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Our public relations activities in the year under review
successfully achieved the following:
Established a communication channel for every grain-producing region through which communi-
cation needs could be met.
Utilised a wider social and online platform for disseminating information.
Continued to reach as many producers as possible and the public at large through the live
streaming of most of the activities of the organisation where feasible.
Expanded the online footprint of the organisation through targeted information dissemination.
Continued to emphasise the importance of integrity and compassion through transparent and
honest communication.
Persistently rolled out content across the various platforms with a focus on the audience’s needs
and not solely addressing organisational objectives.
Expanded the online footprint of the organisation further through its communication channels
and platforms.
Media liaison remains a significant function to cultivate and maintain the best image of the organisa-
tion and highlight matters affecting grain production. To achieve this, the organisation continued to
build relationships with reporters and offered resources and knowledge systems throughout. As a
member organisation, Grain SA is competing for a share of a voice in a current media environment
that is cluttered, inconsistent and unpredictable. As it is easy for an organisation’s voice to get lost or
be misinterpreted, positive media liaison interactions remain crucial to achieving the objectives of the
organisation, producers and agriculture as a whole.
OUR COMMUNICATION
As an organisation, Grain SA needs to constantly, consistently and with strategic focus re-tell and
reiterate what the organisation stands for and what it does for its members to ensure the long-term
objectives of creating a distinctive and enduring reputation for grain producers in the country.
Communication focused on showcasing the good work that producers do and the role they play
in the economy of South Africa. To achieve this, communication efforts further concentrated on
grain producers having access to communication mediums, being exposed to the messages and
ensuring messages were understood. The member communication of the organisation, facilitated
through various channels, includes a newsletter, ad hoc electronic communication, news flashes
and digital media offerings through social media.
Grain SA electronic communication
The
Perspective
newsletter is distributed electronically to members and a selected group of interested
stakeholders. It aims to share information, events and important dates, and to further provide a platform
to communicate industry news timeously. The
News Flash
is utilised to distribute important and relevant
information to members timeously. This is particularly useful in instances where updates on important
matters such as agricultural production conditions and biosecurity are communicated. Member com-
munication newsletters and informative pieces are published periodically as the need arises.
Publications
Grain SA publishes
SA Graan/Grain
, a specialist monthly publication and official mouthpiece of the
organisation, which is regarded as one of the leading agricultural publications. The magazine is used
by readers as a knowledge partner and benchmark tool for sustainability in the grain industry. In the
year under review, Grain SA also published the
Pula Imvula
– a
monthly publication in five languages aimed at developing
a new era of commercial grain producers. The annual Grain
Guide, with useful contacts and reference articles on seed,
implements, fertilising, integrated pest
management, livestock, money and
financial services and, last but not least,
Grain SA information, important con-
tacts and an updated calendar for the
coming year, is published annually as a
value-add to grain producers.
MARKETING, NAMPO AND
RESEARCH COORDINATION