Opportunities galore for businesses at 2010 WC - 02/06/2006
The myriad business opportunities that should stem from PE‘s hosting of the WC in 2010 came under the spotlight. The opportunities were showcased at the quarterly Eastern Cape Economic Update, held at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University. The Herald reports that "about 100 small enterprise owners, mostly from the black business sector, attended the briefing session by Nelson Mandela Bay municipal structures, including the Mandela Bay Development Agency and Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism."
His Majesty King Mswati III has appointed a team of four ministers to formulate a programme that will look into the projects to benefit the country’s tourism and business sector in the 2010 WC projects. The Swazi Observer reports that "in an interview conducted after the Opening Ceremony of this year’s Inter-Twinning Municipal Games held in Nelspruit, Minister of Housing and Urban Development Mabili Dlamini said the King had expressed his desire to see the country benefit in this event."
Call for SADC countries to focus on 2010 - 19/5/2006
Swaziland Minister of Tourism, Environment and Communications, Thandi Shongwe, has urged members of other SADC countries to focus on the 2010 WC to be held in SA because it comes with attractive business opportunities. The Swazi Observer reports that "she believed that these should not come about as a stroke of good luck but should be the result of vigorous work by the region to drive such benefits towards their economies."
Acsa sets 2010 expansion programme into motion - 12/05/2006
Airports Company South Africas (Acsas) three main airports are hubs of activity as the companys R5.2bn infrastructure expansion programme takes off in earnest. The Sunday Times reports that "to cater for this growing demand as well as the anticipated influx of tourists into the country for the 2010 Fifa soccer World Cup tournament, Acsa put together a capacity development plan which it is currently implementing on schedule and in line with the Companys broader strategic vision to provide world class airport services."
DSG International PLC, the pan-European electricals retailer, upped its full year profit guidance as it reported better-than-expected second half sales, driven by new technology digital products, particularly flat panel televisions, as punters get ready for this summers WC. Forbes.com reports that "CE John Clare expects the switchover to digital from analogue in the UK to start to benefit TV sales from 2007, with the big boost coming in 2009 and 2010."
Football fans worldwide are looking forward to next months WC in Germany. Investors are already anticipating the 2010 tournament in SA. SA construction stocks such as Aveng, the countrys largest builder, and Johannesburg-based Group Five have jumped more than 30% this year. Bloomberg.com reports that "they are benefiting from the start of R370bn rand in spending over five years to prepare for the competition."
Allied Electronics Corporation (Altron) said it remains positive about the short to medium term outlook for the groups businesses due to the governments commitment to increase investment in the countrys power generation, transmission and distribution capacity. According to a report on the iafrica.com site, "other positive factors include the forecast for infrastructure spend required to meet the needs of the Soccer World Cup 2010; the continuing strong conditions in the building and construction industries; the conversion of the financial industry to the EMV standard; the deregulation of and growth in the rapidly expanding SA telecoms industry; and the improving business environment in the IT sector."
SA textile industry needs 2010 WC contract - 07/05/2006
Will SAs battered textile industry benefit from the highly lucrative WC 2010 soccer merchandise splurge? The Daily News reports that "sales of T-shirts, jerseys, flags, scarves, hats, caps and other soccer paraphernalia are expected to sky-rocket, generating millions for the industry, but fears abound that the lucrative contracts might go to China."
Strongman Khoza tries to muscle his way into 2010 action - 05/05/2006
Controversial football strongman Irvin Khoza, sidelined from direct involvement in the 2010 WC, is attempting to muscle his way into the action via the commercial company that will look after Bafana Bafana. According to a Mail & Guardian Online report, "attempts to get businessmen Saki Macozoma and Patrice Motsepe to serve on the newly established commercial wing of the SA Football Association could be scuppered by senior officials within the PSL, who want to see the board chaired by Orlando Pirates owner Khoza."
