Support Stellenbosch campaign aimed at economic recovery

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The Support Stellenbosch campaign, initiated by Visit Stellenbosch, will be launching later this week, as a way to kickstart the local economy and encourage individuals to support local businesses. PHOTO: The Inside Guide website

Visit Stellenbosch is launching a new campaign in efforts to kick-start the local economy and encourage the support of local businesses. The Support Stellenbosch campaign is set to launch tomorrow, 5 September. 

“The Support Stellenbosch campaign is a collaborative town effort. It’s endorsed by the Stellenbosch Municipality, Stellenbosch University and Wesgro,” said Jeanneret Momberg, CEO of Visit Stellenbosch

According to Momberg, the main purpose of the campaign is to boost the local economy and to ensure the protection of jobs. 

“The main objective of this campaign is to stimulate the local economy – to ensure job security,” said Momberg. “We also want to change consumer behaviour, we want to reward people for going out – responsibly of course – and supporting our local tourism offerings.” 

A four-part campaign

The campaign consists of four facets, said Momberg. This includes the creation of a website, in the form of a town directory of local businesses, services and products, Momberg said. 

The second component is Stellenbosch on Stage, a concert series which features performances by local talents, such as Afrikaans band Spoegwolf and the University of Stellenbosch Alumni Concert, on 24 September, said Momberg.

The third component is the ‘Love Where You Live’ project that will “highlight and showcase” all the experiences Stellenbosch has to offer, said Momberg. 

The project will occur during the last weekends in September, October and November, and will include accommodation discounts and other special offers, explained Momberg.

Changing consumer behaviour

The Support Stellenbosch campaign also aims to incentivise Stellenbosch residents to dine locally, according to Mike Ratcliffe, chairperson of Visit Stellenbosch. 

“The idea is that we are trying to change consumer behaviour and trying to get people back into the restaurants,” said Ratcliffe. 

This will be achieved through the Stellenbosch Restaurant Rewards campaign and other “offerings, packages, accommodation discounts, experience discounts, motivating people to enjoy what Stellenbosch has to offer,” said Momberg. 

“The Stellenbosch Restaurant Rewards campaign is a campaign that rewards in-dining restaurant customers with a SnapScan voucher that’s redeemable at a participating restaurant, within the campaign period,” added Momberg. 

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The main purpose of the campaign is to boost the local economy and to ensure the protection of jobs, according to Jeanneret Momberg, CEO of Visit Stellenbosch. PHOTO: Visit Stellenbosch/The Vine Bistro

Breaking new ground

The whole campaign has been designed so that any town or city in South Africa may borrow the concept, said Ratcliffe.

“I think from a South African perspective [the campaign] is certainly groundbreaking,” said Ratcliffe.  

The Stellenbosch Municipality is fully behind this “brilliant” new campaign, said Stuart Grobbelaar, communications manager at Stellenbosch Municipality. 

“The campaign aims to revitalise our region’s booming tourism and hospitality industries – these industries attract lots of foreign and domestic visitors and employ many of our residents,” said Grobbelaar.