The City plans to host exhibitions at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) and Soccerex in Johannesburg, give presentations at international conferences, develop media support services and attract large international media to Cape Town to market 2010 FIFA World Cup™ opportunities and facilitate industry development.

Thembinkosi Siganda, the City’s Director: Economic and Human Development, explains the City’s strategy: “The City provides funding and strategic guidance to sector bodies (special purpose vehicles that have been established by the Provincial Government of the Western Cape in conjunction with the City) to facilitate industry development through sector specific interventions. These interventions are intended to enhance sustainable growth and competitiveness in identified sectors, which contribute to the city’s economy. The City is collaborating with these sector bodies to market Cape Town as a competitive destination ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ opportunities.”

These sector bodies, which include the Cape Film Commission (CFC), Cape Town Boat Building and Technology Initiative, Business Process enabling South Africa (BPeSA) Western Cape, Cape Town Tourism, Oil & Gas, the Cape Information and Technology Initiative, and the Western Cape Investment & Trade Promotion Agency (Wesgro), submit reports on a quarterly basis to the City. These reports highlight the activities they have undertaken to promote the priority sectors.

In the latest reports covering the period October to December 2009, the CFC reported that they had, during this period, provided strategic and logistical support to Cape Media Services to, amongst others, maximise media exposure for Cape Town and deliver efficient media support services. Cape Media Services was launched in partnership with the City and the Provincial Government of the Western Cape.

The CFC in conjunction with Cape Media Services showcased their production services and locations available for filming during the World Broadcasters meeting in December at the CTICC. This meeting was attended by at least 400 broadcasters from across the world. By doing this, the CFC has successfully managed to convince the BBC to base its main studio in Cape Town prior to and during the 2010 FIFA World Cup™. This means that they will showcase Cape Town to at least 200 million viewers. The BBC will procure services from local production companies and other related broadcast services.

The CFC also provided content to Cape Town TV and FIFA TV to showcase sport, arts and culture on the Cape Flats and took various broadcast delegations on tours of Cape Town. This has been undertaken in order to market the city’s readiness for the World Cup and beyond.

The Cape Craft and Design Institute (CCDI) has been promoting 2010 products made by local crafters for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™.

The CCDI participated in the Small Business Week, the Soccerex 2009 Expo and the December Long Street Final Draw Festival to showcase 2010 related products. In addition, the CCDI achieved media coverage by being interviewed on local and international media. This world-wide media exposure has been providing valuable marketing opportunities for locally produced soccer inspired products and their creators.

Apart from engaging with various stakeholders, the CCDI also focussed on preparing craft producers and informing them of FIFA guidelines by holding briefing sessions in the rural areas in the Stellenbosch and Eden District Municipalities and producing a monthly newsletter on 2010 updates.

Wesgro has been promoting the Western Cape as a lucrative destination of global business with exhibitions at Soccerex 2009 in Johannesburg, the World Economic Forum at the CTICC as well as hosting a 2010 themed investor breakfast at the CTICC in addition to participating in the annual ICT exhibition in the CTICC.

Wesgro has not only been focussing on attracting investors, but has also been extending invitations to non-accredited journalists to visit the Western Cape during the 2010 World FIFA Cup™. This is done with the view of showcasing priority sectors as well as 2010 initiatives to the world.

Raising awareness around the City’s readiness for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ is also one of Wesgro’s priorities, which is why they have been working towards publishing the ‘Invest in Western Cape’ publication. This will feature the City’s marketing collateral and is scheduled to be launched in March this year.

Cape Information & Technology Initiative (CITI) during this period has also been instrumental in marketing Cape Town’s readiness for the World Cup. CITI attended the Third Global Forum on Business Incubation in Brazil in October 2009, where they marketed the City’s 2010 readiness. CITI has also continued running the City’s 2010 readiness DVD at the Bandwith Barn premises.

“It is not only the tourist industry that will benefit from the 2010 FIFA World Cup™. The eyes of the world will be focused on South Africa during the year which enables our promotional bodies to better market the Cape Town brand. In addition, people with business interests will be among the visitors coming to Cape Town to watch the games which provides local businesses with the chance to showcase their products and services as well as to establish contacts for more long term relationships. It is the responsibility of the various sector support bodies to be the conduit to help local businesses access the business opportunities that will result from holding the world’s greatest soccer tournament in our country,” says Alderman Felicity Purchase, Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Development and Tourism.

Construction is about to start on the last Integrated Rapid Transit (IRT) bus station for this phase of the project on the West Coast, ahead of the proposed launch later this year.

