Juan Klopper, chief operating officer at Burger King® South Africa, says the brand now needs the help of its fans. “With Heritage Day just around the corner on 24 September, we need as many retweets as possible so that Home Affairs can see how serious we are about our relationship and commitment to South Africa.”
While they wait for Home Affairs to respond, the brand is also asking fans to teach them unique South Africanisms to help solidify their citizenship. Ezelna Jones, Burger King’s marketing executive, says: “South African society has one of the most diverse and vibrant cultures in the world. Being South African means always making space for one more, ending off your sentence with ‘shem’, knowing a guy that knows a guy and understanding the difference between ‘just now’ and ‘now now’. It means that everyone’s either your auntie, bhuti, sister or uncle and above all else that you value humour and ingenuity. These are the unique qualities we need to be able to demonstrate – and we need the help of our fans to understand them all!”
Burger King® has chosen the country’s nation building month to ask South Africans to help #MakeBKMoreSA. “We are asking South Africans to suggest as many locally-inspired challenges as possible, to help bring Burger King® even closer with South Africans. We’re happy to learn. Want us to challenge minister/foodie Tito Mboweni to a cook-off? We’ll do it. Ask us to turn our Extra Long Chilli Cheese Sandwich into a gatbsy? We’ll try. Anything you can think of that shouts proudly and loudly South African and we’ll give it a go, whatever it takes to call SA home,” says Jones.
“Having only been in South Africa since May 2013, Burger King® is in awe of how quickly South Africans have accepted the brand into their hearts. We now want to show our gratitude by embracing and becoming a part of this country’s warm culture,” says Klopper.
Klopper adds that, as a brand with its roots in the United States, Burger King® has come to realise that South African culture is quite complex. “Resilient people, a cheeky sense of humour and the many traditions are just some of the attributes that makes this one of the most unique societies in the world. As newbies to this beautiful country, we cannot wait to engage with our fans on what makes this country so special.
“Burger King® may have originated in America, but it is run by South Africans with 97% of the Burger King® South Africa crew being made up of locals. Becoming as South African as we can, is one of our biggest aspirations.”
With only three weeks to go before Heritage Day, Burger King® is urging its fans to get on social media and help with its citizenship aspirations without delay. “South African culture lies very close to our heart, and Burger King® is dedicated to bringing a smile to our fans’ faces every day that we can be part of this wonderful country,” Klopper concludes.
