All eyes will be on Jo’burg when it hosts the World Cup final in 2010 – and it’s already getting set for kick-off, reports Lisa Witepski.
Johannesburg is like a woman putting the final touches to her outfit for a glamorous party. Granted, it’s bricks and mortar rather than perfume and jewellery she’s donning, but the effect will have no less impact: by the end of the preparations, South Africa’s economic hub will have emerged as a world-class destination fully deserving of its status as a key host city of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
With just under a year and a half to go until the event kicks off in June, will the city be ready in time? Absolutely, say those in the know – although preparing Johannesburg, which will host the first and last games of the tournament, has required a major overhaul that’s seen cranes and construction sites erected throughout the city.
Much of this work is linked to the creation of the city’s first public transport system – the Gautrain Rapid Rail Link and the Rea Vaya Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) network. The Gautrain will introduce a high-speed rail link between the major Gauteng centres of Tshwane and Johannesburg, with anchor stations at OR Tambo International airport, Tshwane and Johannesburg.
The R25 billion (£1.7 billion) project, which will make it possible for commuters to travel between Tshwane and Johannesburg in 40 minutes, has been given a first-phase project deadline of June next year, by which time links between Midrand, Sandton and OR Tambo are to be complete. Gauteng premier Paul Mashatile has reportedly said he is optimistic this deadline will in fact be met a month earlier.
The BRT is progressing at a similarly satisfactory pace. Targeting predominantly existing taxi and bus users rather than vehicle owners, the system is nonetheless expected to reduce the amount of total road traffic. The first phase of the project, which will comprise 150km of trunk routes, is to be complete by April this year – just in time for June’s FIFA Confederations Cup, seen as the dress rehearsal for the World Cup. The next phase is to be completed next year, with the final phase set for 2013.
Come next year, Johannesburg will also be boasting better roads. Some R11.5 billion (£767 million) has been allocated to improve Gauteng’s road infrastructure – and most of that will go towards making sure Johannesburg’s residents and visitors enjoy a smooth drive. A total of 125km of roads are to be upgraded so that drivers during the World Cup can expect better quality surfaces and less congestion. Work on the project, which entails the addition of new lanes to several major freeways and urban routes, is already under way.
It’s not only Johannesburg’s road users who will benefit from the upgrades. Air travellers can anticipate happier landings thanks to a R3 billion (£200 million) facelift for OR Tambo. Major changes include a central terminal building to link domestic and international terminals. An upgrade of the international arrivals terminal was completed last September, with work on international departures expected to be finished towards the end of the year.
Meanwhile, the hotel sector is also seeing big investment. Sandton Isle has recently become home to the Radisson SAS Hotel Sandton Johannesburg, while Southern Sun has started construction on the R180 million (£12 million) 132-room Hyde Park hotel, to open its doors in June. And the landmark Rosebank Hotel has undergone a R254 million (£17 million) makeover, including the introduction of a wellness centre and Technogym.
But it’s perhaps to the smaller players, such as bed and breakfasts, that the most noticeable changes have been made. The Tourism Enterprise Programme has collaborated with a large number of these to formalise the industry, providing training courses with a special focus on business management and encouraging them to act as official accommodation providers for the World Cup.
There’s also been a marked effort to increase the number of establishments graded by the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa because this will have a positive impact on industry standards, as Brett Dungan, chief executive of the Federated Hospitality Association, points out.
“It will mean visitors can choose from a wide range of accommodation to suit their tastes, whether that means a stay in a township, a suburban bed and breakfast or a five-star inner-city boutique hotel,” Dungan says.
What’s left now is to concentrate on issues such as pricing and service. The latter is perhaps one of the largest challenges facing the industry – although South Africa’s hospitality sector is well geared to meeting the needs of domestic and international tourists, it needs to implement a stronger focus on service orientation. “Training has to take place throughout the industry to ensure acceptable service levels are in place,” Dungan says.
The Johannesburg Tourism Company (JTC), the city’s official tourist information bureau, has been working hard to make it as visitor-friendly as possible. This includes making sure that the city’s routes, attractions and key venues are well signposted, as well as boosting service standards.
Initiatives include training in meeting and greeting for metered taxi drivers, often the first point of contact for visitors, and a tourism development programme targeting front-line staff in restaurants, shops and service stations.
The organisation’s tourism development general manager, Pelisa Mangcu, explains that the goal is to equip employees with the skills and knowledge required to welcome visitors and answer their questions.
The JTC is hoping visitors will turn to its new “mobiguide” facility for information. Jaco Engelbrecht, tourism information general manager, explains that tourists will be able to register online to access a wealth of information about the city from their mobile phones. It is also rolling out 17 electronic kiosks at key sites, which will complement walk-in tourist centres at the company’s head office in Rosebank, Soweto’s Walter Sisulu Square of Dedication, and Park station.
A number of satellite tourism centres are also being planned to provide information specific to the area’s attractions. “For the World Cup we’ll place a special emphasis on nightlife and sports,” Engelbrecht says. Hop-on-hop-off transport systems, visitor passes and discounted access to tourist attractions will help to make these even more accessible.
“All told, we’re looking forward to welcoming our visitors and helping them to enjoy the city not only during the Cup but after the event too,” Dungan concludes.
Getting there
BA, South African Airways and Virgin Atlantic Airlines fly direct from London Heathrow to Johannesburg. Swiss operates flights from Heathrow via Zurich, while Emirates offers flights from London Gatwick and Heathrow via Dubai.
Flying the flag
Johannesburg is no stranger to hosting international events – in 2002 it welcomed delegates to the World Summit on Sustainable Development, and the following year it was the venue for the ICC Cricket World Cup. This time the stakes are higher – hundreds of thousands of visitors are expected to converge on the city, and the world will be watching. Fortunately, it will have a trial run when it hosts the Confederations Cup in June. The hospitality industry will also be able to hone its skills at large conventions taking place throughout the year, including Energy 09, the Africa Banking Conference, the International Conference on Occupational Health and the 19th FIGO World Congress of Gynaecology and Obstetrics.
