The Springboks recently unveiled a new player: Bokkie, an animated mascot who is part of Sunrise Productions’ award-winning Jungle Beat TV series, which has already been broadcast in more than 100 countries.

Bokkie made his first appearance at the launch of SARU’s Champion Tour and can be spotted here.

The new character will become a familiar face around South African rugby, with a line of Bokkie-branded children’s clothing in production and marketing and merchandising campaigns planned through the rest of the year.

 “Bokkie is a character who communicates to all South African communities and to all ages, as well as to rugby audiences in other nations,” said South African Rugby Union (SARU) brand manager Sarah Williams. 

“He is a Springbok character who is appealing, but has ‘attitude’ to fit the rough and tumble world of rugby. The huge benefit to SARU is that he will assist in developing a broader awareness of rugby among the youth. Bokkie will have his own Jungle Beat episodes and will be entered into major and even Oscar-qualifying film festivals." "All this will continue to build Bokkie’s profile while he remains clearly identified with SARU.”

Sunrise Productions’ Phil Cunningham explains. “The concept is that when Bokkie is in the Jungle Beat context, he is like Clarke Kent but when he puts on the Springbok’s green jersey he becomes like Superman.  Retailers know that rugby sells and they know that character sells, so by combining the two we have a potential phenomenon and should be a well ahead of other nations in this regard.”

This is just the latest breakthrough for Sunrise Productions, who are pioneering TV-related merchandising in South Africa, having already extended the Jungle Beat brand into local licensing deals with retailers Woolworths and Ackermans, theatrical distributor Nu Metro, Pearson Education, Your Child Kid’s Expo, bus company Intercape and various airlines, including South African Airways, British Airways, and Emirates. 

The show has won 10 international awards, most recently in the Animation Category of LG Life’s Good FilmFest. For more information, please click here or watch Jungle Beat here.

Kevin Kriedemann