The campaign, conceptualised by King James Group, is a testament to Sanlam’s mission to build a continent of Wealthsmiths™ and help create an Africa full of opportunity for the next generations to inherit.

It opens with a spokesperson pointing out a spot on the ground. She marks an X on the ground and says: "You can make something here. Create something here. Be the first to imagine something here. See this spot? This is Africa. And it’s all happening here."


Cameron Watson, creative director at the King James Group, says, "Our goal with this campaign was to show how a seemingly inconsequential spot could become the birthplace of future ideas, solutions and communities."

"This taps into the truth that Sanlam has always chosen to stay here because it’s always known that in every square inch of Africa lies potential. And then there are 30 million square kilometres more," adds Watson. 

Watson says that the agency shot the campaign on location in Africa. "Shooting in such an incredible African landscape poses huge production considerations," Watson says.

"It really brought home the message of the campaign – especially as we had a diverse crew comprising people from all over Africa, which made a feeling of pride imminent throughout the production," he adds. 

Mariska Oosthuizen, head: Sanlam brand, says, "The strategic intent behind the Africa chapter of our centenary celebration is to show our belief that anything is possible with the right amount of hard work and dedication."

"As a proudly African company, we have always prioritised our people, our continent and have created a legacy we can be proud of. Our vision for ongoing pan-African expansion involves a trailblazing partnership approach," Oosthuizen adds.

"It’s a win-win business model. We don’t go into a country and take over; rather, we empower local managers and boards to run their businesses with our support. Our success is their success. In doing so, we catalyse employment and heavily invest in the countries we enter,"  Oosthuizen says.

Oosthuizen adds, "We have such an abundance of talent here. Africa is effectively an incubator for ingenuity – the inventiveness of our people is incomparable."

"We wanted the campaign to convey the excitement of this. As the world starts to look to Africa as a leader and trendsetter, it’s just confirmation of what we’ve always known and hope to further entrench. As WealthsmithsTM, Sanlam has and always will be rooted in Africa, and is committed to building a better continent for others to inherit," concludes Oosthuizen.

For more information, visit www.sanlam.co.za. You can also follow Sanlam on Facebook or on Twitter.