PROJECT 2010 - Preparing South Africa for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™

Project 2010 - A Twenty Ten Media and Marketing Initiative

PREPARING SOUTH AFRICA FOR THE WORLD

Cities

Port Elizabeth: City loses out 0n 2010 millions – 05/11/2010

The Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality admitted it would not be able to recoup the R261-million the city spent on funding the 2010 World Cup, notes a Weekend Post report. While the city’s cash flow had been compromised by a myriad factors, overspending on the soccer event worsened the problem. In September The Herald reported that ratepayers had to fork out more than R62-million after a decision by the municipality to fast-track funding for 17 World Cup projects.

Full Weekend Post report

Cape Town: Stadium not a white elephant – Plato – 28/10/2010

There has been an ongoing public debate about the future of Cape Town Stadium, since the announcement that the operator and the City of Cape Town agreed to part ways. Poltics Web reports that it is a challenge, but not an unexpected one. Worldwide, many cities have taken time to find sustainable ways to manage and maintain facilities built for events such as the FIFA World Cup. The trick is to make it work, sustainably. This will take time, and it will take effort.

Full Politics Web report

Cape Town: WC lives up to its promises – 22/10/2010

For almost three quarters of the tourists who visited Cape Town and the Western Cape province of South Africa during June and July this year, the 2010 World Cup was their introduction to the city and province, while an overwhelming 90% said that they would visit the destination again. CBN reports that these are the findings of a 2010 Visitor Tracking Survey commisioned by Cape Town Routes Unlimited (CTRU), the tourism destination marketing organisation for Cape Town and the Western Cape, and performed by GAB Consulting during June and July 2010.

Full CBN report

Port Elizabeth: R163m boost for city – 15/10/2010

The 2010 World Cup generated more than R163- million in Nelson Mandela Bay and created 614 direct and 834 indirect job opportunities in the tourism sector, according to an impact assessment released by Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism (NMBT). The Weekend Post reports that the socio-economic assessment of the event’s impact on Nelson Mandela Bay and surrounds is based on returns received from a broad cross-section of the travel and tourism industry in the city. The economic benefit totalled about R163.6-million.

Full Weekend Post report

Cape Town: Stadium under the spotlight – 15/10/2010

The dreaded white elephant once again casts its shadow over Cape Town. The much opposed, Cape Town Stadium, is now walking a large and expensive tight rope between WE status and an iconic asset to the city. Sail Stadefrance was confident and bluster when it supposedly signed the contract or agreed to manage the stadium but it jumped ship without setting sail, leaving a massive world class stadium and an even more massive headache to the city, suggesting that it can’t make it work.

Full Real Estate report

Cape Town: Rugby ruled out at WC stadium – 10/10/2010

No rugby matches will be played at the Cape Town Stadium. That is the latest bad news for the Cape Town city council after it came to light that the SAIL Stadefrance Operating Company (SSOC) had pulled out of its proposed long-term lease agreement before it even came into effect, claiming it was too expensive to continue. The Western Province Rugby Union on Thursday said it would not be prepared to move any game – be it provincial match or a Test clash – to the R4.5 billion stadium.

Full Sport24 report

SA cities still waiting for FIFA payments - 08/10/2010

Nine Fifa World Cup host cities are demanding an estimated R500m that they claim Fifa owes them, according to a report in The Times. Durban City Manager Michael Sutcliffe told the paper yesterday that the host cities had been ’engaging’ with Fifa for at least three years but were still waiting to be paid for work done in the run-up to the tournament. Host city contracts with the world soccer body state that the cities are entitled to 10% of World Cup ticket sale.

Full report in The Times

Nelspruit: Legal action possible over name change - 23/09/2010Legal

The Lowveld Chamber of Business and Tourism is preparing for a legal battle with government over the name-change of Nelspruit to Mbombela. According to a Beeld report, the chamber is working with AfriForum’s lawyers to investigate the possibility of an application for an interdict. The government decided in October last year to change the name, but it was postponed temporarily at the request of Fifa, which had already listed Nelspruit as a host city for the World Cup.

Full Beeld report

Cape Town: City wants more time to mull 2020 bid – 21/09/2010

The City of Cape Town is appealing for a chance to assess whether it wants to bid to host the 2020 Olympic Games, notes a Cape Times report. ’We want a formal opportunity to consider a bid,’ said city spokesman Pieter Cronje. As the World Cup drew to a close, the International Olympic Committee invited South African cities to bid for the 2020 Olympics. While Durban was enthusiastic, Cape Town said it was unlikely to bid, saying the Olympics could not be compared to the World Cup.