The Bayside station in Blaauwberg is at the end of a string of thirteen stations connecting the West Coast with the city centre, mostly along the R27. (view map) This starter service, which will be launched as soon after the 2010 FIFA World CupTM as possible, will give Cape Town a taste of what IRT is really like, with a dedicated bus lane and stations located at major intersections along the route in built-up areas.

The Bayside station will initially serve commuters along the West Coast including the suburbs of Tableview, Atlantis, Mamre, Dunoon and Doornbach.

All of the other stations along this route are in varying stages of completion. However, the relocation of minibus taxis ranking and stacking on Blaauwberg road around the site of the Bayside IRT station needed to be completed before construction could begin.

The Bayside station will be built in the middle of the two carriageways of Blaauwberg Road where it passes between the Bayside and Pick ‘n Pay shopping centres, next to the intersection with the R27. However, it’s not just about putting up a platform and station structure. The IRT system is designed to provide maximum accessibility, particularly to pedestrians and cyclists, and a large area around the station needs to be upgraded to make it safe and simple to use. This includes landscaping, cycle facilities and pedestrian plazas.

Upgrading the area surrounding the Bayside station is particularly important because of the large numbers of pedestrians and the high volumes of passengers that the station will serve. Given the space constraints, upgrading the area surrounding the Bayside station to accommodate the high volumes of passengers that the station will serve has been a particularly challenging design for engineers, requiring extensive construction on the edges of Blaauwberg road where taxis previously loaded passengers.

The Bayside Mall shopping centre management has played an important role in the relocation of the mini-bus taxis stacking on Blaauwberg Road by providing a temporary site for a minibus taxi loading zone in their parking area, near the previous site.

Because the new area is used only for the collection and drop off of passengers, the preloading, stacking and queuing of taxis takes place at the Potsdam Transport Interchange down the road. The City has recognised that this arrangement may not be ideal for mini-bus taxis and is considering other options for stacking.

A system of access booms and two-way radios has been set up by the City to control movement by taxis between the waiting area at Potsdam and the passenger loading area at Bayside.

The relocation has given the City of Cape Town the opportunity to demonstrate its commitment to the IRT system, with a large show of support from a wide range of municipal departments, as well as from local businesses and the South African Police Services. Although the local taxi operators initially voiced some frustration with the increased regulation that the move has brought, the new system is working well and the City is in regular contact with the public transport industry in the area. Construction has also been able to progress thus far with minimal disruption to traffic in the area.

On 23 January, football fans will get to test the brand new R4.5 billion Cape Town Stadium at the inaugural match of the Cape Town Stadium Soccer Festival.

The match, which is hosted by the City of Cape Town and sponsored by Virgin Active, will be between Premier Soccer League giants Santos and Ajax Cape Town. All available Twenty thousand tickets have already been sold.

“The Cape Town Stadium Soccer Festival affords us the chance to celebrate the ingenuity of the team behind the magnificent Cape Town Stadium, as well as the rich traditions of Cape Town football in the match between Ajax Cape Town and Santos,” says Ross Faragher-Thomas, Managing Director of Virgin Active, the official sponsor of the Cape Town Soccer Festival.

“The Cape Town Stadium is a venue that should make all South Africans proud, not just those from the mother city, and we at Virgin Active are delighted to play our part in this most historic of occasions.

“We know that this event will be well supported by the people of Cape Town, who are passionate about their football, but also their achievements as a city, and we look forward to enjoying the day of celebration with them.” The schedule for the day is:

• 14:00 Gates open Roving podium entertainment
• 15:20 Official blessing of the field and opening of the stadium
• 15:30 Musical performance by Freshly Ground
• 16:00 Ajax Cape Town vs Santos game 1st half
• 16:45 Vuvuzela orchestra performance
• 17:00 Ajax Cape Town vs Santos game 2nd half
• 17:45 Final whistle
• 17:55 Official trophy ceremony
• 19:00 Gates close

The match is being used as an opportunity for the operators of the stadium, SAIL STADEFRANCE to test the stadium’s systems and processes by slowly building-up to the full 68 000 capacity in a number of different games before the 2010 FIFA World CupTM event.

Tickets were available from Computicket and cost between R30 and R50. Parking tickets, of which 3 000 were for sale, were priced at R20, and were only available from Computicket. Fans will not be able to buy match tickets or parking tickets at the stadium on the day.

The City of Cape Town will be providing a free shuttle service from the Civic Centre in Hertzog Boulevard to the stadium and back. To use this facility, all fans need do is present their match tickets.

A helpline has been set up for those who require additional information on the event and can be reached on 021 487 6800.

