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Advertising industry secrets revealed in inaugural lecture

14 August 2025 | Story Gerda Marié van Rooyen | Photo Stephen Collett

In her inaugural lecture on 5 August 2025, Prof Angelique van Niekerk emphasised that linguistic choices in persuasive communication, specifically advertising communication, carry ideological implications. This is referred to as ‘linguistic capital’, which includes all the language instruments available to a competent language practitioner and/or copywriter.

The inaugural lecture, titled ’n Kulturele en psigolinguistiese perspektief op hoe 'n wêreldbeskouing beïnvloed word aan die hand van advertensiekommunikasie: 1995-2025 (A cultural and psycholinguistic perspective on how a worldview is influenced based on advertising communication: 1995-2025), offered an overview of some of her published research concerning the use of different linguistic instruments within the disciplines, such as syntax, sociolinguistics, morphology, semantics, pragmatics, etc.

Prof Van Niekerk, a lecturer in the Department of Afrikaans and Dutch, German and French at the University of the Free State (UFS), also elaborated on aspects such as nostalgia, controversy, intertextuality, identity, etc., from her research within applied linguistics, based on Afrikaans and English print advertisements.

The lecture concluded with examples from Afrikaans magazines and archives of the Loerie and Pendoring advertisements from 2020 onwards. These examples illustrated the importance of cultural congruence and intellectual challenge (play) in an effective (good) advertisement.

“Recent examples (data) emphasise the importance of social issues as a point of reference; that with which the speaker (marketer) and audience (target market) identify – their good cause,” said Prof Van Niekerk. She referred to significant patterns from recent South African print advertising, stating that South African advertisements involve inclusivity, interactivity through the use of web addresses, QR codes, etc., acknowledgement of the market’s heritage/roots, cultural norms, etc., social consciousness, and a world without pretentiousness.

Prestigious attendees

In attendance was Prof Vasu Reddy, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research and Internationalisation, who welcomed the attendees in Afrikaans. He described the event not only as a ceremonial right, but also as the celebration of a milestone, the sharing of knowledge, a goal, and setting the course for the future. “This (the inaugural lecture) is a joyous occasion, especially because it coincides with the official centenary of Afrikaans.”

Prof Marlize Rabe, acting Dean of The Humanities and Vice-Dean: Teaching and Learning, introduced the star of the evening and highlighted some of Prof Van Niekerk's academic achievements, including a PhD in Afrikaans and Dutch and a master’s degree in Communication Sciences (cum laude), as well as a C rating from the National Research Foundation, underlining her contribution to academic research.

The final word of the evening belonged to Head of Department, Dr Francois Smith. “It is significant how you have proved how applied linguistics can get a grip on who and what we are and how we shape our world through language. Science allows us to take a step back and contemplate how language gives us the leverage to take hold of our world. This lecture underscores that our work is of value and has something to offer the world, because language can widen borders and gives us a way to look at the future.”

Vakmanskap van advertensiewese in intreerede bespreek

Prof Angelique van Niekerk, dosent in die Departement Afrikaans en Nederlands, Duits en Frans, het gedurende haar intreerede op 5 Augustus 2025 beklemtoon dat taalpraktyk, oftewel taalkeuse, in oorredende en spesifiek advertensiekommunikasie ideologiese implikasie inhou. Daar word hierna verwys as ‘linguistiese kapitaal’ en sluit in al die taalverwante instrumente in die hand van ŉ vaardige taalpraktisyn (kopieskrywer).

Prof Van Niekerk het in haar intreerede, getitel ’n Kulturele en psigolinguistiese perspektief op hoe 'n wêreldbeskouing beïnvloed word aan die hand van advertensiekommunikasie: 1995-2025, eerstens ’n oorsig gebied van die navorsing wat sy reeds gedoen het oor die funksionele aanwending van die verskillende taalinstrumente binne die teoretiese dissiplines soos sintaksis, sosiolinguistiek, morfologie, semantiek, pragmatiek, ens.

Daarna het sy ’n oorsig gebied uit die toegepaste linguistiek (in Afrikaans en Engels) op grond van Suid-Afrikaanse advertensiekommunikasie. Die gebruik van aspekte soos nostalgie, kontroversie, intertekstualiteit, identiteit, ens. in die advertensiewese is juis om hierdie rede op data van 1995-2025 geskoei. Prof Van Niekerk het haar intreerede afgesluit met voorlopige insigte oor die aard van gedrukte advertensiekommunikasie uit datastelle sedert veral 2020 (Afrikaanse tydskrifte, advertensies uit die Pendoring- en Loerie-argief).

Die belangrikheid van kulturele kongruensie en intellektuele uitdaging (spel) in ŉ goeie/ doeltreffende advertensie – soos ook aangedui deur Gevorgyana en Manucharovab (2015) – is ook uitgelig. Onlangse advertensies (datastelle) blyk die belangrikheid te toon van sosiale kwessies as verwysingspunt; dit waarmee die spreker en ontvanger identifiseer (jou good cause).

Die patroonmatigheid en opvallendhede uit meer onlangse Suid-Afrikaanse advertensies is uitgelig. Plaaslike advertensies behels multi-identiteite en ŉ (ras)-inklusiewe samelewing waarin tale saam gebruik en afgewissel word binne een teks/konteks; verhoogde interaktiwiteit deur webadresse, QR-kodes, ens.; erkenning van die teikenmark se herkoms, sosiale bewustheid (bv. genderregte en omgewingsbewaring) en ’n wêreld gestroop van valse skyn.