Full Cape Times report

Cape Town: Ajax suffer CT Stadium loss – 21/09/2010CT

Ajax CEO George Comitis has revealed his side are unlikely to host matches at the Cape Town Stadium in future. Sport24 reports that the Parow-based outfit suffered a loss in revenue of around R300 000 after their 2-1 win over Platinum Stars at the World Cup stadium on Saturday. The Urban Warriors were aiming for a crowd of around 14 000 in order to make a profit from the tie, however they only managed half of that.

Full Sport24 report

Ajax suffer CT Stadium loss – 21/09/2010CT

Full Sport24 report

Durban: Only city responding to Olympic call – 09/09/2010

Durban has emerged as the only South African city on the starting blocks in the race to host the 2020 Olympic Games after Cape Town, Joburg and Port Elizabeth failed to respond to an invitation to bid from the SA Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc). According to a report on the IoL site, this was confirmed by Sascoc chief executive Tubby Reddy, who said the committee was surprised that Durban was the only city to respond to its call. However, he said Durban had shown strong intent and Sascoc would work with the city in seeking government support for a South African bid.

Full report on the IoL sitereport

Durban: Tourism bosses back city to host Olympics

The SA tourism industry has thrown its weight behind Durban to bid to host the 2020 or 2024 summer Olympic Games, notes a report on the IoL site. Leaders of four of the country’s most influential private sector tourism industry organisations have backed the port city to be South Africa’s candidate city for an Olympic bid. Marketing heavyweight Paul Bannister said the tourism industry was looking to capitalise on the World Cup success and looking to hosting more events, including the Olympics, to keep the momentum going and brand SA in the global limelight.

Full report on the IoL site

Nelspruit: Move to get name back - 06/09/2010

Residents and business leaders in Mbombela are seeking to change the Mpumalanga capital’s name back to Nelspruit, a Beeld report says. The Lowveld Chamber of Business and Tourism has started a petition and said they will take the matter to court if other options fail. The implementation of the name was postponed until after the 2010 World Cup on the request of FIFA.

Full Beeld report

Durban: Tenders flaw costs city dearly – 25/08/2010

The eThekwini municipality has misused supply chain management policy to award more than R1-billion in contracts to select companies in the past financial year, notes a report in The Mercury. According to a report before the council’s executive committee, Section 36 of the policy is to be used in exceptional cases where it is impractical or impossible to follow the official procurement process. However, ANC councillor Visvin Reddy said the municipality had used the section to award more than R1-billion in contracts between July 1 last year and June 30 this year. One such award was a R30-million contract given to SGB Cape to supply seats for Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadium, said Reddy.

Full report in The Mercury

Cape Town: City sponsors double-header – 20/08/2010

After a week of debating and unhappiness, the council has finally agreed to sponsor next week’s double-header soccer game at Cape Town Stadium, albeit at a reduced price, notes a Cape Times report. And soccer fans can expect a spike in ticket prices in the future, to sustain the stadium as the city looks for more ways to improve its income from ticket sales. Earlier, several mayoral committee (mayco) members voiced their disapproval at the spending of R1.8 million on hosting a PSL double-header next week. At a follow-up meeting, the committee agreed to pay a smaller amount of R1.4m for the game.

Full Cape Times report

Cape Town: New BA flight to SA - 05/08/2010

Cape Town has scored the first golden goal of the 2010 World Cup: a second daily passenger flight from London due to the Mother City’s sky-rocketing popularity among British tourists. British Airways this week announced results of a passenger survey that identified Cape Town as Brits’ favourite holiday destination. The Times notes that as a result, it will offer a second daily flight between Heathrow and Cape Town, before the 2010 summer holiday season.

Full report in The Times Full

Cape Town: BA passengers tip the Mother City – 28/07/2010

Cape Town is now the favourite destination for British Airlines (BA) passengers worldwide, and the airline is starting a new daily flight to Cape Town as from November. Fin24 reports that BA says its new Boeing 777 will be introduced for the route. Sue Botes, BA’s commercial manager in South Africa, says demand for flights to Cape Town was on the rise even before the 2010 World Cup tournament. Passengers throughout the world who fly BA have identified Cape Town as their favourite destination.

Full Fin24 report

Port Elizabeth: City still on a WC high - 14/07/2010

Tourists and football fans have streamed into Port Elizabeth in ’unprecedented’ numbers since the start of the World Cup, Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism (NMBT) said. ’Particularly on the day of a match played in the city, and on the day before and after, most establishments have been fully booked,’ said NMBT spokesperson Titus Chuene. Tallies were still being made and official figures would only be available towards the end of the month, ’but it appears visitors have come here in unprecedented numbers’, he said.

Full report on the IoL site

Cape Town: Get our stadium name right - 30/06/2010

The name of the Mother City’s 2010 stadium is Cape Town Stadium, not Green Point Stadium, the city said. Its communications department said Green Point had been a ’working title’ while the 68 000-seater stadium was under construction. ’The city would like to remind the public that the stadium’s official name is the Cape Town Stadium, as approved by council last year,’ it said in a statement.

