Brand South Africa (our people) has delivered so far...
It's here, no more count downs and anticipation. Support for Bafana Bafana is greater than the support for the 1995 victorious Rugby World Cup Team, as far as the build up to the event is concerned. This was evident during the week, when thousands lined up in the streets of Sandton and across the country to show their support. In the absence of the now popular Mexican wave, the deafening 12th men, stood out from the crowd and added to the atmosphere.
No one would ever have imagined, 10 years ago, that it would be possible to get from OR Tambo International to Sandton in 15 minutes. Mzanzi, yes, you can believe it. People flew in from other parts of South Africa to be part of this historic occasion. My time will come; I am looking forward to the Pta - Joburg connection of the Gautrain, but would like to comment all the Stakeholders who made the Gautrain a reality, just in time for the Fifa World Cup spectacular.
Most of the road works have been completed and the traffic flow is less of a nightmare on some of the major routes. Flags are draped along the major roads to add to the festivities and our commitment to make this World Cup unforgettable.
Brand South Africa (our people) has really embraced this World Cup, which is evident everywhere you go. It's no longer "us and them" it's "Our World Cup". The energy, passion, humility, hospitality and the excitement is mind-blowing. It's an opportunity for an entrepreneur to package everything and sell it after the World Cup. The amazing thing about the past few weeks is the spontaneity of how Brand South Africa has taken up their role as Ambassadors and welcomed the world with open arms; Ke Nako. I'm not sure how many of the thousands or even millions of flags that we see on buildings, cars, people and even Taxi's are locally produced, in support of the spirit, in which this piece is written, I will say it does not matter, but it actually does matter, because of the unemployment situation in our beautiful country.
For the first time in the history of the Fifa World Cup Tournament, they had an opening World Cup Concert, June 10, 2010 at the Orlando Stadium in Soweto. They estimated a crowd of +/- 30 000 people. I was among those thousands, part of the action. Again, the arrangements included Park and Ride, as part of the ticket price. We had our doubts, especially after the Super 14 chaos and nightmare with the transportation arrangements. In the spirit of the World Cup, we decided to give the City of Joburg the benefit of the doubt as host city of the concert.
Upon arrival at Nasrec, we were greeted with busses galore and a seamless process to get us to the concert. .Our expectations were exceeded beyond believe, which set the tone for the rest of the evening. Entry into the stadium was also easy without delay, but I was surprised that none of us were search for anything. This is a real concern and a dream for any criminal or hooligan. The law enforcement personnel was visible and on site, but I did not see them actively play a role in enforcing the so called restricted or banned items, according to the rules as stated for the event.
Our seats were taken up by fellow revelers, but we decided to sit elsewhere in the spirit of the celebration and atmosphere at the event. There were people from all continents and Brand South Africa was there in numbers to show our visitors how to "make the circle bigger". It's not every day that you see Archbishop Desmond Tutu show his "other side" and dancing to the rhythm of the music. President Jacob Zuma and Mr. Sepp Blatter also added some magic to the festivities.
The stage (size, branding etc), fireworks, lighting, the artist who performed, the sound and the vibe really set the mood/agenda for the month of World Cup fever. There were a few attempts to get the Mexican wave going, but the entertainment took centre stage. To the organisers of the official FIFA 2010 World Cup, I would like to say Congratulations guys; you really delivered and exceeded all expectations. My highlight of the evening was when Alicia Keys sang "Too late for Mamma", by the late Brenda Fassie. As a die-hard fan of Ma Brrr, that moment will remain my 2010 moment.
Our euphoria ended the moment we wanted to catch the busses back to Nasrec. I don't want to end this piece on a negative, but less than 14 hours before the historic World Cup tournament, the Park and Ride was once again an embarrassment for Brand South Africa. Enough said.
My condolences go out to the Mandela Family for the lost of a loved one during this time.
Out of a 10 point rating, Brand South Africa gets an 8, despite the ongoing logistical nightmares.
Irrespective of the outcome of the tournament, Brand South Africa has risen to the occasion so far and delivered with humility and African passion.
Well done Bafana Bafana and Brand South Africa...