Vooraanstaande gaste

Prof Vasu Reddy, Adjunk-Visekanselier: Navorsing en Internasionalisering, het die gehoor in Afrikaans verwelkom. Hy het die geleentheid nie bloot as ŉ seremoniële reg beskryf nie, maar ook as die viering van ’n mylpaal, die deel van kennis, ŉ doelwit en as padkaart vir die toekoms. “Dit (die intreerede) is ’n vreugdevolle gebeurtenis, veral omdat dit saamval met die amptelike eeufeesviering van Afrikaans.”

Prof Marlize Rabe, waarnemende Dekaan van die Fakulteit Geesteswetenskappe en Visedekaan: Onderrig en Leer, het die ster van die aand aan die gehoor bekendgestel en sommige van haar akademiese prestasies uitgelig. Dit sluit in ŉ PhD in Afrikaans en Nederlands en ’n meestersgraad (cum laude) in Kommunikasiewetenskap, sowel as ‘n C-gradering van die Nasionale Navorsingstigting wat prof Van Niekerk se bydrae tot akademiese navorsing staaf.

Die laaste woord van die aand het aan die Departementshoof, dr Francois Smith, behoort. “Dit is besonders hoe jy gewys het hoe toegepaste linguistiek ons ’n greep kan gee op wie en wat ons is en ons wêrelde skep deur taal, hoe ons verlei en verlok word. Wetenskap laat ons terugtree en sien hoe taal gebruik word en ons ’n vashouplek gee. Dis ’n bevestiging dat ons wetenskap en loopbane iets bied aan die wêreld waarin ons is. Taal is ’n manier om ons wêreld te verbreed, grense oop te maak en ’n manier te gee om na die toekoms te kyk.”

News Archive

Resource Manual on Trafficking in Persons for Judicial Officers sees the light

2012-03-27

Judge Connie Mocumi, President of the South African Chapter of the International Association of Women Judges (SAC-IAWJ), during the launch of the Resource Manual on Trafficking in Persons for Judicial Officers.
Photo: Leonie Bolleurs
27 March 2012

On Human Rights Day the Department of Criminal and Medical Law in the Faculty of Law at the University of the Free State (UFS) hosted the launch of the Resource Manual on Trafficking in Persons for Judicial Officers compiled by the South African Chapter of the International Association of Women Judges (SAC-IAWJ).

The manual, which will be used by members of the South African judiciary, will equip officials in adjudicating the multifaceted crime of human trafficking.

“Presiding officers must be sensitised about the complexity of the crime. Human trafficking has many faces and presents itself in different ways. A person may for example be trafficked for sexual exploitation, forced labour, the removal of body parts, as well as forced marriages. Expert knowledge is needed to handle these cases effectively in court,” said Dr Kruger, also responsible for the human trafficking initiative in the Unit for Children's Rights at the UFS.

Prior to the launch, a total number of 300 judicial officers, including six judges from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) received training on human trafficking. After receiving this training, the officers were sensitised to scrutinise domestic violence cases as well as inter-country adoption cases in order to identify possible human trafficking activities.

As keynote speaker at the launch, Dr Beatri Kruger from the Department of Criminal and Medical Law at the UFS, said that human traffickers were running operations like a well-oiled machine. They have abundant and sophisticated resources and often bribe corrupt officials to further their criminal activities. In South Africa, people combating human trafficking struggle with a lack of resources as well as comprehensive legislation. Most cases are prosecuted under the Children’s Act and the Sexual Offences Amendment Act of 2007. Unfortunately, this legislation still leaves a gap in the prosecuting of perpetrators. Only trafficking cases where where children are trafficked can be prosecuted under the Children’s Act. In terms of the Sexual Offences Amendment Act perpetrators can be prosecuted for trafficking persons for sexual exploitation only, and not for labour of other forms of trafficking. Therefore the comprehensive Prevention and Combating of Trafficking in Persons Bill 2010 needs to be finalised to cover all forms of trafficking.

There are more slaves today than at any time in the history of humankind. “To combat this serious problem, we need to follow a holistic approach,” said Dr Kruger. This includes prevention (raising awareness), effective prosecution and suitable punishment, the protection of victims, and partnering with all relevant stakeholders, including people in the communities. Community members are often whistle blowers of this crime.

The President of the SAC-IAWJ, Judge Connie Mocumi, handed copies of the manual, a three-year project, to judicial officers present at the launch. The manual covers, among others, the definition of trafficking in persons, trafficking in persons in South Africa and the Southern African region, a legislative framework, victims’ rights and criminal proceedings.

“It is critical that judicial officers appreciate the phenomenon of trafficking in persons in its broader socio-economic context. Therein lays the ability to deal competently with the often-nuanced manifestation of this scourge. The incapacity to recognise these nuances can deny victims access to justice. In that regard, the manual, amongst others, is to become an important empowering adjudication tool for judicial officers,” said Judge Mocumi.

More copies will be printed and be ready for distribution by the beginning of May this year.

Judge Belinda van Heerden, who also attended the launch, said: “There is progress on the judicial and legislative front to bring wrongdoers to book. This manual will go a long way in giving judicial officers insight into the problem.”

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