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S.African energy crisis could harm 2010 Cup, tourism

Written by admin

Thursday, 24 January 2008

CAPE TOWN (Reuters) - South Africa's power crisis could undermine the country's successful hosting of the 2010 FIFA World Cup and also harm tourism, industry authorities warned on Wednesday.

Rolling electricity outages in the past two weeks have highlighted state power utility Eskom's struggles to keep up with increasing demand from a growing economy.

Eskom plans to spend 300 billion rands on new power stations over the next five years. The company has said energy-intensive new investments should be reviewed until power supply improves around 2013.

Officials said the tourism industry was worried it would lose business and that the country would be unable to cater for some 300,000 visitors expected for the 2010 soccer extravaganza.

"The stadiums may have all the most wonderful (electricity) generators in the world to broadcast the games," said Michael Tatalias, chief executive of the SA Tourism Services Association.

"But, will people come (to South Africa)... if they know they will be going back to hotels and guest houses with no power?" he said in a statement.

In Cape Town, the country's main tourist destination for foreigners, top-rated restaurants and smaller hotels were already straining to cope with the power cuts.

"It's been very terrible on business. On Monday night I turned less than a third of the normal business when the lights went off out of the blue," said Saye Winters, general manager at Cape Town's only Vietnamese restaurant, the 110-seater Saigon Restaurant.

She said customers left behind half-finished meals in the darkened restaurant, while waiters and bartenders expressed frustation at losing out on much-needed tips.

Larger hotels such as the Mount Nelson Hotel and Table Bay Hotel, both members of the Leading Hotels of the World consortium, have generators as back-up and have been mostly insulated against the blackouts.

A city official said unannounced power cuts hampered security camera monitoring and compromised visitors' safety at tourist hotspots.

"It wont take long for criminals to exploit the opportunities created," said Simon Grindrod, an opposition party councillor responsible for tourism and economic development.

South Africa is saddled with one of the highest crime rates in the world.

Hundreds of tourists spent an uncertain night on Table Mountain on Monday when power supplies to the cable car was disrupted.

Reuters

2010 a chance for the poor

Written by admin

Wednesday, 16 January 2008

Cape Town - The 2010 Soccer World Cup is throwing up
opportunities for poor communities to make a little money out of the event, despite the hard-nosed approach that Fifa and the local organisers take towards World Cup merchandising.

That approach is demonstrated by the fact that three companies are expected to face the wrath of Fifa in the new year over various 2010 trademark and copyright issues.

The governing body has targeted the Eastwood Tavern, a sports bar in Pretoria, Executive African Trading, which produces key rings and ornaments and World Cup Homes, which is offering accommodation for the tournament.

According to the Project 2010 website, the cases mark the first time that civil litigation, based on unlawful competition, has been brought against parties accused of transgressing the criminal provisions of the Merchandise Marks Act.

Enabling the informal sector

Project 2010 also reported that Global Brands, the master licensee for Fifa merchandise, is now working on a deal that could help local street traders cash in on the world cup.

The company said the plan would enable the informal sector to retail exclusive world cup goods in the build-up to 2010. It is reportedly developing a programme where hawkers could buy the licensed products and sell them around the country.

Clothing represents the biggest percentage of the licensed merchandise, while soccer balls, toys, publishing and headgear make up the balance.

Local organising committee CEO Danny Jordaan is reported as
having long supported a world cup tournament that aids the economically disadvantaged in South Africa and other countries around the continent. Jordaan said that 2010 organisers are operating with a World Cup budget of R3.2bn and the intention is to create jobs and encourage the formation of more
small, medium and micro enterprises.

Thousands of new jobs

And, according to a skills audit by the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, the World Cup has opened up about 80 000 job opportunities in the local tourism and hospitality sector.

The audit indicated that over the next three years, the industry will require about 24 100 cooks and chefs, 23 500 waiters and waitresses, 15 000 cleaners, 7 800 cashiers and 8 000 managerial staff. The tourism industry is to make up about 12% of the country's GDP by the time the competition comes around.

Construction of bed and breakfast facilities has already begun in some deep rural parts of Limpopo in preparation for expected visitors during the cup. A R15m rand EU-funded project has started in the areas of Muhlava, Sekgopo and Thabina villages outside Tzaneen in the Mopani district municipality. The
site where these accommodation establishments are being constructed is about a 30 minutes drive from Polokwane - which will host some of the matches.

Art gets boost

The website also reports that a young KwaZulu-Natal artist Sicelo Ziqubu is creating 2010-themed papier-maché decorated thrones which are being snapped up. Ziqubu, who is being noticed for his intricate themed chairs or thrones, has
sold a 2010 work to a major shoe retailer who is planning to display it in various outlets around the province in the run up to the world cup and is creating another 2010 art work for the eThekwini municipality.

Greg May, head of the Fresh Paint Gallery, said Ziqubu spent a good deal of time over the past two weeks working at the gallery on his latest creations. Currently the gallery has four of his themed chairs - two 2010 chairs, his Noah's Ark chair and a BEE chair.

Other artists are also working on 2010 themed projects. They include Tomas Majebe from Cameroon who is making a 'small fortune' selling his oil on canvas 2010 stadium paintings at flea markets. In Garankuwa, Peter Malherbe has spent thousands of hours building model 2010 stadiums out of matches.

In Cape Town, Michael Souter heads a team of workers from an informal settlement who make 2010-themed makarabas (safety helmets) out of plastic mining hats. And Katlehong resident Doris Shikwambane is already stockpiling hand-made world cup bead bracelets and necklaces.

