The International Media Forum South Africa was created in 2006 to focus on the critical area of communications and specifically international media relations in reponse to an increasing awareness of the need for quality, balanced information around the world about what is going on inside South Africa. The IMFSA is a web based community for the exchange of views and opinions and for making new contacts. It also publishes newsletters, including a monthly review of key international news coverage on South Africa abroad, reports, and runs opinion polls on issues of importance to the global reputation of South Africa and media relations. Importantly it organises the most powerful meeting on South African media relations to take place in the country to galvanise opinion and to chart positive action to improve international media relations and media management techniques for  South African government, business and PR professionals.

In its first 13 years of democracy, South Africa has experienced higher levels of consistent economic growth, and lower levels of inflation, than at any time in the last century. It is considered an increasingly attractive destination for investment and tourism, with more than 7 million visitors a year.

However, there is still a major challenge ahead in communicating what the country has to offer to the international investor community and in building international confidence in the country and its companies to attract the levels of foreign direct investment and international trade that will be necessary for the future.

In order to ensure its ongoing growth and success, South Africa must utilize international media, both traditional and new  to advantage to project its shortcomings and its potential in a way that will attract international trade and investors in large numbers.

The International Media Forum has been designed to focus on this crucial subject of communications. It brings together some of the most important people from the world’s media and communications professions with South African’s and other stakeholders in the country’s future from business, government, public relations, politics, communications, marketing and enterprise. These stakeholders come together in the form of our web based community at www.internationalmediaforumsa.com, and benefit from discussion, debate, contact with each other, and our regular newsletter, our opinion polls and offers. In addition and at the core of the community of the International Media Forum South Africa is a major international meeting which brings together senior editors from the world’s most important media with South Africa’s leading business decision-makers, government officials and communications professionals.  The Forum last took place in Johannesburg on 21st and 22nd May 2008 in Johannesburg and attracted over 200 key members of the South African communications community together with speakers from media and business from around the world. Supported by IMC, PRISA, BUSA and BMF and with media sponsors such as BDFM Group, Kaya FM and BizCommunity.com, speakers included people like:

William Wallace - African Editor, The Financial Times
Joseph Warungu - African Editor, BBC News and Current Affairs
Celia Dugger - African Correspondent, The New York Times
Kim Norgaard - Jo'burg Bureau Chief, CNN
John Chiahmen - Editor, Reuters Africa
Paul Charles - Global Director of Communications, Virgin
Barry Moody – African Editor, Reuters
Andrew Simmons – African Editor, Aljazeera
Chip Cummins – African Editor, The Wall Street Journal
Gary Alfonso – Head of Programming – CNBC Africa
Kgalema Motlanthe - Deputy President - African National Congress
James Themba Maseko – Head of Government Communications – GCIS
Essop Pahad – Minister in the Presidency

Through a series of keynote speeches, discussions, interactive sessions and workshops the event seeks to answer the question of how to manage future international media relations for success in a changing media world and through workshops and training also seeks to provide the tools and contacts required to put a plan into practice.

The Forum provides critical dialogue between those who shape South Africa’s image abroad and South Africans who have the power to change their future for the better by the way they communicate the events taking placing in their organizations and their country.

In just two days delegates gain the kind of media understanding, training and contacts for positive media coverage and which would otherwise take months and a significant investment in PR services to achieve.

Points discussed:

• How do international communications affect the economic development of South Africa?
• How important is the South Africa story globally compared with other advancing world economies and how can SA use the media better to compete?
• How is the media changing as a result of new media take up, and what does new media offer companies, organizations and countries, and how can it be harnessed for advantage?
• How can you get your organization and its missions covered in the media for positive results?
• How do leading international players use media relations to their advantage?

 Register with our site today if you are interested in joining our community or receiving information about tickets when they go on sale for the next International Media Forum South Africa event in 2009.