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FIFA 2010 World Cup

The World Cup is a platform for legacy building

Mon, 12 May 2008 08:40

The FIFA 2010 World Cup will not only be a momentous international sporting event for South Africa, but it will also a serve as a platform upon which legacies can be built to support development long after the final whistles been blown.

Although tourism is the industry set to benefit the most from the championship, the positive spin-offs will be felt in almost every sector of South Africa's economy, both large and small.

The hospitality trade is indisputably the first in line to enjoy long-term benefits of the world cup tournament as hundred of thousands of soccer fans stream into the country.

Hotels and resorts are planned across South Africa, and huge investments are being made into key tourist attractions like the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town and the national game parks, not to mention new rest camps, Bed and Breakfast establishments, guest houses, restaurants and car rental fleets.

Some 9 500 non-hotel establishments are expected to be graded by the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa ahead of 2010, and added sophistication will enhance tour operator programmes and businesses throughout South Africa.

Aside from the monetary injections, the preparations towards hosting the world cup will prove an invaluable learning curve for this sector and stand it in good stead for decades to come.

Given that Africa still has only 2 percent of the global travel and tourism market, there is great potential for the tourism industry to continue to capitalise on the burst of growth the world cup will generate.

South Africa's broader infrastructure, meanwhile, has received a massive shot in the arm of R17.4 billion from the government in preparation of the event.

Aside from the state-of-the-art stadiums that have been built in all of the major cities, a revolutionised public transport system is a major legacy South Africa will secure from hosting the event.

The focus here is on upgraded roads and bus transit systems, improved rail services, and the recapitalisation of the taxi industry in a bid to encourage commuters to use public transport.

Of significance is the impetus the event has given to the world-class R25 billion Gautrain project, a rapid rail linking Johannesburg, Pretoria, OR Tambo International Airport, Rosebank and Sandton.

The first phase, which involves the construction of the airport-Sandton stretch of the Gautrain, and the link from Sandton to Midrand where the train and bus depot and operations control centre will be located, is on schedule to be completed in time for the world cup.

Aside from transporting visitors in 2010, Gautrain will provide the world with a shining example of South Africa's vision, skill and determination to make a project of this size and scope a reality.

At the same time, the country's main airports are undergoing vast improvements ahead of the tournament; OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, for one, will have increased its capacity by 50 percent on the completion of major construction currently in progress.

An improved communication infrastructure is another infrastructural legacy to be born of the world cup event.

A FIFA requirement when awarding South Africa the opportunity to host the event was that broadcasting be changed to digital format.

This has necessitated a major upgrade of South Africa’s broadcast network and a R1 billion switchover from analogue signal to digital terrestrial television.

By 2010, close to 80 percent of South Africans watching the world cup will have access to digital television.

FIFA also required that South Africa’s telecommunication infrastructure be upgraded to make broadband accessible to all its venues.

This means that for many South Africans, access to broadband internet will become a reality sooner than expected.

The legacy of the world cup is already manifesting itself on the cities skylines, in the form of cranes, concrete mixers, bricks and mortar.

The event sparked a flurry of activity in the construction industry which has offset a momentum that will last long after the football fans have left.

The number of formal jobs in the construction industry has risen to 100 000 compared to 60 000 three years ago, and some experts expects this to rise to more than 160 000 by 2013.

Opportunities for the creative industries to reach much bigger audiences – and make a lasting impression – abound.

The world cup will also offer an additional incentive to rekindle a sense of national pride, patriotism, greater social cohesion and support of our home-grown products and services.

Therefore while the world cup remains a landmark year to look forward to, the real benefits will only come after 2010 in the form of improved infrastructure, rising asset prices, increased flow of fixed investment, tourism and trade, as well as a rejuvenated confidence in what South Africa, as a united nation, can achieve.

- BuaNews