Although not an official FIFA sponsor, Pepsi has entered the advertisement-hype that goes together with the world’s biggest sports tournament… the Soccer World Cup.

Howzit-HongKong.com believes that, together with the vuvuzela, the Meerkat will be another winner during the FIFA 2010 World Cup in South Africa later this year.

How can you not love these little rodents!

Have a look at how cleverly Pepsi used the cute Meetkat (and Lionel Messi) to further their 2010 cause:

Viva the MeerKat Viva!

Ke Nako. Celebrate Africa’s humanity.

Bring on 2010!

In a week when South Africans all over the world celebrated the 100-day countdown to the kick-off to our biggest sports tournament ever, local celebrations were caught up in a spat between the Hong Kong broadcast-rights holders iCable and the other two broadcasters, ATV and TVB.

In a nutshell, iCable made a successful bid for the broadcast rights to the 2010 FIFA World Cup, while ATV and TVB declined to bid.  iCable then decided that, unlike during the two previous World Cups, they will make the TV broadcast available to TVB and ATV, provided they agree to broadcast the entire iCable programme schedule, including advertisements.  TVB and ATB declined and instead wrote to FIFA to try and get clarity on the issue.

At the unveiling ceremony on Wednesday, South African Consul-General Ms Tembi Tambo, however played down the spat instead confirming that the local media tussle “will not mar the spectacle half a world away.” (See The Standard article below)

The countdown ceremony at Hong Kong’s Times Square on Wednesday, organised by iCable was not reported on by TVB’s English language Pearl TV during any on their news broadcasts on the evening of the unveiling.  Howzit-HongKong.com however, was not able to monitor ATV’s coverage on the evening.

At Times Square on Wednesday, hoards of media with their cameras were to be seen, but like we’ve seen (and reported on) at the Invictus premiere, one cannot say whether they were there for the celebrations or for the opportunity to interview the iCable head honcho about the current 2010 media spat.

Thankfully, as we reported in several posts after the countdown ceremony, the local English print media and in particular the South China Morning Post (SCMP) did a great job on covering this momentous occasion.  We noticed that SCMP’s sports reporter Alvin Sallay had another in-deep discussion with Mark Fish in this morning’s Sunday Morning Post (more about that tomorrow).   Here’s how the local English-language daily, The Standard reported on Wednesday’s countdown-clock event:

Although only about a week old, SA 2010 Ambassador Mark Fish’s baby daughter is already making ripples on the other side of the world.

On the day that we were supposed to attend a media conference with South African 2010 Ambassador Mark Fish, the Hong Kong media was alerted that the press conference was cancelled due to the birth of Fish’s baby-daughter.

As I’ve mentioned before, there are two things dear to the Chinese heart: one is their food with the other being their kids; and not always in that order.  The latter showed during the unveiling of the 2010 countdown clock.  The MC started his questions (see video) to the former Bafana Bafana (SA soccer team) player with a question about his baby.  I also heard two other reporters start their questions with the same issue. 

The local English daily’s sports reporter Alvin Sallay, though of Sri Lankan descent, was not left out and he filed the following story in the South China Morning Post the following day: 

(click on the pics to open larger image) 

At yesterday’s unveiling of the Hong Kong FIFA 2010 countdown clock, a local TV presenter asked one of the diski dancers to help him blow the soon-to-be iconic Vuvuzela.  It was a struggle, but he got it right in the end.  Well done, Boet.

It’s all in the lips!

Let me try… the lips you say?

                                                                                                              Here goes… lips (check) cheeks (mo)

                                                                                        Die laaitie is al klaar moeg!

You have to imitate Bra Hugh Masekela with the cheeks!

Happy ending. Oh… I see la!

                                                                                           The Pro Vuvuzela-blowjob!

If there’s one thing that Hong Kong people love it’s their seafood. This time around it was fish…

Mark Anthony Fish.

FIFA 2010 Ambassador Mark Fish this afternoon unveiled a special 2010 Countdown Clock at Causeway Bay’s Times Square. 

The South African Consulate in Hong Kong, under the energetic leadership of Consul-General Ms. Tembi Tambo has been very busy promoting what will certainly be South Africa and indeed Africa’s biggest sporting event:

The 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup.

