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FCB South Africa finds another way to 'Keep Flying' SA's flag

FCB South Africa has found yet another way to keep flying South Africa's flag with the launch of the Giant Flag initiative just outside Graaff-Reinet.
FCB South Africa finds another way to 'Keep Flying' SA's flag

In July four years ago, the agency group responded positively to curb the nation's potential post-FIFA Soccer World Cup slump and launched a national campaign to retain the energy and passion unleashed by the 2010 spectacular.

The campaign encouraged brands and South Africans alike to 'Keep Flying' the flag and maintain the positive spirit that was born during the World Cup. FCB developed a Keep Flying logo device for their clients to incorporate into their existing campaigns, and compiled a toolkit detailing how other companies and brands could similarly join in. In addition, the agency recorded a song featuring then Archbishop Desmond Tutu it distributed to the country's radio stations.

Lexus became the first brand to join the agency in its bid to fly the flag by agreeing to include the device in all three of its television commercials it ran for months after the soccer tourists left the country, but more than 70 big and small brands joined in the campaign, either by incorporating the device developed by the agency into its marketing communication or by purchasing Keep Flying buttons and a manifesto to give to their staff.

FCB wanted to then ground the campaign in a legacy project that took the embodiment of the flag's spirit to the next level. Guy Lieberman, head of FCB's green and social new business development, came up with a big idea. A giant idea in fact. This was where the Giant Flag was born.

In spirit, the Giant Flag is a multi-dimensional project that includes the three spheres of government - national, provincial and local. It brings together several streams of environmental, social and economic activity under one enterprise. Physically, this enterprise comprises a conference and tourism precinct and a 4 megawatt solar panel field.

But most importantly, the Giant Flag is a 66 hectare South African flag made up of 2.5 million coloured desert plants (cacti and spekboom), each making up a colour portion of the flag, that will be viewable from space. Set in the Karoo in the Eastern Cape, it will generate a socio-economic shift so effective that it will change the course of the communities that surround it, forever.

"The Giant Flag will be a man-made natural phenomenon, viewable from the flight path that will also generate a national pride campaign, the impact of which will be felt by the local community, throughout the nation, and across the globe. A symbol of the country's potential, it is intended to mobilise us as a nation to work together for our mutual benefit," said FCB Group CEO, Brett Morris.

"At FCB in 2010, we felt that we hadn't just been celebrating soccer those few tournament weeks, we knew we'd been celebrating South Africa - our passion, our drive, our spunk, our 'gees'. We showed the world our true colours. And we showed our guests true African hospitality.

"Most importantly, we showed ourselves. We showed ourselves that with one spirit, we can do anything. The Giant Flag is a legacy of that spirit and get-it-done attitude.

"With FCB committing to long term support, Lieberman worked with dauntless optimism, passion and drive, to connect, lobby and fund-raise for his brainchild.

"Its purpose is to create a cycle of sustainable socio-economic development that addresses the challenges espoused in the National Development Plan. All jobs linked to the Giant Flag (either through direct employment, SMME incubation or contract) will be considered 'green collar'. All public tenders will favour Camdeboo citizens and companies as a priority, extending to the broader Eastern Cape."

Camdeboo Municipality has one of the worst income disparities in South Africa. Its people are racially and economically divided. Unemployment is close to 40%, but is exacerbated by the associated social problems of poverty, food insecurity, and youth and women unemployment. It's a semi-arid area, so practicing agriculture is difficult. There is also limited other economic activity, with the exception of a developing tourism industry and there is limited economic infrastructure in the form of renewable energy, civil works, conference facilities as well as very little entrepreneurial activity.

Itemising the benefits of the Giant Flag Precinct for the environment, community and local economy, Founder and Trustee, Guy Lieberman, listed training and incubation programmes, including life skills and job skills, as well as access to an endowment fund that will finance viable small business start-ups.

The Giant Flag project itself will generate over 700 local, permanent jobs. In addition, all public tenders will favour Camdeboo citizens and companies as a priority.

"The sky's the limit," enthused Lieberman. "I see opportunity upon opportunity upon opportunity when I visualise the flag and the communities that live around it.

"Local labour will be employed for the construction and planting. In the 18 months it will take to establish just the botanical elements of the Giant Flag, over R5m would go toward local labour, creating jobs for over 700 people. Up to 60% employed could be women, double the national standard.

"Private sector involvement will have a substantial impact on local tourism and related industries. In addition to increased use of airport facilities and overnight stays, I imagine there'll be many eco-tourism initiatives directly connected to the Giant Flag.

"Think hot air ballooning and micro-light sky tours of the Giant Flag, honey harvested from the many beehives to be established to pollinate the succulents and cacti, 'Plant your own Flag' take away succulent trays.

