A dialogue was held in Accra on Monday on how to redefine the image of Ghana and South Africa to ensure accelerated development.

The platform was organised by Brand Ghana and Brand South Africa to share experiences and come up with strategies to promote the image of the two countries.

Brand South Africa contributed to the successful hosting of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

The dialogue was also used to redefine African values that could be leveraged to enhance the competitiveness of the two countries on the global stage.

Speaking at the dialogue, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Ms Hannah Tetteh, said as a country, Ghana needed to learn from South Africa to change its fortunes.

She said South Africa’s brand image was one of the most successful stories on the continent and underscored the need for all to leam from South Africa to re-brand the country.

Ms Tetteh said it was time for Ghana to inspire new ways, as people who raised the bar did not do what everybody else did but set parameters for others to follow.

She said it was important for Ghanaians to know that the country had achieved a brand image of being the most stable and peaceful country in Africa and its economy had also grown in leaps and bounds over the years.

However, she said other areas such as education and trade needed comprehensive initiatives to brand them to conform to international standards.

Ms Tetteh tasked the media to be more committed by setting a positive agenda for the rest to follow and to desist from glorifying evil.

For her part, the South African High Commissioner in Accra, Ms Jeanette Ndhlovu, said the dialogue was to complement the work of both Presidents John Dramani Mahama and Jacob Zumah in spreading the message of Africa’s preparedness to open up for investment.

The panellists called for concious efforts to sell the two countries but said before doing so, key elements of what the nations stood for should be clearly defined before selling them to the outside world.

The Editor of the Daily Graphic, Mr Ransford Tetteh, who represented the media on the panel, pledged the media’s commitment to promote the brand image of Ghana.

He, however, said there was no way “we are going to achieve re-branding if we continue to disrespect time. It is unfortunate that most of the participants in the programme which was to discuss the branding of the nation came to the programme late”.

Mr Tetteh also underscored the need for integrity and honesty in “the way we do business to promote the brand Ghana”.

Mr Miller Matola,the Chief Executive Officer of Brand South Africa, said nation branding was a conscious effort by all to tell positive stories about the continent and at the same time address the challenges facing the continent.

Mr Mathias Akotia, the Chief Executive Officer of Brand Ghana, said, “Branding really shows who we are as a country and where we have reached. It takes collective efforts to make a country distinctive and we need to rally the support of all to get there.”