Martin Pollack

Champagne flowed and balloons were released into the sky as the new Cape Town Stadium was officially handed over to the City of Cape Town on a perfect summer afternoon on 14 December 2009.

At a ceremony in front of over 200 invited guests and the media representatives from around the world, Executive Mayor Alderman Dan Plato, received the keys to the stadium and proudly declared that “this stadium is ready to welcome the world”.

He said the ceremony was to “celebrate the new stadium and also the city” and later kicked a soccer ball around the new pitch.

The state-of-the-art stadium – which will seat 68,000 for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ and will host eight matches, including a semi-final – was completed on schedule, just 32 months after the first sod was turned.

Plato said the R4.5-billion stadium was the biggest project of its kind ever undertaken in Cape Town, and is regarded as a triumph in both design and construction, despite some challenges during the construction period.

“But it has been worth the wait. Capetonians are proud of it, and pictures of it are being e-mailed around the world.

According to Mike Marsden, Executive Director for Service Delivery Integration, the target completion date was achieved through a “magnificent team effort” and thanked all those involved in the stadium, including the main building contractors, Murray & Roberts and WBHO and their “committed and dedicated workforce” of 2 500, as well as the professional team and City professional team.

The key issues in getting it ready in time included resolve, resources and skills, he said. “It’s a remarkable achievement.”

Marsden added that the structure is a “stadium of beauty” comparable to iconic structures elsewhere, such as the Sydney Opera House and Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. “This stadium will be identifiable with Cape Town,” he said.

Plato described the stadium as a “wonderful piece of art” and said it has a “grand, spacious, timeless design”.

“I can assure the whole world that this stadium will be a legacy for the entire country. Cape Town Stadium is set to be one of the world’s sporting landmarks. In this very arena, the best of the world will do battle. It will also be the iconic image of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™.”

Plato also reiterated that it is a stadium for all Capetonians, not just for those in Green Point, where it is situated.

“People of Cape Town, this is your stadium, it is our stadium. I hope it will give us all the joy and the pleasure we deserve. This stadium is ready for the world.”

Martin Pollack

The FIFA World Cup draw took place in Cape Town, South Africa on 4 December 2009. Cape Town will see the following countries play in the first round of Group Matches; Uruguay, France, Italy, Paraguay, England, Algeria, Portugal, Korea DPR, Cameroon and Netherlands.

After the 1st round of matches three more games will be played at Cape Town Stadium; on 29 June 2010 one round of the top 16, on 03 July 2010 one of the Quarter Finals and on 06 July 2010 the Semi Finals.

At the draw the countries that qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2010  were placed into these groups:

• Group A: South Africa, Mexico, Uruguay, France
• Group B: Argentina, Nigeria, Korea Republic, Greece
• Group C: England, USA, Algeria, Slovenia
• Group D: Germany, Australia, Serbia, Ghana
• Group E: Netherlands, Denmark, Japan, Cameroon
• Group F: Italy, Paraguay, New Zealand, Slovakia
• Group G: Brazil, Korea DPR, Cote d’Ivore, Portugal
• Group H: Spain, Switzerland, Honduras, Chile

Greenpoint Football Stadium Cape Town

The full schedule of all matches of the FIFA World Cup taking place in Cape Town will be:

• Friday 11 June 2010 – 20:30 hrs – Uruguay vs France
• Monday 14 June 2010 – 20:30 hrs    - Italy vs Paraguay
• Friday 18 June 2010 – 20:30 hrs    - England vs Algeria
• Monday 21 June 2010 – 13:30 hrs    - Portugal vs Korea DPR
• Thursday 24 June 2010 – 20:30 hrs – Cameroon vs Netherlands
• Tuesday    29 June 2010 – 20:30 hrs – 1H vs 2G (8) Round of 16
• Saturday 03 July 2010 – 16:00 hrs – 2 vs 4 (B) Quarterfinals
• Tuesday    06 July 2010 – 20:30 hrs – A vs C (I) Semifinals

A full match schedule sorted by Match, Team and Venue can be downloaded HERE (PDF 53 kilobytes)

Discuss the 2010 World Cup here.

The City of Cape Town is pulling out all the stops to demonstrate its readiness to welcome the thousands of soccer fans and dignitaries who are expected to attend the 2010 FIFA World Cup Final Draw™ today, Friday 4 December 2009.

The Draw, which will determine the match schedule for the 32 participating teams in next year’s FIFA World Cup™, will be held at 19:00 on Friday 4 December at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC). More than 3 000 dignitaries and media representatives are expected to attend the event, which will be broadcast live to an estimated audience of 150 million people in 200 countries around the world. “Cape Town is ready to host the world and to demonstrate its professionalism, creativity and expertise through this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” says Executive Mayor Dan Plato.