The Consulate partnered with local broadcast rights-holder Hong Kong Cable TV, the Hong Kong Football Club and the Leisure & Cultural Services Department to organise what was a very enjoyable media event.  The afternoon kicked off with a Diski Dance performance by a South African dance group who travelled to Times Square directly from the airport.  There was no jet-lag to be seen as the energetic troupe entertained the assembled media and local shoppers on stage.

  Diski Dance… This is how we do it in Africa, La!  Ke Nako / It’s out time!

Mark Fish was then invited to the stage to tell the audience about, amongst other questions, just what the 2010 World Cup means to him as well as to South Africans at large.  Feeeeeesh (as the fans would shout when Fish touched the ball back in the days) did himself and the South African Local Organising Committee (LOC) proud by giving the assembled media a glimpse of what they can expect at the World Cup in just under 100 days.  In typical Hong Kong style, questions from the MC opened about the recent addition to the Fish family!  (The Consulate had alerted the local media that Mark’s girlfriend had given birth to a baby girl recently.)

    SA Consul-General Ms Tembi Tambo joined Mark Fish at Times Square (Pic: Mike Jansen)

The event ended with Fish joining invited guests to unveil a special 2010 countdown clock.

As will be the case come the FIFA 2010 World Cup, the sound of the Vuvuzela was heard throughout the ceremony, courtesy of the Diski Dancers!

Ke Nako!  It’s our time.

Bring on 2010!

(If you’re in SA, please click on theInsurance4Women.co.za ad to support Howzit-HongKong.com)

Former South African (Bafana Bafana) footballer Mark Fish will visit Hong Kong this week as a guest of the South African Consulate. 

South African Consul-General in Hong Kong Ms Tembi Tambo has been actively promoting events around South Africa’s 2010 Soccer World Cup and invited Mark Fish, who is also a 2010 World Cup Ambassador, to Hong Kong. 

2010 Ambassadors Mark Fish (left) and Lukas Radebe with President Zuma (Pic: WEF)

Today (March 2, 2010) marks the official 100-day countdown to the start of the World Cup in South Africa.  During a media event to be hosted by local broadcast rights-holder iCable tomorrow (Wednesday March 3), Fish will unveil a special World Cup countdown clock at the piazza at Times Square, Causeway Bay.

During his stay in Hong Kong, Mark Fish will also conduct two football clinics for aspiring players at the Hong Kong Football Club as well as in Kowloon City.

Love them or hate them, the Vuvuzela will be a major must-have during the 2010 Soccer World Cup, now just over 100 days away.

During the recent Confederations Cup ‘test event’ some spectators and in particular the TV broadcasters complained over what they called the ‘mindless, monotonous cacophony’ emitted by these plastic horns.

However, this has just spurned a whole new industry around the horn and we were very amused to see the following t-shirt print in the SA dailies this past week proudly exclaiming:  Africa is a noisy place!

(Continued below)

An innovative Cape Town-based outfit called K.E.L.P. came up with a very environmentally friendly way of satisfying what will ultimately be a best-selling soccer-tourist keepsake from the first World Cup in Africa.  KELP is an acronym for Kelp Environmental Learning Projectwhich aims at promoting environmental awareness and to educate the public about marine conservation and environmental matters.  The business uses dried kelp horns to create vuvuzelas which are painted and branded.

Have a look a how they do it:

WikiPedia has the following to say about the origin of the Vuvuzela:

A vuvuzela, or a stadium horn, is a blowing horn, approximately one metre in length, commonly blown by fans at football matches in South Africa. It is also used in other countries such as Mexico, Brazil, or Israel. The origin of the name is disputed. It may originate from the Zulu for “making noise,” from the “vuvu” sound it makes, or from township slang related to the word for “shower.”

Originally made out of tin, the vuvuzela became popular in South Africa in the 1990s.

La dooooooooooo ma!

(This post originally appeared on BlitzBokke.com)

The Hong Kong Sevens is almost upon us and with the Springbok Sevens coach Paul Treu having declared his mission to capture the Cup for the first time ever, it’s time to polish our knowledge of the South African National Anthem.

I noticed at the previous Cup Finals, notably the New Zealand and USA Sevens, that the anthems of the finalists were not played. I could be wrong, but as far as I remember, the anthem of the Cup finalists are still played here in Hong Kong. OK, Maybe I visited the sponsor’s brew bar too many times in previous years! Cheers to that Guinness!

