South Africa’s national brand will take over Atlanta this weekend, from a NASCAR circuit to downtown boardrooms, in a two-day push to deepen trade, tourism and investment ties with American audiences.
The programme runs Friday, July 10, and Saturday, July 11, spanning EchoPark Speedway and downtown Atlanta venues. It brings together business leaders, investors, media and members of the South African diaspora, with the timing following recent regional engagements that included the South Africa Business and Investment Forum and cultural events tied to Team South Africa’s FIFA World Cup participation.
Friday opens with a business forum titled Accelerating to Africa: The Fast Lane to the Future of Global Commerce, held at Constellations in downtown Atlanta. The gathering draws entrepreneurs, community partners and invited guests into dialogue about South African opportunities across commerce, travel, food, wine and cultural exchange.
Saturday shifts to the track. NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series rookie Lavar Scott will pilot the No. 45 country-branded Chevrolet for Alpha Prime Racing, giving Brand South Africa what it describes as a strategic platform to carry the nation’s story into one of the United States’ most visible sports and entertainment arenas.
Jimmy Ranamane, Head of Global Markets at Brand South Africa, framed the initiative plainly. “Atlanta provides an important platform for Brand South Africa to engage U.S. stakeholders through a combination of business, culture and sport,” he said. “This programme enables us to showcase South Africa as a nation of opportunity, innovation, talent and partnership, while strengthening relationships that support trade, tourism and long-term market engagement.”
Atlanta’s standing as a growing centre for African business, diaspora networks and international commerce makes it a natural fit.
Culinary storytelling runs through the weekend as well. Brooklyn Biltong, a South African food brand, will introduce NASCAR fans and Atlanta food influencers to biltong, the country’s traditional dried meat product. Atlanta-based influencers The Food Stalker and Atlanta Food Guy will be hosted at EchoPark Speedway, embedding South African food culture into the event’s broader narrative.
The activation draws on a coalition of partners: Alpha Prime Racing, Brooklyn Biltong, Southwestern Talent, Oryx Desert Salt, Fumana Wines and the South African Chamber of Commerce. The motorsports angle is not new territory for Brand South Africa. The country previously partnered with driver Kyle Weatherman and his No. 91 Chevrolet Camaro in 2024, and with Anthony Alfredo and the No. 42 Chevrolet Camaro the year before.
Jusan Hamilton, President of Alpha Prime Racing, pointed to the cross-sector reach the partnership creates. “This partnership reflects the power of sport to create meaningful commercial and cultural connection,” he said. “We are proud to work alongside Brand South Africa on a programme that brings international business engagement, cultural storytelling and motorsport together on one platform.”
Taken together, the two days represent a deliberate effort to place South Africa across multiple layers of American consciousness, from boardroom conversations about investment to spectator stands at a major race, to consumer awareness built through food culture and influencer reach. Whether the Atlanta model becomes a template for similar activations in other U.S. cities remains the open question heading into the weekend.