Long Street festival

As part of the event, the City has also organised a one-day festival in Long Street where residents can watch the ceremony on large television screens. Upper Long Street, from Dorp Street to Buitensingel, and adjoining streets, will be closed off to traffic and transformed into a pedestrian zone between the Long Street Baths and Wale Street. Top South African artists such as Freshlyground and Jimmy Dludlu will provide live entertainment between noon to midnight, to an anticipated 15 000 revellers. “We wish to thank Long Street residents, business owners and churches for supporting this event,” says Lesley de Reuck, Director 2010: Operations. Besides creating a sense of excitement among locals, the event is aimed at showcasing a safe street revellers’ experience to an international audience. “We are most grateful to all the City employees who have walked the extra mile and gone beyond the call of duty to
get Cape Town in shipshape condition for the Final Draw,” says Mayor Plato.

Festival programme

In addition to the great lineup of musicians, there will be all sorts of other entertainment, including carnival characters, stilt walkers and fire dancers.

* 12:00 – Cultural Performers
* 13:30 – Alistar Izobel and Band
* 13.55 – Alistar Izobel sings ‘Welcome to Cape Town’, joined by Zakumi to welcome FIFA representatives to launch the Fan Fest project.
* 14:00 – Fan Fest launch (with onstage photo opportunities)
* 14:20 – Cultural performers (four acts to perform for approximately 20 minutes each)
* 16:20 – Fancy Galada
* 16:45 – To be confirmed
* 17:02 – Flat Stanley
* 17:35 – TKZee
* 18:15 – K’Naan
* 19:00 – Live draw broadcast
* 20:45 – ‘Africa Unite’ Segment (song produced by Cedric Samson)
* 20:52 – Freshlyground
* 21:50 – Cassette
* 22:45 – Jimmy Dludlu
* 24:00 – Wind-down to end

Entrance is free of charge.

Note that the programme is subject to change.

Rolling out the red carpet

In the lead-up to the Final Draw at 19:00, the City is to host a spectacular ‘red carpet’ event to welcome VIPs and media to the CTICC. Top artists, including the Grammy Award-winning Soweto Gospel Choir, singer-songwriter Angélique Kidjo (from Benin) and Johnny Clegg will perform in a 90-minute live show. The Long Street festivities will give Capetonians a taste of what next year’s FIFA World Cup Fan Fest™ on the Grand Parade will be like.
The Fan Fest concept, first used in Germany in 2006, provides fans with an opportunity to watch games live on big video screens and enjoy food and beverages in a festive atmosphere. In addition to the FIFA Fan Fest™, there will be four City public viewing areas, at the Athlone Civic Centre, the Bellville Velodrome, the Oliver Tambo Centre in Khayelitsha, and at the Swartklip Sports Complex in Mitchells Plain.

Martin Pollack

The City of Cape Town is hard at work preparing for the eagerly-anticipated Final Draw next Friday 4 December. Roads are being cordoned off, stages are under construction, and banners are being hung to welcome the thousands of people expected to throng into the city centre.

The Draw will be an internationally televised event at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) to determine the match order of the 32 participating teams. Over 150 million people from 200 countries are expected to watch. It will be accompanied by a festival on Long Street which has been organised to give Capetonians a taste of how the fan parks will function. The Long Street event will feature live entertainment, including top South African artists such as Freshlyground and Jimmy Dludlu from 12:00 and video links to the CTICC so that revellers can watch the Draw live at 19:00. The festival is expected to go on late into the night.

The Draw will be attended by some 3 000 international guests, including team representatives, FIFA executives, celebrities, sponsors and the international media, and the Long Street festival is expected to attract about 15 000 people. Altogether, both events are expected to boost this year’s visitor figure to over a million.

The annual switching on of Cape Town’s festive lights in Adderley Street on Sunday 29 November will kickstart the festive season. Over 50 000 people are expected to gather in Adderley Street to enjoy the free, open-air concert that is scheduled to start at 15:00. The concert will feature award-winning performers such as Ringo Madlingozi, Jozi, Emo Adams, The Rockets, Ready D, Die Broers, Soli Philander and Joe Barber. From 14:00 to 22:00, soccer fans will be able to visit a ‘Soccer Zone’, near the Heerengracht circle where they can meet players from Ajax CT, Santos FC and Bafana Bafana stars, Matthew Booth and Lance Davids. Other entertainment includes a diski dance competition, five-a-side soccer games and ‘foosball’ play offs. The lights will be switched on at 20:00 by Executive Mayor Dan Plato. The evening’s activities will end with the traditional carnival parade, which will feature some of the most exciting floats ever created.