So, mense, to prepare you for the Hong Kong Sevens Cup Final 2010, where South Africa will play …..? here’s a little tutorial to help you sing you South African National Anthem uit volle bors (like we say in Afrikaans!):

(The Afrikaans translation is within brackets, for the English translation, refer to the YouTube video below)

 [Xhosa]

Nkosi sikelel’ iAfrika

(Here, seën Afrika)

Maluphakanyisw’ uphondo lwayo,

(Mag haar gees opstyg)

[Zoeloe]

Yizwa imithandazo yethu,

(Hoor ons gebede aan)

Nkosi sikelela, thina lusapho lwayo.

(Here, seën ons, u kinders.)

[Sesotho]

Morena boloka setjhaba sa heso,

(Here, beskerm ons nasie)

O fedise dintwa la matshwenyeho,

(Verban oorloë en twis)

O se boloke, O se boloke setjhaba sa heso, Setjhaba sa South Afrika – South Afrika!

(Beskerm ons, beskerm ons nasie, Suid-Afrika)

[Afrikaans]

Uit die blou van onse hemel,

Uit die diepte van ons see,

Oor ons ewige gebergtes,

Waar die kranse antwoord gee,

(English)

Sounds the call to come together,

And united we shall stand,

Let us live and strive for freedom,

In South Africa our land.

Daar het jy dit nou!

The full rendition will be done just before the Cup Final of the 2010 Cathay Pacific/Credit Suiise Hong Kong Sevens.

See you at the Hong Kong Stadium!

News24.com reported the following story after recent media stories that the tourism sector is milking tourists ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup:

South Africa’s tourism industry and Match, Fifa’s single licensed agency, has hit back at media claims they have outpriced visitors – known as price gouging – to this winter’s Soccer World Cup. Fifa is soccer’s world governing authority.

According to the Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA), which on Tuesday hosted a specially arranged press conference, peak season prices will be the maximum charged for accommodation and flights during the World Cup in June.

“There is nothing for them (travellers) to worry about,” said Mmatsšatsši Marobe, CEO of TBCSA “The industry is not involved in price gouging, not the majority anyway,” she added.

Most accommodation providers in the country are not aiming to exploit tourists, rather, that it will be business as usual during the World Cup, he said.

The TBCSA, along with Fifa’s Match and numerous South African travel and accommodation associations called a meeting to address the recent reports alleging tourists will be fleeced by opportunistic travel operators during the World Cup.

In the current economy, soccer fans from Germany and England in particular, are worried about the cost of attending the event, said Jaime Byron, executive chairman of Match.

“The nearest qualifying country to South Africa is Cameroon, the distances to travel are long,” he said. “So, yes, packages put together are more expensive, but the distances are what they are.”

Match has the exclusive rights to sell travel and ticket packages for the 2010 tournament, and its near monopoly of hotel rooms has been blamed for the high prices.

Citing Jerome Valcke, Fifa’s general secretary, the UK’s Telegraph said last week that Fifa would overhaul the ticketing system which has been blamed for only 2.1 million tickets sold to World Cup games against the 2.8 million that are available.

Room prices misunderstood

According to TBCSA, it is overlooked that the alleged high prices for hotel rooms is inclusive of transportation and entertainment.

As far as flights are concerned, prices are set to remain at peak season rates. “Airlines have priced their seats reasonably,” said Michael Tatalis, CEO of SATSA.

An SAA flight from Cape Town to Johannesburg for the opening match on 11 June will cost R1270, according to its online booking facility. Kulula and 1Time offer similar prices. Flight prices during December peak season usually reach over R2000 one way.

However, TBCSA’s Marobe said industry players can’t be forced to charge reasonable rates. “We have seen sporadic incidences of some businesses inflating their prices. [But] organised business recognises the long term benefits of sustainable growth in visitor numbers.”

“There are really no worries on our part, said Tatalis. “To those places that are ridiculously high priced, good for you, you’re going to be left empty.”

The body also said there are enough rooms available for accommodation, but that extensive use of private transport companies must be used to be able to ferry travellers to and from games.

“Do I think the bad press will have the sufficient effect to disappoint people? I doubt it very much,” said Byron.

With the FIFA 2010 World Cup a few months away, we thought it would be a good idea to dust off the old travel guides, dig out some brochures and trawl the internet to find stories and ideas that can help visitors plan their visit to our beautiful country.

The first story we found comes courtesy of our friends over at zoopy.com who has a great in-house program called Out and About. 

This episode of Out and About deals with Cape Town Tourism’s Go Card.  Have a look: