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PREPARING SOUTH AFRICA FOR THE WORLD |
With just under year remaining until the World Cup gets underway, Project 2010 spoke to German national Wadim Schreiner, who is the managing director of international media research company Media Tenor...  How do you compare the situation in Germany one year before the 2006 kick off and the situation in South Africa with a year remaining before the tournament gets underway? I can only talk from a media point of view, but I believe many South Africans are disappointed by the perceived lack of hype. However, the perception in Germany was very much the same at this point with the excitement only starting with the Confederations Cup. I expect it will be the same situation here. What are the biggest lessons we can take from Germany as the hosts of the 2006 World Cup? I think the biggest lesson is that it would be wrong to try and copy Germany, because the conditions are very different and very unique. But we can learn from how Germany managed to mobilise their population. Of course, it is well know that the Germans were very reserved until the World Cup, but the tournament turned it around. South Africa can do the same - the country can continue on the path from 1994 and make a real difference. What are the current perceptions of South Africa's 2010 preparations in Germany? Again, speaking from a media perspective, there has been a great deal of apprehension. The German media has consistently been very critical South Africa - of the 25 countries we are currently analysing, the most critical. There is, of course a preconceived idea of Africa and, as a result, a great deal of skepticism that South Africa can pull it off. But this seems to be changing and the German media at this point in time is giving the benefit of the doubt. The key test will be the Confederations Cup…if that goes ok, the perceptions will change. What do you see as the biggest hurdles SA still faces in the build up to 2010? The biggest hurdle will be South Africans themselves. It is critical to mobilise the support on the ground, to mobilise the energy. In terms of safety and security and meeting FIFA's requirements, South Africa will be fine. more interviews...
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