The Eastern Cape Geographical Names Council says proposed new names for Port Alfred, Alexandria and the Kowie River are part of a global effort to restore indigenous identity and undo colonial erasure. But for some residents and business owners the changes threaten to erase decades of brand equity, damage tourism and destabilise the local economy. Jennifer Schoultz argues that heritage preservation and economic sense can, and should, coexist.

The towns of Port Alfred and Alexandria are more than geographic locations - they are established brands with deep historical, cultural and economic value. The proposed name changes by the Eastern Cape Provincial Geographical Names Committee (ECPGNC) threaten to erase decades of brand equity, disrupt tourism and investment and impose significant financial and logistical costs on the community and local economy.

Place names can carry enormous equity and, like any strong brand, can be a magnet for tourism and investment. Cape Town, New York, Paris, Venice, Stellenbosch - their names aren't just geographic labels, they're shorthand for an experience, a promise, history and a set of mental associations. They live in people's imaginations before they even arrive.

That's why countries spend billions building and protecting place brands. Port Alfred has immense intangible value, as did Port Elizabeth. Familiarity, trust and recognition. And then emotion, history, memories and associations.

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Gqeberha, Makhanda and Tshwane don't really stand for anything, not because the names themselves don't have inherent meaning, but because no equity has been built into them. And rebranding, done properly, should carry through the positive equity, values, icons and memories of the place. The renaming is simply to break from a...