This is according to entrepreneur and chartered accountant Andile Khumalo, speaking about the importance of supporting small businesses at the launch of an innovative new campaign which will see Hollard sharing its big advertising spaces with 12 SMMEs over the next six months.
The idea is to help these small enterprises thrive in the long term, bolstering South Africa’s economy in the process.
On Tuesday, Hollard launched its Big Ads for Small Business campaign on a pioneering, futuristic SMME exhibition platform. The immersive virtual world was designed in graphic detail to allow participants, through their avatars, to move around the main stage area and exhibition rooms, listen to keynote speeches and approach small-business owners at their branded booths for chats.
Attendees also had the chance to network extensively, read about the various small businesses and watch videos in dedicated reading and viewing areas.
Small businesses need a boost, so we’re sharing a whole lot of our big ad space with them. We believe helping small businesses creates better businesses, better communities, a better South Africa & #BetterFutures.
— Hollard Insurance (@Hollard) February 19, 2021
Tag your favourite small business.#BigAdsForSmallBusines pic.twitter.com/DVIX400d3O
Considering the “relatively small” local market, Khumalo urged small businesses to consider expanding their operations beyond the borders of South Africa, saying, “Every big business out there was once a small business, just like you.”
The other keynote speeches were delivered by Metro FM radio show host Mo Flava and Heavy Chef learning platform CEO Fred Roed.
Flava said the story of small businesses was "the story of hope". He had already used radio, social media and other digital spaces to give deserving entrepreneurs a platform, but it was important to get more success stories out there. “There’s power in using our networks,” he said, encouraging participants to use their own platforms to boost local brands they like.
“Our core belief is that entrepreneurs can change the world for the better,” added Roed, using the example of South Korea, which in just 60 years engineered a turnaround from having the GDP equivalent of Rwanda to being a “future-based, digital society”. He told the small businesses present, “You guys are the change we want to see.”
Hollard chief marketing officer Heidi Brauer said Hollard’s purpose is to enable more people to create and secure a better future. This is one of the reasons why Hollard had decided – in tough times, with many small businesses suffering – on a better way to do a campaign, by sharing its advertising space with small businesses.
The insurer wants to be a catalyst for positive and enduring change, she stressed. “We want to inspire others to do the same.”
The aim is ultimately to provide the SMMEs with not only marketing support, but also business tools through partners such as Heavy Chef to ensure their long-term growth. This will create a collective knock-on effect of better futures, for communities and for South Africa’s economy.
The selected small businesses were chosen from an initial pool of 292 SMMEs proposed by Hollard employees. Criteria included whether they would benefit from the campaign, could handle a potential rapid increase in business and were spread across the country.
The 12 businesses are:
Find out more about the campaign and the small businesses being promoted at hollard.co.za/bigads, and watch the campaign videos featuring the SMMEs and event presentations on YouTube.
