South Australians are being encouraged to buy, eat and drink local as part of a series of new and revitalised Brand SA campaigns – and support small businesses along the River Murray this Christmas.

Spend Your Support – an online marketplace launched this month to help flood affected communities – allows shoppers to buy direct from the region at home and drive much-needed sales over the festive period and into the new year.

More than 50 River Murray businesses have signed up to the new campaign, with accommodation (30 per cent of sales), drinks (26 per cent) and hampers (16 per cent) the most popular categories since Spend Your Support started two weeks ago.

Shoppers living all over the state have bought these region-specific products, ranging from Golden Grove and Victor Harbor to Mount Gambier and Kersbrook.

Brand SA’s new call-to-arms campaign is already delivering a significant economic boost to local traders, as rising floodwaters damage livelihoods and impact tourism.

Two other campaigns have been launched to further support South Australian producers and businesses during the holiday season:

• Promotion of local food and drink retailers here and across the country, with a seafood campaign featuring four SA companies held in Sydney this month and another blitz planned with Romeo’s IGA pre-Easter.
• Eat Drink Local will have a renewed focus on its website and updated information to raise the profile of the state’s premium produce.

All three campaigns have a clear message – buying local supports the South Australian economy and our farmers and producers who face ongoing challenges.

COVID-19, workforce and supply chain issues, and recent unseasonal weather – including River communities dealing with an historic flood event – highlight the growing need to get behind those who put food on the table.

The SA food and beverage industry accounts for almost a quarter of total manufacturing industry employment, and exports of finished local foods totalled $1.9 billion in 2020-21 – around 13 per cent of the state’s overall export value.