"South Africa needs initiatives that create ecologically sustainable employment opportunities. The Giant Flag precinct will deliver over 700 jobs, potentially many more, while generating 4 megawatts of electricity which it will sell into the grid and harvesting rainwater for use in the precinct or channelling elsewhere. I cannot think of a more desirable outcome."

Learn more about Giant Flag at www.giantflag.co.za.

    1. What is The Giant Flag?

In spirit, the Giant Flag is a multi-dimensional project that includes the three spheres of government - national, provincial and local. It has come into being by bringing together several streams of environmental, social and economic activity under one enterprise. Physically, this enterprise will comprise a conference and tourism precinct and a 4 megawatt solar panel field. But most importantly, the Giant Flag is a 66 hectare South African flag made up of 2.5 million coloured desert plants (cacti and spekboom) that will be viewable from space. Set in the Karoo in the Eastern Cape, it will generate a socio-economic shift so effective that it will change the course of the communities that surround it, forever.

    2. Where is The Giant Flag?

The Giant Flag will be established on municipal commonage of the Camdeboo Municipality, which comprises the three Karoo towns of Graaff-Reinet, Aberdeen and Nieu-Bethesda.

    3. What is the Giant Flag's purpose?

The Giant Flag's purpose is to create a cycle of socio-economic development that addresses the challenges espoused in the National Development Plan. All jobs linked to the Giant Flag (either through direct employment, SMME incubation or contract) will be considered 'green collar'. All public tenders will favour Camdeboo citizens and companies as a priority, extending to the broader Eastern Cape.

    4. When did the Giant Flag come into being?

During the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup, the people at FCB South Africa were inspired by the way in which South Africans rose up to play host to the world, united by their flag. After the soccer tourists went home, they sought a way in which the spirit of that unity could live on, and do good in the country. Guy Lieberman, an employee, was requested by the CEO to come up with a legacy project related to the South African flag. With FCB committing to long term support, Lieberman conceived of the Giant Flag idea, and continued to work endlessly, with white-hot passion and drive, to connect, lobby and fund-raise for his brainchild.

    5. Why Camdeboo Municipality?

Camdeboo Municipality has one of the worst income disparities in South Africa. Its people are racially and economically divided, reflecting the state of our nation. Unemployment is close to 40%, but is exacerbated by the associated social problems of poverty, food insecurity, and youth and women unemployment. It's a semi-arid area, so practicing agriculture is difficult. There is also limited other economic activity, with the exception of a developing tourism industry and there is limited economic infrastructure in the form of renewable energy, civil works, conference facilities as well as very little entrepreneurial activity.

    6. What are the critical deliverables of the Giant Flag project?

Deliverables of the Giant Flag project include:

  • Reducing poverty and inequality, raising employment and investment
  • Ensuring household food and nutrition security
  • Broadening social cohesion and unity, while redressing the inequities of the past
  • Boosting private investment in labour intensive areas, competitive and exports, with adjustments to lower the risks of hiring younger workers
  • Strengthening youth service programmes, and introduce new community based programmes to offer young people life skills training, entrepreneurship training and opportunities to participate in community development programmes
  • Facilitating timely intervention to ensure environmental sustainability and resilience to future shocks

    7. How is the Giant Flag structured?

The Giant Flag Trust (IT 61/2012) has been formed to oversee the running of the Giant Flag. Profits from its activities will be fed into an endowment fund, the express purpose of which will be to generate further opportunities in the innovation, green and social sectors in the Camdeboo and Karoo through microloans and skills development. There will also be an education fund to upgrade the school system and provide tertiary education bursaries for the top students.

These are the trustees of the Giant Flag Trust:

Beneficiaries of the Endowment Fund will be required to enter training and incubation, including life skills and job skills, in order for them to receive microloans. Outside of the Endowment Fund, the Giant Flag project itself will generate over 700 local, permanent jobs.

There are two other legal entities constellating around the Giant Flag Project:

  • Vista GRT (2013/212084/08), a non-profit company that will serve as a vehicle through which to run all the trade elements of the precinct
  • Tristar Energy (Pty) Ltd (2011/111470/07), a ring-fenced PTY entity that will run the commercial scale solar power plant. All the profits from this special purpose vehicle will be directed toward the endowment fund.