Full report on the Sport24 site

Durban: City a big hit - 29/06/2010

An estimated 30 000 visitors have flocked to KwaZulu-Natal since the 2010 World Cup started, the provincial tourism department said. ’We had a target of 25 000 tourists visiting our province and we exceeded this. We have also noted that during match days the province attracts about 30 000 fans,’ MEC for economic development and tourism Mike Mabuyakhulu told journalists in Durban. According to a report on the IoL site, Durban’s FIFA Fan Fest was the most popular in the country, attracting more than 200 000 since the start of the tournament.

Full report on the IoL siteFull

Cape Town: Robben Island covered with soccer passion - 28/06/2010

Among the tourist attractions in South Africa on World Cup football fans ’must-do’ lists, one of the most notorious penal colonies of the last century is right up there. SPort24 reports that Robben Island, a barren outcrop off the Cape Town coast, is best known for being home to political prisoners jailed by the old apartheid government, most famously former leader Nelson Mandela and current president Jacob Zuma.

Full Sport24 reportSport24

Durban: Surfing the WC wave – 25/06/2010

It may be winter in South Africa, with Arctic temperatures swirling around Johannesburg for evening World Cup games, but the Indian Ocean city of Durban is thriving in its sub-tropical climate, notes a report on the IoL site. ’The warmest place to be,’ boast the posters promoting the 2010 World Cup of Durban, host to seven matches including a semi-final. Well, they weren’t lying, and bar a couple of monsoon-like downpours, it is winter in name only. Surfers ride the waves, football and cricket games dot the wide sandy beach, and others merely content themselves with a gentle stroll in temperatures that can surpass 25 degrees C in the day.

Full report on the IoL site

Durban: SA impresses tourists – 24/06/2010

2010 World Cup visitors have been so impressed with South African hospitality they will become the country’s tourism ambassadors when they return to their countries, Durban’s mayor said. Sport24 reports that Obed Mlaba said he met many visitors who had been singing the host country’s praises. ’They will go back with a different view of our country. Many came here thinking that they were visiting a very harsh and hostile country. They have been treated well and they are happy.’

Full Sport24 reportSport24

Cape Toen: Dutch fans to paint city orange – 23/06/2010

As far as the Dutch are concerned, things couldn’t be better in Cape Town. Large numbers of fans of the Dutch soccer team have promised to paint the city centre orange on Thursday for their team’s World Cup match against Cameroon. Sport24 reports that the match will begin at 20:30 at Cape Town Stadium, but thousands of members of the Royal Netherlands Football Association, Supporter’s Club Oranje and De Oranjecamping were expected at the official FIFA Fan Fest at the Grand Parade in the early afternoon.

Full Sport24 reportSport24

Cape Town: City set for massive party – 10/06/2010

The Mother City is preparing for a party expected to draw over 60 000 people to celebrate the opening of the World Cup on Thursday, the City of Cape Town said. Sport24 reports that roads in and around the city centre will close from 14:00 to midnight to make way for a FIFA World Cup street festival. Up to 17 000 people were expected to attend the event at the official Grand Parade Fan Fest site, with another 50 000 people expected to gather in the city centre for the ’Welcome the World to the Mother City’ street festival.

Full Sport24 report

Durban: Stick to WC traffic rules – 08/06/2010

Durban city manager Mike Sutcliffe has called on 240 transport operators contracted to the city to operate from park-and-ride venues during the 2010 World Cup to obey the rules. The Sowetan reports that Sutcliffe, speaking at the launch of the transport shuttle service, told the transport operators that the city’s traffic police would not harass them if they abided by the rules of the road.

Full report in The Sowetan

Cape Town: Road closures during street festival – 08/06/2010

The City of Cape Town has announced a series of road closures for its spectacular street festival to ’welcome the world to the Mother City’. On Thursday, 10 June, some 17 000 revellers are expected to gather at the FIFA Fan Fest on the Grand Parade and another 50 000 in the city centre. ’This party promises to be bigger, better and safer than any of the City’s previous parties. But with safety in mind, the City will be closing certain roads from 14:00 to 24:00 on that day,’ says Executive Mayor Dan Plato.

Full press releasepress

Durban: King Shaka prepares for fans – 03/06/2010

KwaZulu-Natal’s King Shaka International Airport will move its public pick-up and drop-off areas in anticipation of the thousands of passengers who will pass through the airport during the 2010 World Cup. To accommodate the ’unprecedented high number of airline passengers into Durban’ for the tournament, Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) has developed a Special Transport Operational Plan.

Full All Africa report

King Shaka prepares for fans – 03/06/2010

Full All Africa report