Here at Howzit-HongKong.com HQ we’ve had several enquiries about where to watch the screening of the Opening of the 2010 World Cup.
Just in case you been locked up in a jail somewhere or sans internet on a beach somewhere else, the 2010 FIFA World Cup starts in South Africa on Friday June 11 with an Opening Ceremony at Soccer City in Johannesburg. This will be followed by the first-ever World Cup game in Africa between hosts South Africa’s Bafana Bafana and Mexico.
The local papers and magazines will probably be announcing more venues to watch the World Cup in the course of the week, but here’s what we know so far:
The South African Consulate will be hosting a screening of the Opening Ceremony (invited guests only) at the Foreign Correspondents Club (FCC) in Central.
Also, Bruce Fowler would like you to join the Southern African Association in Hong Kong (SAAHK) at Wooloomooloo in Wyndham Road where they will be watching both the Opening Ceremony and the first game between Bafana Bafana and Mexico . If there are enough people in attendance, Wooloomooloo will once again offer their drinks at Happy Hour prices all night. Remember that the upstairs restaurant is being renovated and that food will not be available.
If, like Howzit-HongKong.com, you will be attending the Consulate function for the Opening Ceremony, you are more than welcome to watch the game between Bafana Bafana and Mexico at Wooloomooloo as the Aussie-themed restaurant is just a minute’s walk up the road.
Stay close to Howzit-HongKong.com for updates on where to watch the Opening Ceremony on Friday.
Ke Nako! It’s (South Africa’s) time!
Thanks to Tembi Tambo (SA Consul in Hong Kong) here are some pictures of the current vibe back home:
Here at Howzit-HongKong.com we do a lot to draw our readers’ attention to the 2010 Soccer World Cup. So seeing the local English daily South China Morning Post feature the World Cup in it’s Sunday Morning Postedition (30 May 2010) comes as a welcome bonus.
The newspaper’s page 4-5 spread features key un-biased facts about South Africa such as the economy, main issues (poverty, Aids, crime and energy), weather and sport. Feature writer Barry Moody also writes about the positive outlook on the tournament while there is also a Reuters story about the iconic Makarapa helmet.
Baie Dankie SCMP!
(You can click on the pictures below to view the stories)
With the 2010 Soccer World Cup just days away, visitors and television viewers will soon be gobsmacked at the scale and beauty of South Africa’s brand-new stadiums.
However, in a quiet (albeit only on non-match days) corner in the shadows of Table Mountain, stands what for me, is the Grande Dame of sports stadiums in the country: Newlands Rugby Stadium. The country’s oldest stadium has always been a must-visit for me on every occasion that I visit home. My annual trip to Cape Town often coincides with the Tri-Nations or Currie Cup tournaments so I always get to watch a Stormers or Western Province fixture. I recently came across a great online feature that allows one to view all 360 degrees of the inside of Newlands stadium, on a match-day nogal! At the risk of sounding like a gushing teenager…It was just too cool not to share.
Click here to open the 360 degrees viewer in a new window
I remember writing elsewhere on this blog that “I can probably write a book” about the kinds of negative African stereotypes I’ve encountered while living in China. Once again, I’m not going to, at least not on this blog-post. I will however, tell you about one incident that happened to My Missus while we were living in Taiwan a few years ago.
My Missus, a teacher at an international school in Northern Taiwan, was called to the office urgently. Upon arriving there, she noticed a black person in conversation with a senior teacher. The teacher excused herself from the conversation and hurried over to My Missus. Excitedly, she told her that the person she is interviewing is “also from Africa” and that she would like My Missus to come and “speak African” to him!
We still laugh whenever we tell that story!
With the 2010 World Cup upon us, many thousands of visitors will flock to the South African shores with similar (more daft?) stereotypes. And who else but South African fast-food chain Nando’s to use it in their ad-campaign:
While working for the Cape Town sports department a few years ago, I spent 6 years working in, amongst others, some really impoverished Cape Flats communities. The Cape Flats was once a large, windswept, sandy stretch of land bordering Cape Town’s False Bay where the then-Apartheid government forcibly removed non-white residents to. As the story below says, the Cape Flats has since been transformed into a vibrant, colorful community with it’s own unique character.
