Tag Archives: FIFA Final Draw

African FIFA Final Draw show disappoints

Given the amount of effort that was put into the production of the FIFA Final Draw show, which was broadcast to 700 million viewers in 200 countries, the one hour show was disappointing, and an opportunity lost for the marketing of Cape Town and South Africa, reflecting an ueber-African theme.   Local producer George Mazarakis’ claim that this would be the best Final Draw production did not live up to his promise.

While the footage on Sky News showed that the entrance to the Cape Town International Convention Centre was beautifully decorated with murals depicting various aspects of Cape Town, including a huge Table Mountain and other iconic visuals, and real proteas, there was no visual representation of Cape Town or the country inside the show venue, the stage being largely bare, with only the screen, the podium, and the very valuable World Cup in front of it.

Video after video was shown, largely telling the story of the FIFA World Cup.   Another showed the readiness and preparation by the hospitality industry for the big event, with not one white person featured in it at all!   Johnny Clegg was the only white performer of the show.   The visuals in the video showed some wildlife, but none of the other beautiful highlights of Cape Town or the rest of the country was shown.  The sound for Angelique Kidjo’s performance was atrocious, but improved by the time the Grammy-award winning Soweto Gospel Choir performed.

Zakumi, the 2010 World Cup mascot, looked silly, and is not an asset to the event. 

The Draw itself was presented by ‘Lady in Red” Charlize Theron, whose sole role was to look pretty next to serious Jerome Valcke, Secretary-General of FIFA.  Theron, whose dress was designed by local designer Gavin Rajah, gushed about her pride in “our country”.  Valcke said “We are ready,  South Africa is ready”, to great applause.  Speaking far too quickly, Valcke tried to explain how the complicated Draw works, and how the “geographic separation” had to be created.   This was achieved by having 8 “pots”, from which the teams playing against the 8 seeded teams (Brazil, Spain, Netherlands, Italy, Germany, Argentina, England and South Africa) were randomly selected by David Beckham, South African Springbok rugby captain John Smit and cricketer Makhaya Ntini (what were they doing at a soccer event?), Bafana Bafana’s Matthew Booth, and Olympic medallist Haile Gebrselassie.

The eight groups for the 2010 World Cup are the following:

Group A:  South Africa, Mexico, Uruguay, and France

Group B:   Argentina, Korea Republic, Nigeria and Greece

Group C:  England, USA, Algeria and Slovenia

Group D: Germany, Australia, Ghana, Serbia

Group E: The Netherlands, Japan, Cameroon, and Denmark

Group F: Italy, Paraguay, Slovakia, and New Zealand

Group G: Brazil, Korea DPR, Ivory Coast and Portugal

Group H: Spain, Switzerland, Honduras and Chile

Eight matches will be played in the new Cape Town Stadium, on the following dates and times:

11 June  France versus Uruguay at 8.30 pm

14 June: Italy versus Paraguay  at 8.30 pm

18 June: England versus Algeria at 8.30 pm 

21 June: Portugal versus Korea DPR at 1.30 pm

24 June : Cameroon versus The Netherlands at 8.30 pm

29 June:  winner of first group H and second group G, at 8.30 pm

3 July : quarter-final at 4 pm

6 July:  semi-final at 8.30 pm

Capetonians who joined the Fan Fest at the top of Long Street probably had the most fun, in partying the night away to music greats such as Coda, Freshlyground and more.   It is estimated that a crowd of 50 000 enjoyed itself, and entrance to more party-goers had to be barred.    Sky News broadcast from Long Street prior to the start of the Final Draw. 

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

FIFA 2010 comes to Cape Town early!

Cape Town is in  a frenzy to beautify itself before the world’s media and the FIFA big brass come to Cape Town for the FIFA Final draw on 4 December, which will be held in the Cape Town International Convention Centre.

Roadworks are hastily being completed on Buitengracht Street, near the Convention Centre, to make Cape Town look at its best for the very important event in the FIFA 2010 World Cup programme.

For the first time, the driving and advertising exclusion zone has been announced, simply by an ad in the Cape Argus, outlining the ‘Final Draw Controlled Access and Exclusion Zones’.

The block of streets between Ross Street, 2 streets parallel to Buitengracht Street in Green Point/De Waterkant and Parliament Street, and Buitensingel Street/N1/N2 entrances to Buitengracht Street, now has restrictions placed upon it until 12 December, in terms of the City of Cape Town’s 2010 By-law.   No advertising linked to the World Cup may appear in this zone in the period specified, without formal FIFA permission, and businesses may also not “change their normal business operation without approval from the City of Cape Town”, says the ad!   The ad warns that access into the zone on 4 December may be restricted.