New cashless 2010 World Cup concept to be launched - 05/05/2006
A new concept using cellphone technology to facilitate purchases by customers at hotels will be launched this month, Fedhasa chairperson Brett Dungan explains. What about a cashless World Cup in 2010 in SA. According to a report on the iafrica.com report, "a new concept which will be launched at the World Tours Meeting this month, using cellphone technology to facilitate purchases by customers at hotels."
World Cup expected to surpass Big Brother - 04/05/2006
In Brazil, the biggest annual Internet event has traditionally been the country’s version of the reality show Big Brother. Business Day reports that "this year that tradition is expected to be broken, it is expected that the World Cup will surpass Big Brother."
Electronic Arts has shipped its 2006 Fifa WC game, and announces an extension of its long-term development partnership with Fifa. Digital Trends reports that "the 2006 edition of its Fifa World Cup series integrates the real-life capabilities of nearly 100 superstars, incorporating their signature playing styles and flair moves into the video game, and Electronic Arts also announced that EA and Fifa have extended their long-term partnership which grants EA exclusive rights to develop Fifa soccer games across all consoles, mobile phones, and online formats through the World Cup games in 2010 and 2014."
Budweiser has been the official beer at every Fifa WC since 1986 and the extension of this partnership by a further eight years in the beer product category, awards Anheuser-Busch global rights to both the 2010 WC in SA as well as the 2014 Fifa WC. SportBuisness.com reports that "Fifa President Sepp Blatter said that the fact that Anheuser-Busch was extending its involvement with Fifa was testimony to the immense appeal of football as a game and to Fifa as a superior marketing platform for transporting a brand far and wide around the world.”
World Cup buzz sets off trademark rush - 28/04/2006
Trademark registration in SA has soared as foreign and local companies rush to secure the rights to names and ideas that could be associated with the 2010 Soccer WC. Business Day reports that "about 27000 trademarks were registered in the department’s financial year ended March, compared with an average of about 24000 a year."
SA hotels prepare for huge influx in 2010 - 24/04/2006
Brett Dungan has lost R800 000 to fraud in the seven years that he has owned his hotel. Now, he is trying to do something about it. He plans to allow hotel patrons to have their credit cards processed through a cellphone rather than a card machine. The Mercury reports that "its aim is to increase security and customers across the country by 2010 and to ensure that SA hotels can safely handle the huge influx of visitors for the World Cup."
In this sports-mad world in which we live, one large beer brewer is conspicuous by its absence in the world of football sponsorship - our very own SABMiller. Business Day reports that "Anheuser-Busch, brewer of the world’s largest selling beer, Budweiser, is the official beer sponsor of the Fifa Soccer WC in 2010 and Heineken recently announced that it would be the official sponsor for the Rugby World Cup in France next year."
Australian football has cashed in on the unprecedented wave of WC excitement by signing an astonishing $120m television deal that secures the future of the sport in this country. The Advertiser reports that "this means that the SBS network, for years the torch carrier for football here and which currently holds the rights to show the Socceroos, will be left with its UEFA Champions League coverage and the 2010 and 2014 World Cup finals."
Emirates Airlines has signed on as Fifas sixth and final major sponsor for the next three World Cups. This means that SA Airways has lost out on a major marketing opportunity in 2010. SABC News reports that "the other blow was the recent news that Budweiser will be 2010s official beer, with the SA Breweries losing out on sponsoring SAs biggest sporting showpiece."
Four brand new hotels will be built at the V&A Waterfront in response to the growth in tourism to Cape Town and the hosting of the 2010 WC in SA. The Cape Times reports that "two of the hotels will be three-star hotels, aimed at the domestic market."
PE businesses to benefit from R2bn WC boost - 12/04/2006
Economic benefits of almost R2bn could flow into the hands of Nelson Mandela Bay businesses during the preparation and event phases of the 2010 WC, said SA Football Association CE Danny Jordaan. The Herald reports that "he was briefing PE businessmen at an FNB-organised business function."
Real cost of proposed Green Point stadium is R3bn - 02/04/2006
Cape Town faces a further soccer WC shock as the real cost of the proposed stadium in Green Point could be closer to R3bn than the R1.4bn estimate that has been tabled before the mayoral committee. The Cape Argus reports that "a top city official, who asked not to be named, said that transport and other infrastucture costs would double the real cost of the project."
