Tag Archives: 2010 World Cup

Freedom Day 2014: reflecting on 20 years of democracy!

SA FlagIt was the interview with a Cape Argus reporter on Friday that made me reflect on how far not only our country, but also I personally and my business have come in the 20 years since we voted on 27 April 1994.  The Argus interview was focused on the progress over the past 20 years I have seen personally, business-wise, and politically.

My very first feedback to reporter Dylan was that 1994 was the first and only time that I was allowed to vote, having a German passport.  I do not recall how it was possible for all foreigners (by passport) to be allowed to vote, when it has never been allowed before nor since then.  I loved standing in a queue somewhere in Sea Point, being part of the exciting day that would change our country forever, and how much goodwill there was amongst South Africans whilst waiting patiently in the queues. Little did we know that the rest of the world waited anxiously for the outcome of the election, fully expecting a revolution to take place, unbeknown to us residents, with thanks to the SABC in ‘protecting’ us from this world scenario.

I moved to Cape Town in 1990, and transferred my marketing research consultancy Relationship Marketing from Johannesburg, changing its emphasis to Public Relations for food clients such as Baker Street Snacks, Bonnita (now Parmalat), Aylesbury, and more.  The late John Harrison was a favourite client when he was GM of the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway.  Even Mark Shuttleworth was a client, before he became famous for selling his Continue reading →

African Nations Championship (CHAN 2014) soccer tournament kicks off in Cape Town today, a non-event?!

0910PH0366The 2014 African Nations Championship, referred to as CHAN 2014, kicks off at Cape Town Stadium today, with few tickets sold, and a scandal surrounding South Africa Football Association (SAFA) Cape Town Vice President Vernon Seymour.

CHAN 2014 is the first international soccer tournament to be held at the Cape Town Stadium since the 2010 World Cup.  Sixteen African teams will participate in 32 matches across the country, playing matches at stadia in Cape Town (including Athlone Stadium), Bloemfontein and in Polokwane.  The tournament theme is ‘Celebrating Africa’s Home Champions’.

The African Nations Championship will commence with the Opening Ceremony at 16h00 today, which includes performances by Jimmy Dludlu, The Soil, Mi Casa, and Zolani Mkhiva.  The New Age reports that more than 300 dancers and models will form part of the Opening Ceremony  At 18h00 the first match of the tournament kicks off, with local team Bafana Bafana playing Continue reading →

Tourism Business confidence index reaches normality for first time!

For the first time since its introduction in 2010, the Tourism Business Council of South Africa FNB Tourism Business Index has reached its highest score and exceeded 100, the norm level, for the second time, with a score of 104 measured for the last quarter of 2012, a significant improvement on the 89 score at its inception two years prior.  Tourism business confidence for 2013 is forecast to be similar to 2012.

The Tourism Business Index (TBI) was introduced in the last quarter of 2010, and its 89 score, against the norm of 100, confirmed what we all knew, namely that the tourism industry was in serious trouble just three months after the 2010 World Cup. The lowest TBI was measured in the second quarter of 2011, with a score of 75, the tourism industry at that time operating at only 75 %  of its potential!  The latest score of 104, marginally up from the 101 measured in the third quarter of 2012, hints at a small upward movement in tourism business confidence.  The increased index was reported to come from the increase in domestic tourism, rather than from international tourist bookings.

Tourism Business Council of South Africa Chairman Mavuse Msimang commented on the most recent index, stating that ‘the latest index results provided relief for a sector that has been through two very tough years….. and is a clear indication of the extent to which business is recovering from the recessionary impact and excess of supply it suffered post the 2010 Soccer World Cup’.  One would have thought that it was the low demand rather than accommodation oversupply that has been responsible for the poor tourism performance in the past two years!

The Tourism Business Index is a national measure of current and future performance of the tourism and travel industry, and sub-sectors within the sector.

One hopes that the forthcoming winter will not be as devastating as the last two have been.  It is too early to forecast the winter performance.  Cape Town and the Western Cape are still experiencing summer seasonality, with two good weeks and two average weeks per month since October.  Only February looks close to fully booked, while March looks very quiet to date!  A TBI at around 100 only indicates that the tourism industry is still far from the good times it last experienced in 2007!

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com Twitter: @Whale Cottage