- I-Net Bridge

Centre Brings 2010 Stadium to Life

Written by admin
Wednesday, 16 January 2008
Durban The recently opened visitors' centre at Durban's 2010 FIFA World Cup venue, the Moses Mabhida Stadium, has given the public a chance to learn more about stadium design and to watch the ongoing construction from a viewing deck. Visitors to the centre, for which there is no entry fee, will also be able to gain information on other developments planned by the city of Durban ahead of hosting the tournament, reports Southafrica.info. The centre, which was opened by eThekwini Mayor Obed Mlaba in December, features user-friendly panels, graphics and photographs providing details on a number of aspects of the stadium's development. One set of panels is about the Kings Park sporting precinct, in which the stadium is located; one set is about the stadium design and construction; another provides information on the economic benefits of the stadium's construction; and a further one provides a history of Moses Mabhida, after whom the stadium is named. Durban 2010 strategic projects unit head Julie-May Ellingson said while the centre was open to all, a special focus had been put on providing information suitable for school children, bringing the stadium and other development plans closer to those who would reap the greatest benefit from the massive investment in the city. Mr Ellingson said the centre would make construction and development more comprehensible to youngsters and provide them with information on the range of careers offered in this sector. Schools would be encouraged to bring pupils to the centre to share in the excitement of the build-up to 2010. "The centre that you see today is only the first phase of this exciting project. Future expansions will include the provision of exciting construction and soccer-related activities, which will provide first-hand experience of these issues to the citizens of Durban. "Our aim is to update the centre on a regular basis, so that people will enjoy a different experience each time they visit," Mr Ellingson said. The R2.6-billion stadium being constructed as a key venue for the world cup is also to leave a legacy that promotes multi-disciplinary sporting codes including football, rugby and athletics. As the backbone for the new Kings Park Sporting Precinct, the stadium is designed to be a multi-functional, hard-working and easy-to-maintain asset for Durban, from which every resident and ratepayer can benefit. The creation of the precinct means that Durban will be one of the few African cities able to host most of the Olympic disciplines within a single sporting zone. By hosting major sporting and other events, the city aims to attract investment and increase employment beyond 2010. The Moses Mabhida stadium would integrate a vast range of sports, commercial and retail activities, thus developing a new urban district where the stadium would play "a lively and essential role," Mr Ellingson said. Source: All Africa

2010 Draw Sets Stage for World Cup Soccer

Written by admin
Sunday, 25 November 2007
Cape Town The stage was set for 30 months of exciting football on Sunday when Africa's nations learned who their teams have to beat to get to the 2010 World Cup finals. In a two-hour ceremony, broadcast live from Durban's International Convention Centre, iconic figures from the soccer world conducted the preliminary draw for the tournament, allocating national teams to their qualifying pools. The draw for Africa served a dual purpose: it also assigned teams to their groups for the Africa Cup of Nations tournament in 2010. Some of the highlights of the draw: In a development that drew an excited response from the audience at the convention centre, South Africa and Nigeria were placed in the same group. (However, South Africa, as the World Cup host, is guaranteed a place in those finals even if it does not advance out of the group.) Cameroon was in a group with Cape Verde, Tanzania and Mauritius. Algeria and Senegal will play in the same group. Egypt is in a group which also comprises the Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi and Djibouti. The full draw: Group 1: Cameroon, Cape Verde Islands, Tanzania, Mauritius Group 2: Kenya, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Guinea Group 3: Niger, Uganda, Benin, Angola Group 4: Nigeria, South Africa, Equatorial Guinea, Sierra Leone Group 5: Lesotho, Gabon, Libya, Ghana Group 6: Gambia, Liberia, Algeria, Senegal Group 7: Madagascar, Botswana, Côte d'Ivoire, Mozambique Group 8: Mauritania, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Morocco Group 9: Seychelles, Burundi, Burkina Faso, Tunisia Group 10: Chad, Sudan, Mali, Congo-Brazzaville Group 11: Swaziland, Zambia, Togo, Eritrea Group 12: Djibouti, Malawi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt

S. Africans to Receive World Cup Tickets Free

Written by admin
Sunday, 25 November 2007
FIFA’s president, Joseph S. Blatter, is confident South Africa’s stadiums will be built on time for the 2010 World Cup. Construction workers will get a bonus if they do not strike again. Local fans will get cheap and even free tickets to games. In fact, the only people missing out on the eve of today’s World Cup draw appear to be the English. Having missed out on the European championships, they now find it will be even harder to get to the 2010 World Cup. After South Africa was chosen as the host of the 2010 Cup, work on constructing or renovating 10 stadiums began so slowly that there were strong fears they might not be finished in time. A strike this month held up construction of the Moses Madhiba Stadium in Durban and union leaders threatened similar disruption at the other nine sites. “We are not only confident but we are sure that all the construction will be ready for the 2010 World Cup,” said Blatter, who visited the Durban stadium yesterday. Organizers also announced that many of the tickets for the 64 games will be sold at big discounts to local fans, most of whom cannot afford the regular World Cup rates. The cheapest ticket at last year’s championship in Germany cost $51. Up to 20 percent of the tickets sold for the group games in South Africa will be as low as $20. Some will even be free. Organizers are working out a system of distributing 120,000 free tickets, which will go only to local fans. The June 11 opening game and July 11 final of the 2010 World Cup will be in Johannesburg’s Soccer City stadium. Blatter’s stadium visit came on the eve of the draw at Durban’s International Convention Center, where England will be fearing the worst.

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