Direct sponsorship of the 2010 WC finals will be confined to just six sponsors . But that will not preclude some SA companies from having a direct association with the event. World footballs governing body is now offering three separate tiers for interested partners. Financial Mail reports that "Fifa partners are limited to six and have rights across all the Fifa competitions for the period 2007-2014."
Royal Dutch Shell has one word to offer on the subject of its musical oil barrels. What? says Alexandra Wright, Shells spokesperson, in London. In a column in Business Report, Craig Copeta says the World Cup is about to change Shells tune. Oil drum music is infectious, says Sepp Blatter, the president of Fifa, soccers global governing body and organiser of the 2006 World Cup in Germany in June. Blatter envisions the rum poured and a conga line ensuing around the 10 000 steel-drum pan men expected to follow the Trinidad and Tobago Calypso Carnival Warriors team.
MTN to be official cellular network provider for 2010 - 22/03/2006
SAs second cellular network provider announced that it had signed an exclusive agreement with the SA Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) to broadcast the Fifa WC 2006 on cellphones. Engineering News reports that "MTN SA GM corporate affairs and marketing Bernice Samuels said that the group would be able to use the platform of soccer as a medium to grow the brand on the continent, and to broaden its footprint."
Eskom forced to speed up investment programme - 07/03/2006
Eskom has been forced to speed up its planned investment programme dramatically in a bid to meet spiralling demand and avoid future rolling blackouts around the country. According to a reort on the iafrica.com site, "the increase in demand for electricity has caught Eskom off-guard, and demand will rise even further if government succeeds in meeting its six percent growth target by 2010, as outlined in the Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative (Asgisa)."
New credit card for football enthusiasts - 06/03/2006
Brazilian football legend Pele is in SA to launch a new credit card for football enthusiasts wanting to make a meaningful contribution to the future of football development in this country. According to a report on the News24 site, "Pele, the worlds most celebrated football player, is on a two-day visit as a guest of Standard Bank and MasterCard International, an official sponsor of the 2006 Fifa World Cup in Germany, and is in SA to launch the Fifa World Cup Card issued by Standard Bank."
Lack of skills may affect 2010 construction boom - 27/02/2006
Companies were likely to get only a tiny piece of the anticipated construction boom pie because of the lack of welding engineers and supervisors, warned Jim Guild, the president of the Southern African Institute of Welders (SAIW). However, Guild said it was difficult to come up with an exact figure of the skills shortage. According to Business Report, "South African employers in the metal and engineering sectors are currently importing foreign skills ... There is an urgent need to train well-skilled welders in the country ahead of the construction boom expected."
SMMEs biggest beneficiaries of World Cup - 24/02/2006
Small, micro, and medium enterprises (SMMEs) will be the biggest beneficiaries of the 2010 WC. Most of the bigger deals, which include partnership and sponsorship opportunities, have already been sold to multinationals. Moneyweb reports that "while there is still limited opportunity for four or so big companies to get a slice of the action, SMMEs will be the real beneficiaries in the 2010 World Cup."
For SA to take advantage of direct opportunities presented by the 2010 WC, an element of thinking outside the box beyond direct football or Fifa opportunities was required, Chris Patricios, said the manager of hospitality, leisure and tourism at KMPG. According to Business Report, "foreign soccer spectators, of whom 300 000 to 400 000 are expected, are forecast to spend R9.8bn during the event. It would be a mistake to expect a huge windfall merely because SA is hosting the World Cup, he said."
SA will spend up to R5bn on infrastructure for the 2010 WC, the National Treasury said. Presenting the governments 2006 budget, Finance Minister Trevor Manuel said about R3bn of this would be set aside over the next three fiscal years. According to a report on the News24 site, "SA has secured the rights to host the 2010 soccer showpiece and plans to use a maximum of 10 stadiums - five of which will be constructed, with the remainder being refurbished."