I was very chuffed when I came across the following story about two local entrepreneurs who started a venture that aims to fulfill a need related to the upcoming 2010 Soccer World Cup: cheap, affordable accommodation. So much so that I wanted to share it with you here. When you visit Cape Town next time, even after the World Cup has come and gone, do look them up and get a slice of the Cape Flats culture. You will be very impressed.
Backpacking the Cape Flats
Source: 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa Organising Committee
Due to high levels of poverty, the Cape Flats have traditionally fallen outside Cape Town’s tourism radar. Hylton Mitchell and business partner Gerome Hofmeester have challenged perceptions with the launch of the first backpackers in the area. The Blue Flag Backpackers opened its doors in the Cape Flats community of Steenberg in February 2010, with Cape Town Mayor Dan Plato cutting the ribbon.
According to Mitchell, the Cape Flats offers its visitors warmth, hospitality and more. “Myself and Gerome have always been talking about making the Cape Flats more accessible to tourists,” he says. “We know the Cape Flats as a vibrant, diverse set of people and neighbourhoods, full of creative and funny characters.”
A large, flat expanse of land south-east of Cape Town’s central business district, the Cape Flats was used during South Africa’s apartheid era for the removal of black and coloured people from the more central urban areas.
Mitchell and Hofmeester, co-owners of Blue Flag Tours, opened their backpackers in time to help host the thousands of fans who will be arriving in South Africa for the 2010 Fifa World Cup, and already their accommodation is full for the duration of the tournament. “The 2010 Fifa World Cup has placed South Africa on the international stage, and it has given young entrepreneurs like ourselves the confidence to take a step,” says Mitchell. “We believe small and medium entrepreneurs are vital in unlocking the potential of this event.”
Mitchell’s long-term plan is to help place the Cape Flats on the tourism map. “We want to take tourists to the famous cultural spots and develop specific tourist products that are unique to the Cape Flats, like the Minstrel Celebration that takes place each year.”
The entrepreneurs also aim to ensure that Blue Flag establishments benefit local communities. Through training and employment, the Bue Flag Backpackers will enable a number of community members to get involved in growing tourism in the area. “We have formed close links with the community and want to offer internships and apprenticeships for young people in the area,” says Mitchell. “In the street where the backpacker is operating we’ve employed ladies to clean and prepare food for some of our guests. We see it as an opportunity for the community to come and sell their arts and craft to tourists and get to meet people from other parts of the world as part of our cultural exchange experience.”
Let’s just put it out there: Being stuck on this side of the noodle-curtain while the biggest sports event in the world is about to start in your country SUCKS!
Therefore if somebody is running a competition that promises 2010 tickets, flights AND accommodation, here at Howzit-HongKong.com we are bound to notice.
And enter.
Problem with this Hyundai competition: we’re rather stumped as to just what we’re willing to part with in return for said prize. Unlike the folks in the video below, we don’t own a bike we really love, we don’t have roommates we want to get rid of (do the Missus and kids count?) neither do we want to spoil anybody’s life by passing on our ex-girlfriends. Nonetheless, tonight we’re going to don our creative hats and enter this great competition.
What would YOU be willing to trade to attend the 2010 World Cup in South Africa?
Visit Hyundai on FaceBook and tell them. Who knows, maybe you’ll win and take your best friend on the trip-of-a-lifetime! Nudge, Nudge,Wink, Wink!
Hyundai is an Official Partner of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
The South African daily papers today carried quotes from (doctor?) Danny Jordaan (pictured), head of the local organising committee for the 2010 World Cup, that “All tickets will be sold out. I am quite confident about that.”
The story goes on to say that FIFA has sold 90% of the nearly 3 million tickets available for the tournament, a mere 30 days away.
Here in Hong Kong, one of the feature stories of Sky News today was the 300 000 tickets that remain unsold (again) 30 days before the first game.
At a recent press conference (doctor?) Danny Jordaan assured the media that: “About 300 000 tickets were sold in the last few weeks alone.”
In a previous story here on Howzit-HongKong.com we commented on how FIFA underestimated the South African economic reality by insisting initially that all tickets be sold exclusively online and only using a credit card. Tickets were also priced way above the financial ability of most South Africans’ wallets.
Now that so many tickets have been returned by international federations as well as MATCH (FIFA’s exclusive hospitality/ticketing agent) it seems that the football body has been forced to “allow” South Africans to purchase discounted tickets in order to at least have near-full stadiums. In a final humiliation, many a FIFA press release refer to these South Africans as “ordinary people.”
