Accidental Expats
by Rich Field, 12 March 2008
Rich Field was voted one of the top 10 marketing personalities in Australia, yet this ex-pat has returned to South Africa. He tells us why packing for Perth is not all it's cracked up to be.
We decided to return to South Africa after nine years abroad - two years
in the UK consulting for Cable and Wireless and seven years in Sydney. One
Christmas in London was enough to cure us of the dream and romance of a white
Christmas, give us the sun and the beach any day. So the chance to head "down
under" was opportune, and we head off to help start up Virgin Mobile
in Sydney.
After seven years in Sydney we were well settled, had made a new group of
friends, had got ourselves involved in kids and sporting pursuits, and had
found our niche, both socially and business-wise - to the extent that my consultancy
was running at full capacity, and I had even been voted one of the top 10
marketing personalities in Australia by B&T Magazine.
So coming back was not a decision based on a lack of opportunity or success
in Australia.
I guess that's why it may seem a bit strange to some people. So I thought
I would try to give some insight into why we have moved, as well as my perceptions
of Australian life - particularly with the current "grass is greener"
mentality and discussions again doing the rounds in South Africa.
The reasons to come back are simple - our family are still in South Africa
(in the Eastern Cape), and we wanted to spend time with them, and let our
kids spend quality time with their grandparents. We also wanted to be part
of an extended family.
We also wanted to see what we could do to help get this great country running
at its true potential. That may sound like "opportunistic armchair liberal
crap", but being away gives you a clearer perspective on the country,
the opportunities we were afforded, and a sense of obligation to help.
What this will result in in terms of actual input or output is anyone's guess
- but doing this article is a start, if it gives a different perspective to
those wishing to pack it in.
We didn't make a list of pros and cons about moving, but we spent a year talking
about it before making a decision.
I also made a trip out here to see what opportunities there would be for me
to start a marketing consultancy here - particularly as we did not want to
move back to Joburg.
The trip was more encouraging and positive than I could have hoped for, with
everyone I met exceptionally upbeat about not only the level of opportunities,
but also the potential and future of the country.
That ticked a big box - yes, we would probably be able to earn a decent living.
So we packed up and moved back - the accidental expats returned.
And what about Australia?
Australia is a reasonably easy transition for South Africans wishing to emigrate.
In a lot of respects it is similar to SA - they love sport, they have an outdoors
lifestyle and culturally, they tend to have some similar ideas. It has low
rates of crime, lower rates of interest, social and economic structures that
work and very low levels of unemployment which result in a high demand for
skills. It is a country which is easy to live in, with great beaches and recreation
facilities, good schools and on the whole very sociable people.
It is a country where you can live comfortably in the "thick middle class",
but where it is exceedingly difficult to get ahead. The salaries are not globally
competitive, particularly in a city which, in my opinion, is far more expensive
than any I have lived in (including London).
Australia is a very socialist country, where the status quo is praised, middle
class equality is encouraged, and "tall poppies" are cut down as
fast as they arise.
You should not expect praise or support for successful entrepreneurial ventures.
If your ambition is to live a comfortable life of relative success and anonymity
it might just be the ideal destination.
If however, you do not want to be over regulated and conformist, and want
to get out there and set the world alight by challenging the status quo, you
will find it frustrating and confining.
This is not just due to the regulations, but also due to the mentality of
the majority of the population - amazingly, all those out-there, go-getter
Aussies you meet while backpacking, become conformist, consensus-driven "wage
slaves" when they get home. (I know that is a massive generalisation,
but it is also my very strong observation.) Decisions are deferred to the
"committee", and commitment is avoided, particularly if the decision
goes against the norm.
What the Australians have done exceptionally well is to market themselves,
internally and externally. I am not talking specifically about a tourism campaign
or any specific piece of communication, but rather about the overall communications,
which have resulted in a huge sense of national pride and a global perception
of Australia being the relocation destination of choice. They are widely thought
of as the "land of opportunity", and you only have to look at how
many South Africans have headed there to see how successful it has been.
Australians have, for the last 20-odd years, been targeted by campaigns which
build this sense of national pride - where FMCG products are stamped with
the "Australian Owned/Australian Made" stamp to guarantee that profits
and jobs are staying in the country. This led to changed consumer behaviour,
where marginal local brands suddenly became market leaders by being "local".
Their sports teams are given heroes' welcomes and are actively marketed and
involved in the community. They spend a small fortune on television advertising
and events to reinforce this message, and to take it to the rest of the world.
They have actively controlled their messaging globally rather than rely on
the media to do the job for them.
This is a lesson which South Africa needs to learn. We need to actively engage
the necessary partners and resources to manage our image and messages to the
world. For too long we have let the world's media control what is said and
heard about South Africa rather than have a strategic campaign to build the
country's positives.
Yes, we have our problems, and yes some of the media is not pretty, but why
are we not at least delivering the positives to balance the negative press?
We have just won the Rugby World Cup, but three months later, what has been
done to leverage this? I don't see anything - even our internal messages and
media are dominated by Eskom, crime, rates rises and the like - where are
the images and stories that make me "proudly South African"? I am
not advocating that we bury our heads in the sand, but if we don't expose
and celebrate the positive, how can we hope to have any positive coverage
abroad?
I have seen the "Proudly South African" stickers on cars, but what
else is being done? And more importantly, how are we making sure that it works?
If the current wave of sentiment is any indicator, I would say it is not working.
There seem to be a lot of people who are seriously considering "packing
for Perth", and that does not sound like a successful campaign.
Eskom seems to be the main reason - we can't supply electricity, the water
system is collapsing, we are going to hell in a handbasket, SA is the next
Zimbabwe... did I miss any?
These are all problems we can overcome. We survived the transition from Apartheid
to a true democracy without a civil war... surely this is just a speedbump
in our road to progress? Maybe if we all did our bit instead of bitching and
moaning we might achieve a fast, effective solution... it's worth a shot.
So, why did we come home? Well, first of all it is home, and always will be.
We are fiercely proud South Africans, and to live somewhere else will always
be a compromise. This country is part of our DNA and we want to help it get
stronger and live up to its potential. There is massive opportunity here for
anyone wanting to grab it and just "go for it". And, I want to live
surrounded by the family and friends we love. Surely that should be enough
reason for anyone.
Rich was helped in his journey home by the Homecoming Revolution .
Rich Field of pollinate communications cc can be contacted by email
or tel +27 735 666 033
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