5 June 2006
The first-ever South African-branded London taxi to leave Britain gave the South African stand at the recent Swiss Economic Forum in the Alpine town of Thun a huge lift.
The sky-blue taxi - bearing the cheeky slogan, 'In South Africa, the sky matches this cab 350 days a year' - stood out in a fleet of Audis which ferried VIPs from the station to the conference centre in the scenic Alpine venue.
The Forum, Switzerland's biggest economic gathering, was held on 11 and 12 May and provided a showcase for South African tourism, trade and investment.
Among the VIPs to travel in the SA-branded taxi was Adolf Ogi, a former president of Switzerland. Ogi insisted on being driven in the sky-blue taxi even though he had the choice of opting for the biggest and most luxurious of the limousines.
The inspired presence of the sky-blue taxi high in the Alps was the brainchild of Thomas Seghezzi, marketing officer of the South African Embassy in Switzerland.
Seghezzi contacted the International Marketing Council of South Africa's UK country manager, John Battersby, who connected him with Taxi Media, the London company that operates the branded taxis, and a deal was struck after a long process of authorisation.
"I wanted something eye-catching like the taxi to market South Africa more generally as both a tourism and investment destination," said Seghezzi.
It was one of only a handful of London's 18 000 or so cabs that has ever left the British Isles for continental Europe.
Not least surprised was taxi driver Paul Wardell: "When I drove through towns and villages on the way to Thun, people would stop in the street in amazement," he said. "Adults jaws would drop and kids would be waving. Everybody wanted to take pictures and pose with the taxi. People really loved it."
Wardell is the proud driver of one of 20 SA-branded taxis in London which are sponsored by the IMC and carry a range of slogans promoting the attributes of South Africa as a destination for tourism and investment.
What had initially seemed like an impossible idea turned out to be one of the main attractions at the Forum.
In Thun, as the taxi said, South Africa was truly Alive with Possibility - making the impossible possible.
SouthAfrica.info reporter
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