Cape Town wows the world Jul 16, 2010

by Cape Town Tourism

Fans in Long Street. Photo by Ingrid Sinclair

The skeptics have been silenced. Humble pie is top of the menu. The naysayers are adrift, and as for lifesavers, there are none. Africa’s first-ever FIFA World Cup™ has blown the world away, and South Africa – and Cape Town – has passed the test with flying colours.

There was no marauding, no riots, no serious crime and not a single major glitch in the hour-by-hour running of this, the world’s biggest sporting spectacle. On the contrary, it has been a most incredible event, and one that will go down in South Africa’s history books.

Many Capetonians were harsh critics of the tournament and the choice to host it. Cristina Lombardy from Durbanville says: “I [was] a skeptic [in] the beginning, not believing that a couple of soccer games warranted all the money and effort spent. It all changed for me after that first Bafana game. I am converted. Not only did I walk the Fan Walk three times, I have also opened my heart and have been sharing ‘good news’ stories of my city [with] some of the tourists that have been staying in my neighborhood.”

Rafiqah Jacobs of Ocean View says: “There are still many social problems that need to be addressed in Cape Town, but the World Cup has opened our hearts. We partied together, cheered together and cried together. Thank you to Cape Town for the time of our lives. Now let’s work together to change our future.

Cape Town hosted many celebrities during the tournament, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, President Jacob Zuma, FIFA president Sepp Blatter and Secretary-General Jérôme Valcke, Organising Committee Chairman Irvin Khoza and CEO Danny Jordaan, several members of the Cabinet, Premier Helen Zille, Executive Mayor Dan Plato and celebrities like Charlize Theron, Mick Jagger, Leonardo di Caprio and Orlando Bloom.

President Zuma gave Cape Town the presidential stamp of approval and described it as his “favourite” host city praising the thorough planning and management of the tournament. 

Kirsten Nematandani, President of the South African Football Association (SAFA), complimented Cape Town on creating an atmosphere that was “electric” and “magic”. 

As FIFA awarded South Africa nine out of 10 for our hosting of the 2010 World Cup while the tournament drew to a close, FIFA President Sepp Blatter substantiated this excellent rating by saying, “Nobody in the world is perfect, but the organisation of this first World Cup in Africa was pretty close.”

Cape Town broke all records for World Cup attendance and crowd numbers in the central city during the quarter-final between Germany and Argentina on Saturday, July 3. No major incidents were reported.

A record number of over 300 000 people gathered in Cape Town’s city centre alone to join in the excitement. Over 153 000 people used the fan walk from the central city to the stadium, and a capacity crowd of 64 100 watched the match in Cape Town stadium. The FIFA Fan Fest™ on the Grand Parade hosted a record-breaking 42 000 people throughout that day, reaching nearly 18 000 fans between 16:00 and 18:30. Over 120 000 people gathered at the V&A Waterfront to enjoy the day’s festivities.

While the concrete legacies of the event are all around us – in the stadiums, the roadways, the airport upgrades – the “pearl of great price” must surely be in the newfound pride that we feel in our country and city, after having, in the words of London mayor Boris Johnson, “taken on something so difficult and done it so well”.

Johnson added that, “When they look at themselves in the approving mirror of world opinion, South Africans of every race agree that the first African World Cup is a joyous success, and that success breeds confidence.”

And the experience of the country is touching fans too. Mark Knapper, 51, from Stevenage in Southern England, cheerfully admits: “I came here for the football. But what I discovered was a whole lot more … ”

He shares the sentiment with many of his fellow fans that Cape Town was his favourite city in South Africa: “It has blown me away,” he says. “The thing that sticks with me is the pride. Since I’ve been here, I’ve become intrigued by the whole African thing. Suddenly, I understand Africa.”