It seems that now that the “extraordinary people” (foreigners, rich, corporate-types, sponsors, etc) have turned their collective backs on the World Cup, it will be the “ordinary people” of South Africa who allow FIFA to save face.
I did all this! The Extraordinary (doctor?) Danny Jordaan
Is this poor street vendor from Grahamstown in the Eastern Cape also an “ordinary person” Danny Jordaan?
Here at Howzit-HongKong.com, we’ve been moerse (very) impressed at the effort put in by the South African Consulate in Hong Kong in promoting our country’s honour of hosting the world for the FIFA Football World Cup in June 2010.
Local Hong Kong businesses have joined the party and added their own events to the groundswell in anticipation of the world’s biggest sports event back home.
It is more than clear that world-wide, South Africa, and in a wider scale… Africa, is currently the flavour of the month.
I regularly visit the new K11 Mall near my apartment and have been impressed at the levels the promotions department of Hong Kong (and the world’s) only Art Mall have gone to in promoting Africa and South Africa. In late March, K11 hosted a South African dance troupe to kick-off their Africa focus. All over the Mall, exhibits and fotographs featuring Africa can be seen while their frontline promotions staff are all kitted out in African-print uniforms.
Last week, I popped in to the Jason’s Grocery Store at K11 for my weekly provisions and took the following pictures:
The K11 frontline staff are dressed in African-style uniforms:
Well done K11 Mall! You are playing your part in focussing local attention on South Africa in 2010!
This kind off African/South African-promotional initiative is but one of the un-recorded spin-offs of the FIFA 2010 World Cup that often go un-noticed. Howzit-HongKong.com can only hope that local events like this will in the future help to welcome more Hong Kongers, Mainland Chinese and other Asians to South Africa.
That, for us, will be the REAL benefit and legacy of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
Ke Nako. It’s our time.
Mike Jansen
K11 is a high-rise building located in Hanoi Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon developed by New World Developments. Underground it can be accessed via the pedestrian walkway from the Tsim Sha Tsui MTR towards Tsim Sha Tsui East MTR. The building features a 340 000 square-foot, 6-storey shopping centre beneath the Hyatt Regency Hong Kong.
I have been living in Asia for about 10 years now and have been travelling home to South Africa when things literally gets too hot here in Asia. June/July is Asia’s HOT Summer months and also the longest school holidays for my family.
Fortunately for us Asian-based South African expats, June/July is also winter in South Africa… something that most soccer tourists from this side of the equator seem to forget when they are planning their 2010 trip.
People, let me tell you, while South Africa does not get snow during winter (except on the mountains) it can get pretty darn cold, especially on the Johannesburg highveld, while Cape Town will be WET. That I promise.
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Renee over at Zoopy.com put together this heads-up video if you’re planning to travel to South Africa for the 2010 Soccer World Cup:
You’ve been warned. Dress appropriately and enjoy South Africa 2010!
This is probably a scoop of sorts for Howzit-HongKong.com considering it’s just after 1am on Wednesday April 28 and we just picked this news from the Cape Town band Freshlyground’s FaceBook site.
The song Waka Waka by Shakira featuring Freshlyground has been announced as the official song of the Fifa 2010 World Cup.
The song will be performed by Shakira and South African group Freshlyground, at the Closing Ceremony before the 2010 FIFA World Cup Final on July 11 in Johannesburg Soccer City Stadium.
The chorus of this song borrows from a favorite Cameroonian marching chant made popular by the group Golden Voices.
“We are thrilled to have collaborated with Shakira on Waka Waka (This Time For Africa), especially as we feel that the song captures the spirit and energy of the African World Cup,” said Zolani Maholaof Freshlyground.
“We are certain the song will inspire people around the world to celebrate the gathering of nations at the place where it all started. Here in Africa!”
Waka Waka will be made available for download through digital retailers the week of May 11.
It also will be included on “Listen Up!the Official 2010 FIFA World Cup Album” to be released the week of May 31 by Sony Music Entertainment. A Spanish language version of the track, Waka Waka (Esto es Africa), will be made available in certain markets.
Proceeds from the album will benefit FIFA’s “20 Centers for 2010” initiative, whose aim is to achieve positive social change through football by building twenty Football for Hope centres for public health, education and football across Africa, and other African charities.
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This video of the song has been on YouTube for the last week:
