Southafrica.info hits million mark!

In September, www.southafrica.info the country's official, national web portal, celebrated its second anniversary and for the first time clocked more than a million page impressions in a month. The portal is fast becoming the website of choice for people, locally and internationally, wanting to find information about South Africa.

With in excess of 2 000 web pages, the portal is a one-stop site aimed at South Africans at home and abroad, investors, tourists and people interested in South Africa. It provides comprehensive, up-to-date country information, including weather forecasts, smart travel tips and an interactive web directory that links to other useful South African websites.

Since its launch in September 2002, the web portal has recorded a number of significant highlights:

It registered 100 000 hits when it launched in September 2002

It reached 200 000 hits when its publicity kick-started six months later in March 2003

With the Madiba 85th birthday message campaign in July 2003 and when the site was renamed www.southafrica.info, it surpassed the 500 000 hits mark

A Google marketing campaign in February 2004 lifted the number of site impressions to equal the previous highest peak of 500 000

The Brand South Africa "rhythm of this nation" advertising campaign to celebrate our 10 Years of Freedom pushed it further to the 690 000 mark in April 2004

Since then, the number of impressions has climbed steadily each month hitting the impressive million hits mark in September 2004

Through various competitions and themed pages such as Women's Month and Heritage Month, the portal plays an instrumental role in educating its visitors about South Africa and her successes.
Yvonne Johnston, CEO of the International Marketing Council of South Africa, the organisation behind the portal, comments, "The web portal is fast becoming the definitive South African portal - an online 'encyclopaedia' of the country, a travel guide, reference site and news source, as well as an effective platform for sharing the true South African story. The success and growth of the site is a reflection of the growing global interest in South Africa and the success it has achieved in recent years. It's also as a result of the support and partnership of the South African and friends of South Africa online communities."

The portal is an initiative of the International Marketing Council of South Africa, a public/private sector partnership established by the Cabinet in 2000, tasked with creating a positive and united image of South Africa, is the organisation behind the web portal.

To experience South Africa online, log onto www.southafrica.info. For more information on the International Marketing Council, please refer to www.imc.org.za.

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Arcay Corp Communications