Launched in June 2006, the campaign is drawing to a close and has attracted 50 000 entries from participating countries Swaziland, Botswana, Lesotho and Mozambique.
According to Nothando Mathe, South African Tourism's SADC country manager, "The use of SMS technology as a form of media allowed us one-on-one contact with consumers. Projections tell us that mobile subscribers could easily reach 140 million in Africa over the next five years, and this presents an excellent opportunity for us to reach the growing SADC market. We would therefore like to continue exploring the various platforms that cellular technology offers."
The Hot Spots campaign has aimed to position South Africa in Mozambique and the rest of the SADC market as the exciting, diverse and possible destination that it truly is. Following the ten-week radio/SMS phase of the campaign, all 50 weekly winners and their partners from Mozambique have been invited to the event where they will take part in the ultimate challenge, an interactive and entertaining live quiz which will test their knowledge on destination South Africa.
Contestants and guests to the event will be entertained by kwaito/hip hop DJ Oskido. Guests will also experience a taste of South Africa's happening urban vibe and its plethora of shopping, entertainment and leisure possibilities.
The final winner of the live quiz competition and their partner will experience a seven-day tour of South Africa, which will take them to Gauteng's shopping metropolis, the majestic kingdom of KwaZulu-Natal and the scenic Western Cape.
Mathe concludes, "The SADC Hot Spots campaign has been without a doubt the largest and most interactive consumer campaign ever conducted by South African Tourism in the region. It has served as an excellent test case to gauge the feasibility of activations in the SADC markets and to benefit from key learnings in-market. We have learnt many lessons, but are greatly encouraged by the response received from participating markets and from in-country media."
