Thursday, June 3, 2010























The 2010 World Cup is bringing jobs to South Africa, that’s for sure. Because South Africa is hosting the biggest sporting event on the globe, the country is benefiting from the construction of new stadiums, hotels and other structures, jobs are being created specifically for the tournament, and massive amounts of tourists will visit the country next year, bringing in revenue the likes of which South Africa has probably never seen.
This means great news for South Africa’s abysmal economy. During the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, the economy was boosted statewide in preparation for the games. Likewise, the 2008 Olympics in China created vast structures, such as the Water Cube, provided countless jobs for Chinese citizens, and, perhaps most importantly, offered the world a more positive view of the communist country.

Rail System and Infrastructure Improvements

Cities that have previously hosted global events are still benefiting from the prestige and recognition attained from being on the world stage. Although there have been concerns in the past year as to whether or not South Africa’s infrastructure could handle such a giant event, the nation’s tourism chiefs say Johannesburg's Soccer City stadium, the biggest stadium in the country after completion, is almost done and roads and transportation systems are being improved.
According to a TradeInvest South Africa report, it is estimated the World Cup will bring in over 20 billion additional rands (one U.S. dollar is roughly 8.5 rands today) and create over 100,000 jobs. The country is also building a sophisticated rapid rail system called the Gautrain that will run from Pretoria to Johannesburg to Tahmbo International Airport, with stops in between. On the official website for the system, the main objective listed is “enhancing and supporting economic growth in the Gauteng Province and generating employment.”

Tourism Boost in South Africa

Ten stadiums in nine cities will host World Cup matches. The elite teams in the world will play for the most prized trophy in all of sports, and with the teams come the fans. Thousands and thousands will come to watch, and South Africa is busy building stadiums, hotels, restaurants, and all they can to accommodate the masses.

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