On the day of the Final Draw, a public viewing area will be established at the top of Long Street, and restaurants in the area are stocking up on supplies for thirsty soccer fans, fearing lack of access for deliveries on the big day.   It is expected that 20 000 visitors will attend the Final Draw party in Long Street.   A section of Long Street will be cordoned off on 3 December already, reports the Cape Argus.

The FIFA Final Draw will randomly select which teams play against each other in which locations, influencing where the teams are based during the World Cup period, and is the precursor to accommodation bookings and other arrangements for the big soccer event.

At the Final Draw FIFA President Sepp Blatter is also expected to announce the location of the Fan Fest venues for 2010.

The 32 teams that have qualified for the 2010 World Cup are:   Portugal, France (a controversial match, for which a replay is being demanded by the Irish), Slovenia, Greece, Algeria, Uruguay, Japan, the Netherlands, North Korea, Australia, South Korea, the USA, Brazil, Ghana, England, Paraguay, Spain, Denmark, Ivory Coast, Chile, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Serbia, Argentina, Switzerland, Honduras, Slovakia, Nigeria, Cameroon, New Zealand and South Africa.

The Japanese team is setting up its base camp at Fancourt in George, while the German team is said to be considering Val de Vie, between Paarl and Franschhoek.

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

2010 World Cup ticket sales slow from Africa

Despite sales of 650 000 World Cup tickets in total to date, few of them have been sold to African soccer fans, with the exception of those in South Africa, report the Cape Times and Cape Argus.

South Africans (350 000) have bought just more than half of all the World Cup tickets, followed by soccer fans from the USA (86 000), the UK (50 000), and Germany (25 000).

Addressing Parliament earlier this week, 2010 World Cup Local Organising Committee CEO Danny Jordaan speculated that soccer fans from Africa were waiting for their teams to qualify before they bought tickets.   So far, South Africa, Ghana and the Ivory Coast are the only African countries to have qualified for the 2010 World Cup.  Jordaan said that he was disappointed that ticket sales from South Africa’s closest neighbours were still poor.

Local organising Committee’s Irvin Khoza said that he wanted more South Africans to buy tickets, and a marketing campaign to achieve this will be launched after the FIFA Final Draw on 4 December.   He said that rumours that the special South African low-priced tickets, at R 140, had been sold out, were incorrect.

Jordaan confirmed that vuvuzelas would be welcomed at the soccer matches, but should they land on the pitch, they would be banned immediately.   “The vuvuzela must be used and allowed at World Cup stadiums next year, but … it should be used as a friendly, welcoming instrument , not as a weapon or missile.”

During the 2010 World Cup, the Global Icons Expo-Tainment Experience will take place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, for the duration of the World Cup, reports Southern African Tourism Update.  The expo sees 24 countries exhibiting, a different country every day, reflecting that country’s “sights, sounds and flavours in one global village.  Corporates will be able to entertain their guests, soccer fans will be able to cheer the festivities and families will be able to enjoy an entertaining day out”.  The Mandela Rhodes Foundation will benefit from the expo’s proceeds.

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

Hotels pessimistic about last quarter

The Horwath HTL Hotel Performance Confidence Indicator survey for the fourth quarter of 2009 paints a mixed picture as far as Occupancy, Average Room Rate Performance and Total Revenue are concerned.

Overall, 53 % of accommodation establishments expect a decrease in Occupancy, with only 19 % expecting an increase.  Average Room rate is expected to increase for 51 % of establishments, while almost equal numbers of establishments said that their Total Revenue would increase, decrease or stay the same.

Comparing their performance in the first 8 months of this year with that of last year for the same period, Occupancy had clearly declined, by as much as 15 %, for 74 % of all establishments interviewed.   Worst hit were 4-star establishments, with 21 % having lost 15 % or more in occupancy.   In the Western Cape only 19 % of establishments expected an increase in the 4th quarter of this year.   Occupancy is more likely to increase in lower graded establishments in this province.

Average Room Rates increased for 59 % of establishments, by up 5 % for a third of all establishments, and by up to 5 – 15 % for a further 26 % of establishments. Five-star establishments, and the ones with 151 rooms or more, did better than their 3-/4-star  smaller counterparts on this measure.  In the Western Cape 56 % of hoteliers expected the Average Room Rate to increase, especially the lower graded hotels.

Total Revenue decreased for 50 %  of the establishments, especially for 3 and 5-star hotels.  Those with an increased revenue did not see an increase of more than 5 % on a year ago, but small boutique hotels saw their revenue increase by as much as 15 %.

The study was conducted amongst 104 hotels throughout South Africa.    If Whale Cottage Camps Bay is a sample of one, a very different picture emerges for guest houses – November and December are almost fully booked, thanks to the FIFA Final Draw on 4 December, and the New Year period.

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