The reality on the streets of South Africa's urban centers is one of stylish hairdo's, sneakers, baseball caps and baggy jeans,worn to the accompaniment of'kwaito' (indigenous hip hop) and Kentucky Fried Chicken. This process of Americanization, of the youth in particular, has its roots in television, and to a lesser extent in the cinema, and is beginning to kick back into sports (for example, the growing popularity of basketball). However, the Disney
product range (as an identifiable source of cultural 'goodies') remains one which is largely perceived as a childhood phenomenon. Of course, the interesting exercise of tracing the predispositions constructed in childhood into young adulthood would require a much deeper analysis than is possible in this study. But this study at least begins to examine these issues by looking at the presence and reception of Disney products in South Africa.
the rights to use a Disney character/s (Donald Duck, Mickey and Lion King derivatives being the most popular) with strict quality control (approval of artwork, privileging certain chain stores over others), for which a fee was paid and then a percentage of sales taken. One company official reported that in 1997,the annual revenues from Disney products (mostly toys and textiles) in South Africa was about 300 million rand (or $66 million). (Disney sets South Africa subsidy, 1997)
Since 1997 a wholly-owned subsidiary,Disney Enterprises Southern Africa has been responsible for marketing Disney merchandise,not only in South Africa, but the rest of the continent. As company officials explain,
Southern Africa is one of the exciting new markets in the world.We are confident Disney Enterprises Southern Africa will help open up new avenues for Disney involvement in the region. South Africa will provide the platform for the group to move into the rest of Africa, where it has had very little exposure to date. The whole idea is to use South Africa as a base to go into the rest of Africa. We don't know Africa. We don't know what the potential is. We have a lot to learn,and we are here to do that (Pearson, 1997).
The aim of company officials is to "be on the lookout for unique cultural and marketing ideas that could be taken from South Africa into new markets," however, "heavy capital investment" in South African partnerships was not expected.
A central platform for the promotion of Disney merchandise also hasbeen created through a collaboration between the South African Broadcasting Corporation and the Consumer Products division within Disney in the form of sponsorship of the afternoon cartoon slots on TV 1,the most popular channel amongst African viewers. This initiative is specifically aimed at 5-6 year olds,with a view to 'acclimatising' them to Disney. This mirrors a series
of collaborations between local companies and the various elements of the Disney corporate
structure. For example,Nu Metro has the rights to video, Ster Kinekor has the rights for
certain films, M-Net (a pay-TV station) has contracts with Buena Vista International to re- flight films from the Touchstone, Hollywood and Miramax stables,and so on.
Each of these entertainment arenas (film,video and merchandise) will act collaboratively when the occasion warrants it. For example,the recently released Tarzan movie saw a sophisticated marketing drive involving Ster Kinekor, Shell petrol garages and Disney enterprises. This is probably no different from other countries,and simply points to the interlocking and piggybacking which characterises the entertainment industries.
The movie industry in South Africa is dominated by two companies, Ster Kinekor (about 68% of market share) and Nu Metro, respectively. Speaking informally to the managing directors of these organisations reveals that the movie industry in South Africa is on a flat line at present with expansion only contemplated after 'deep' research, and then only into environs which offer a 'total entertainment experience' in shopping centres termed
multiplexes. With the average age range of 16-23 years (and falling) constituting 75% of the movie-going populace; issues of peer pressure;'out of home entertainment experiences';
disposable income; and largely intact Apartheid metro planning and transport, all feed into a stagnant cinematic milieu for the majority of South Africans. Ster Kinekor has made a brief foray into opening up the cinematic option for people living in what are still loosely called 'townships' or peripheral residential areas,mostly constructed or appropriated as a response to the old Group Areas legislation, which, although long gone,divides the country into
segments dominated by one or other race group. This adventure, through a wholly owned subsidiary,Moribo (a company set up as a Black economic empowerment project,which, like many other such initiatives, have targeted the media/entertainment sectors of the economy), sought in 1996/7 to broaden access for township residents,but without much success,notwithstanding the attempt to transform cinemas into community centres (for meetings,etc). Another failed attempt to draw Africans to the cinema was the disastrous effort to indigenise The Lion King by having it translated into the Zulu language, which resultedinthe withdrawal of the prints and heavy losses.
The captains of these cultural resource providers contend that it is the emerging African middle class which is at the forefront of those wanting the 'out of home experience' ,and the current 10-15% of movie audiences at large multiplexes (largely situated in White areas) is made up of the trickle of African, Coloured and Indian residents of these gradually more integrated neighbourhoods,and visitors from further afield. While the video rental market continues to grow apace,it is not clear how this growth is spread,nor its contribution to a rounded sense of the Disney project, with all that this means for widespread identification with Disney products of all kinds,and the construction of a meaningful place for Disney in popular consciousness.
The All Media Products Survey (1999) highlights the difference between Black and White (the division is theirs, not the author's) in terms of cinema attendance: a meagre 10.2% of the former having watched a film in the last year compared with 58.7% ofthe latter group,and only 1.2% of the Black age group 16-24 years went to the movies in the last seven days,
compared with 24.8% of Whites. Itis common cause that radio is a far more accessed medium than is television for Africans in general, although claims of a 77% daily viewership amongst the growing African middle class have been made (Independent Newspapers 1999), a figure that is close to that for the White group as a whole. This emerging African middle class,or 'patriotic bourgeoisie' , as it sometimes referred to, is extremely small,and we currently fmd ourselves embroiled in a debate about the role ofthis new social force.
Thus,we fmd that even though Disney's presence in the South Africa may be far less than in many other countries, there are enough Disney products for the brand to be recognized.