2010 World Cup South Africa

2010 World Cup South Africa

With the preparations being made, could this be a transition of a third world country to a first world one?

Research has shown that since world cup 2006 in Germany, German tourism has rocketed, employment has grown, investor confidence has hit an all-time high, and the mood of the people has been transformed. But is this aftermath also possible with the 2010 world cup to be held in a third world country, South Africa (SA)? From my own point of view, with the preparations underway ahead of the 2010 world cup, I believe it is possible and therefore, I can confidently say that a transition of SA from a third world country to a first world one is possible. A consulting firm, Grant Thornton estimated that the event will contribute at least R51.1bn to the country’s GDP.

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One may ask, but how can we associate a soccer world cup with sustainable technology? Well, my answer is a simple one: development and preparations! These can indirectly or directly involve technology and along the process, sustain it. For my first research, I am going to look up into three areas involving preparations for the world cup namely; stadia, accommodation along with communication and transport.
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One SA official was quoted saying “The environmental impact of the 2010 world cup has to be kept to a minimum. It is essential to ensure that the world cup be hosted in a sustainable manner.” But what did he mean when he made this statement? Well, in my own words, he meant that air pollution, emissions and misuse of land had to be significantly reduced by 2010. I will first touch on stadiums. Ten world-class stadiums are being constructed ahead of the 2010 world cup with all of them expected to be 100% complete by October 2009. Out of the 10 stadiums, 4 are being upgraded, one of them Soccer City having the largest capacity of 94, 700, one is complete and five more are under construction. These stadiums are an example of sustainable technology as they will still be used after the world cup comes to an end.
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Secondly, the Nepad e-Africa Commission is planning a mega sea cable broadband by 2010. The project is estimated to cost R14bn. The cable will span the east and west coasts of Africa, terrestrial networks including landlocked countries connecting Africa with Brazil, Europe, India and The Middle East. On to housing, a US-German venture could see eight new luxury hotels being built in SA, 2 expected to be up and running before 2010. The Rosebank is being refurbished at a building contract cost of R120m. Also, a new regional mall scheduled to open in late 2009 is under construction in Limpopo provincial capital city. The sustainable developments, according to me are all courtesy of the 2010 world cup. All these examples are stepping stones into a first world country.
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Last but not least, I will touch on the transport situation and preparation. About 1024 taxis have been scrapped off in the city of Kwa-Zulu Natal alone in a move to ensure safe transportation of tourists during the 2010 world cup. Despite having the transport infrastructure of a fully developed country, considering that the air and rail networks are the largest on the continent, South Africa plans to improve its current public transport infrastructure and implement special measures to ensure the safety and security of local and international tourists attending the matches. One big surprise to me which more than convince me that South Africa could be transforming into a first world country, is the Gautrain project. This is a multi-billion rand high-speed rail link between Johannesburg, Pretoria and Jo’burg airport underway. It will ease traffic congestion and air pollution cruising at 160kmph and operating 18hrs a day. There will be 4 underground stations, 8 surface stations and some 14km of underground track, in some places up to 80m below the surface.

Personal Relevance

Apart from the fact that I am football fanatic, I am also thrilled that SA which is my neighbour(from Botswana) gets to be the first African country to host the world cup, hence making this article relevant to me. Again, this is an example to my home country Botswana which is basically on the same level as SA economically, that it is possible for a developing Southern African country to host the world cup. Since we are neighbours, I hope Botswana uses this world cup to its advantage, by perhaps partnering with SA in the developments. Lastly, i am acting as some sort of an "ambassodor" of SA and let my fellow mates, who are football lovers know and well informed about the preparations SA is making ahead of the 2010 world cup.

Plan of Inquiry

I plan to make a regular follow-up of the world cup preparations made in SA.
I also plan to see how the neighbours are utilising the idea of SA hosting the 2010 world cup.
I also plan to read more websites and online SA newspapers to keep me updated about the progress made.

Could this be a Cinderella story? Can SA finish all tis developments by 2010 and perhaps put SA on the map? It remains to be seen. Only time will tell. I personally believe SA will make the deadline! Moreover, this can transform SA into a first world country.

References