Political campaigns: Visibility does not guarantee voter support
· Citizen
Political parties should not confuse campaign visibility with electoral support, as their success ultimately depends on credible promises, local relevance and the ability to deliver, according to a strategic communications expert.
Tshepo Matseba, managing director of Reputation 1st Group and former head of marketing and communication at five JSE-listed companies, said political campaigns are about competing for voters’ attention, trust and confidence.
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Political campaign visibility does not reveal funding
But he warned against judging parties’ financial strength by the number, size or quality of their posters and billboards.
“We must be careful not to confuse the visibility of a political party’s campaign with the amount of money it has raised,” Matseba said.
South Africa’s regulated political funding disclosure framework provided publicly available information that could help assess declared donations, he said.
Rise Mzansi had attracted significant private funding relative to its electoral size, while the DA featured among the leading recipients of declared private donations in several reporting periods.
But declared donations should not be confused with total campaign expenditure, Matseba said.
Political parties also differed in how they allocated resources across provinces, municipalities and communities, making it difficult to draw national conclusions from isolated observations.
In Mbombela, Mpumalanga and parts of Gauteng, including Mandela Village in Hammanskraal, Matseba observed a strong ANC outdoor advertising presence.
The DA, EFF, ActionSA and other parties were also visible in different communities.
Parties target voters with different messages
From a strategic communications perspective, the DA and ActionSA had developed direct messages around municipal service delivery and public frustration with local government, Matseba said.
“These messages have the potential to resonate because they speak to issues that voters experience daily.”
The ANC benefited from visual consistency and established brand recognition, while the EFF had a distinctive political identity.
Rise Mzansi, meanwhile, could distinguish itself through political renewal and credible local leadership.
However, these were qualitative observations, not evidence of electoral effectiveness, he said.
Candidates visibility
Matseba also questioned the prominence of political leaders on campaign material, saying ward councillors and mayoral candidates should receive greater visibility.
“Voters should know who is asking for their mandate and who will be answerable to them after the election,” Matseba said.
Although featuring national leaders could strengthen party recognition, it risked overshadowing candidates responsible for municipal governance.
Standardised campaign materials could also reduce production costs, although the reasons behind individual parties’ decisions should not be assumed without evidence.
Matseba said credible voter research and campaign exposure data would be needed to determine which parties’ advertising was most effective.
“A political campaign can dominate the physical landscape without necessarily dominating the hearts and minds of voters.”
Credible promises must match delivery capacity
Parties should demonstrate a direct relationship between their promises and their capacity to deliver, Matseba said.
As the country approaches the local government elections, he said parties should focus on practical, measurable and achievable solutions tailored to individual municipalities.
“What works in Mbombela may not necessarily address the priorities of communities in Johannesburg, eThekwini or Polokwane,” Matseba said.
Political credibility depended on connecting local challenges with capable leadership, relevant expertise and demonstrable capacity to deliver, he added.
“Ultimately, political credibility is not built on the size of a promise, but on the ability to fulfil it.”