The Giant Flag Trust is BBBEE Level 4 Compliant, and has also secured the following approvals:

  • Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)
  • Site Development Plan
  • Rezoning
  • Land lease (almost complete)
  • Carbon Credit notifications with the United Nations (UN)

    8. Who or which corporations are assisting with the Giant Flag?

To date, the Giant Flag project has had support from the following:

  • The Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) financed the business development process, which culminated in its business plan and financials.
  • Eastern Cape Development Corporation has financed the EIA (Environment Impact Assessment) for the project, which has been approved as of October, 2012.
  • Princess Irene of Holland provided seed capital to the project.
  • The local municipality has committed 100 hectares of commonage for the project. The Municipal CFO sits on the board of trustees as an active participant.
  • The SABC Foundation has donated airtime for a 52-episode series of 2-minute mini-documentaries, to capture and broadcast the making of the Giant Flag over the period of its development.
  • Proudly South African has assisted the Giant Flag with some potentially key partners within government.
  • An MOU has been signed with the Innovation Lab at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University to collaborate on technology IP and sharing of platforms, for continued social benefit within the Eastern Cape.
  • The Giant Flag has been awarded a R10m capital grant by the DBSA Green Fund for project implementation.
  • The Nedbank Foundation has offered an in-principle R7.5m grant for five years worth of training and salaries for up to 30 local women working on the botanical element of the project. This is dependent on other funding being made available.
  • Google has offered an advertising grant of R100,000 per month, in perpetuity, as well as cloud services for the Giant Flag crowd-funding campaign and the web application (www.giantflag.co.za).

The following are official sponsors or partners of the Giant Flag:

  • Development Bank of South Africa
  • Google
  • FCB South Africa
  • Eastern Cape Development Corporation
  • SABC Foundation
  • Toyota SA
  • Bergplaas Nature Reserve
  • Montego Pet Foods
  • Camdeboo Municipality
  • Geo Data Design
  • Green Fund

The following have consulted or provided pro bono services to the Giant Flag:

  • The Camdeboo Business Chamber
  • The Camdeboo Local Tourism Organisation
  • Strategic Environmental Focus SA
  • SunEdison Solar
  • Gigawatt Global
  • Abacus Advisory
  • Werksmans Attorneys
  • Africoast Engineers
  • FCB Redline
  • Hellocomputer
  • Green Renaissance
  • StartUp Nation
  • EcoMetrix Africa
  • United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)

    9. At what stage is the Giant Flag today (October 23, 2014)?

The Giant Flag is currently in Phase 2 - the activation phase.

Phase 1, which was the initiation phase, is complete. This addresses all the necessary authorisations and approvals (being business plan development; local consultation; securing the land; environmental impact assessment; site development plan; rezoning; lease agreement). Partners in this phase were the Eastern Cape Development Corporation, the Development Bank of Southern Africa, the Local Municipality (Camdeboo), FCB South Africa and HRH Princess Irene of Holland.

Phase 2, the activation phase, will catalyse the enterprise by:

  • Initiating a year-long the global communications campaign, in order to create awareness, nationally and globally, about the Giant Flag
  • Hosting a launch event in Graaff-Reinet with local and national partners, as well as international and local media
  • Developing a website and web app, to initiate a peer to peer crowd-funding platform, allowing people all over the world to support the project
  • Producing a series of 52 weekly documentary short films, which will tell the story of the Giant Flag development over the course of the first 12 months; these will be broadcast nationally and internationally
  • Mobilising the community

Phase 3, the build phase, is expected to begin in early 2015.

To build the Giant Flag, the project needs R170m. Funds have been conditionally committed from various institutions, including government and private. These include:

  • The National Department of Tourism
  • The Green Fund (Development Band of South Africa)
  • Nedbank Foundation

The funds will be split into two:

  • R100m for the solar field
  • R70m for the tourism precinct, plants, white road, and civil works.

    10. Which stakeholders has the Giant Flag engaged with?

The Giant Flag Trust has consulted with and engaged the following government stakeholders:

  • The Camdeboo Municipality
  • The Camdeboo LED Forum
  • The Camdeboo National Park (SANParks)
  • Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University
  • Eastern Cape Development Corporation
  • Development Bank of Southern Africa
  • Green Fund
  • SABC TV
  • SA Tourism
  • Proudly South African
  • Department of Arts and Culture
  • Department of Tourism
  • Department of Environmental Affairs
  • Department of International Relations and Cooperation
  • Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs
  • Department of Energy
  • Department of Water Affairs
  • Eastern Cape Department of Rural Development and Agrarian Reform

    11. How much will the Giant Flag precinct cost and how will it be funded?

The total cost of this project will be around R180m, which has been broken up into three phases:

  • Phase 1 is complete at a cost of R4m
  • Phase 2 is underway at a cost of around R5m
  • Phase 3 - the build phase - needs R170m. Funds have been conditionally committed from various institutions, including government and private. Additional funds will be sourced from a crowd-funding initiative, which will be launched shortly.


24 Oct 2014 11:31

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