't even watch in South Africa! Our children’s clothing is covered with American cartoon figures. I get the impression our local retail fashion buyers are more influenced by international trends than local ideas.

Sports : English Premier League teams are supported by more South African than local football teams. We watch international sport more than local sport. We flock to the stadiums when the B-teams of overseas football teams play exhibition matches in SA. Cricket? It’s a colonial sport, as is rugby. Do we even have a distinctly South African sport? And it seems our local sportsmen & women are only revered when they've won an overseas competition.

Advertising : the agencies must know that we are enamoured by international accents when even local adverts need an accented voice-over artist. The most South African of adverts — Lux — make their models look and sound ‘international’. If we’re told a product is good by an American accent “it must be good”.

Movies : local movie producers wish that our movies could be as well supported at the American B-grade movies that are screen here. South African audiences are keen to rush out and see a silly American comedy but not for a silly South African comedy. Capetonians were all excited when scenes of the city were shown in the movie ‘Safe House’ (starring Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds). Who could forget how incredible ‘District 9' was? Both of these were American produced. But we laugh and scoff when a ‘Souf Effricen’ accent it used by a character in an international film.

Radio : Ever notice that the voice-overs for ‘pop’ stations are American accents?

In fact, one of the few things I could think of as being sold on the value of its ‘South African-ness’ is SAB’s ‘Castle Lager’. Carling Black Label? It’s American. Hansa Pilsner? German. Peroni? Italian. But Castle? Now THAT is ‘South African’!

My sense is that local products and services are not considered to be ‘as good’ as those from outside the country — that is, until the ‘international community’ gives their endorsement. As soon as a local product or person is ‘approved’ by the international community THEN we get all excited about how South African they are.

What’s missing? What is it about our psyche that doesn't allow us to celebrate what is ours? Why is there this lack of pride in what has been created, designed, produced or originated from our own country? Why do we look outside of our borders, our continent, for approval?

The only thing I can think of is that we don't actually have a ‘South African identity’. Since ‘94, anything from the ‘old’ SA has been written off, yet we don't have a new shared identity. We're a country of such vast differences in language, traditions, cultures, and skin-colour that we don't know what we can be proud of together. We therefore buy into what we think are ‘internationally-approved’ trends, ideas and products because we're hoping to find our own identity.

Until then, expect hear a lot more international accents in advertising.