“The City of Cape Town extends a warm welcome to all visitors. The City will do its utmost to enhance their comfort and safety. At the same time, we appeal to visitors and residents to help keep our city clean and safe during the holiday period,” says Mayor Plato.

A dedicated Festive Season Co-ordination Committee, representing various City departments, has been established to oversee the implementation of strategies to contribute towards a safe, clean and enjoyable experience for all visitors and residents during the festive season.

The following special measures have been put in place to enhance safety and cleanliness throughout the festive season:

* The City’s Disaster Management Team is on 24-hour full alert and is geared for all eventualities. The public may report any emergency (including medical, crime, fire and traffic) to the 107 emergency number from a Telkom line. Cellphone users need to dial 021 480 7700

* Metro Police, Traffic Services, Law Enforcement, and Security and Specialised Services staff will be on duty over the festive season

* Regular safety patrols will take place at tourist hot spots and other high risk crime areas. Targeted operations aimed at combating all forms of substance abuse as well as roadblocks will be executed throughout the festive season. The Metro Police’s newly established dog unit will also be deployed for the first time during operations over the festive season

* These safety initiatives include partnerships with other agencies such as the City Improvement Districts and Displaced Persons Support Unit

* Fire and Rescue Services will be on high alert with over 700 full-time firefighters on a shift basis at 28 fire stations on standby across the city. An additional 116 seasonal firefighters will be deployed by 15 December to assist with bush and vegetation fires. Two helicopters, operating from the Newlands forestry station, will assist in aerial fire-fighting. All citizens are requested to heed fire warnings and practice fire safe measures at all times

* The City’s partnership with Western Province Lifesaving will ensure that 115 multi-skilled lifeguards are on duty at Cape Town’s 44 beaches, as well as at its regional and community pools

* A total of 19 shark spotters are deployed at seven beaches, namely Muizenberg, St James, Kalk Bay, Fish Hoek, Noordhoek, Glencairn and Clovelly

* Over R17 million has been budgeted for cleansing. Refuse removal will continue uninterrupted over this period (even on the public holidays). More than 900 additional cleansing staff will be appointed to clean-up business districts, scenic routes and beaches.

For holiday makers to have a safe trip, motorists are encouraged to ensure that their vehicles are in a sound roadworthy condition. The City’s Traffic Services will conduct free basic vehicle safety checks at the following traffic centres: Gallows Hill, Bellville, Kuils River, Brackenfell, Hillstar, Goodwood and Durbanville, between 10:00 to 14:00 each working day from 11 December 2009 to 8 January 2010.

Work on the upgrading and reconfiguration of the Green Point Common into the Green Point Urban Park (sports precinct and public park) that will surround the 2010 FIFA World Cup stadium is well underway.

When the project is complete in early March 2010, the Common will feature improved public transport infrastructure (Vlei Road, Granger Bay Boulevard and the access link abutting the Virgin Active complex) a sports precinct that will accommodate rugby, soccer, cricket, tennis, athletics, golf and bowls, and a 12,5-hectare public park (Green Point Park) for residents and visitors.

The City has budgeted R311 million for the work, and another R30 million has been set aside to upgrade the Mouille Point beachfront and promenade.

Besides serving as the context for the FIFA World Cup Stadium (which together with its precinct only takes up 18 hectares), the Urban Park will provide Cape Town’s citizens, visitors and tourists with a world class inner city public amenity, that caters for events, sports, heritage, leisure and relaxation in a landscaped space.

It will also offer a public social space system (incorporating the Beachfront, Public Park, stadium forecourt and pedestrian link through to the historic Fort Wynyard and V&A Waterfront) linked to a public transport system serving the city bowl and environs.

In support of the 2010 Green Goal programme, the City is currently investigating the possibility of accommodating an Eco Centre in the Park after the tournament next year. If this proves to be feasible, a state-of-the-art ‘Green Building’ that provides a range of educational and environmental programmes will be built.

As part of the legacy left by the FIFA World Cup, the overall theme of the Park will be the promotion of ‘green’ and sustainable living habits in the city. In support of this, all irrigation water for the Park will be sourced from underground springs located in Oranjezicht. These will be used to irrigate the Park (including the Metropolitan Golf Course) throughout the year.

The new Stadium Operator, a consortium of Stade de France and local sports marketing company SAIL Group, will be responsible for managing the 18 hectare Stadium forecourt.and Green Point Park and ensure the ongoing sustainability thereof.

Martin Pollack