Cape Town Tourism and Cape Town Routes Unlimited (the marketing organisation for the Western Cape) hosted a walk along the 2010 FIFA World Cup fan walk last week.

This is the route that pedestrians can take to Green Point Stadium after they have commuted to the city using public transport.

There are six points of interest along the route:

1. Africa statue
2. Waterkant Street
3. St Andrew’s Square
4. Corner of Chiappini and Somerset Roads
5. Somerset Rd
6. Gallows Hill

The fan walk starts at the Africa sculpture by Brett Murray in St George’s Mall. That’s the bronze figure decorated with yellow Bart Simpson heads!

Waterkant Street is a great example of why Cape Town is a walk-able city. The lively stalls along this section of route offer some unique and affordable Capetonian snacks. 

St Andrew’s Square has deep roots in the history of slave trading in Cape Town. The church on the square was the first church that allowed slaves to enter freely and pray. During the 2010 World Cup the square will be the staging area for post-match chill-out lounges.

The corner of Chiappini and Somerset Roads is where the fun begins. Somerset Rd is lined with many bustling nightclubs and bars – Bronx perhaps the more notorious amongst them.

Further developments on Somerset Rd will ensure that the fan walk will be an engaging experience from start to finish. It is proposed that some of the roads feeding into Somerset Rd have restricted access during the World Cup.

6. Gallows Hill is currently a nondescript parking area situated next to the Cape Town Traffic Department. For 2010, however, it will be developed into a public space.

Green Point Stadium will be the focal point of soccer in Cape Town during the FIFA World Cup.

Have you been to the Green Point Stadium Visitor Information Centre? It’s awesome! I’ll cover it in more detail in a later post, but meanwhile enjoy these pics of Cape Town Routes Unlimited and Cape Town Tourism learning the diski (soccer) dance.

Lianne Burton (Middle) doing the Diski Dance.

To see more pictures, please visit Aslam Levy’s blog by clicking here.

David Beckham won’t have to travel far from his Cape Town home to represent or support England when they play Algeria at Cape Town Stadium at the 2010 FIFA World Cup on June 18 next year.

At the draw in Cape Town, England was drawn along with USA, Slovenia and Algeria in Group C.

Cape Town, confirmed by British Airways as the world’s most popular destination in 2010, will host thousands of English visitors. Cape Town is known for its celebrity appeal, and the Beckham family’s presence will further add to this.

Beckham was one of the media personalities taking part in formalities of the 2010 FIFA World Cup Final Draw in Cape Town on December 4, 2009. Dressed in a light grey suit and sporting a Mohican-style haircut, he was a popular celebrity amongst the crowd of thousands that gathered in Long Street, Cape Town, to watch the Final Draw on a huge screen.

See a photo essay of the party and watch videos brought to you by Cape Town Tourism’s blogging team.

See FAQs about the Cape Town Stadium here.

General Bheki Cele at Cape Town Stadium. Photos by Roy Barford

Western Cape premier, Helen Zille

The South African Police Service (SAPS) today announced its “readiness” for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™, with various displays at Cape Town Stadium.

Addressing the media, school groups, as well as thousands of police, military and security personnel, General Bheki Cele, National Commissioner of Police, said he was “satisfied that the World Cup in South Africa will be safe”.

Regarding police preparations, Cele said: “we are not ready today … we were ready yesterday”.

He added that the security teams for all 31 of the other participating nations had given South Africa’s security preparations “the thumbs up”.

Cele said that of the 190 000 South African Police Service personnel, 44 000 would be allocated to the 2010 FIFA World Cup™. They would be joined by more police from around the world.

Demonstrations were held to show how police could effectively handle various crowd-control situations, from minor scuffles to riots, in the stands.

Air Force aircraft also flew over the stadium, proving that security would not be limited to ground level.

To commemorate the event, Cele and Western Cape premier, Helen Zille, released exactly 2010 balloons, which coloured the Cape Town sky.

Zille thanked Cele for choosing Cape Town to announce the police service’s readiness for the event, but said she was not surprised that he had done so.

Although dignitaries arrived late for the event at Cape Town Stadium, following a parade around the city centre, SAPS officers kept those in the stands entertained with a Police Pop Idols concert, showing that they were also capable of “busting a groove” in their uniforms.

The recent success of the Loerie Awards bodes well for December 4. Photo by Anita van Zyl

Cape Town Central City will have over 700 000 million international eyes on it later this year when it becomes the venue for the 2010 FIFA World Cup Final Draw on 4 December. Festivities for the event, however, will already begin a week earlier with the traditional turning on of the Adderley Street festival lights on Sunday 29 November – this year with a theme appropriate to the year that lies ahead.

But the main attraction for the public will be on 4 December: while the FIFA family will be ensconced in the Cape Town International Convention Centre for the Final Draw itself, Capetonians will be able to take to the streets – Long Street in particular from Buitensingel to Wale Streets – for a day of festivities in the hours leading up to and beyond the Final Draw, to be broadcast live at 7pm that evening.

Long Street revellers will watch the Final Draw as it happens on big screens, topped and tailed by live entertainment from a stage to be especially erected for the Long Street event.

Officially known as the Festival of the Final Draw of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, South Africa, preparations for Long Street are currently being meticulously planned by the City of Cape Town’s Events and 2010 teams, in conjunction with events company, Maximum Exposure, headed up by KFM’s wellknown radio personality, Bobby Brown, Maximum Exposure won the City tender from among a number of impressive proposals submitted. However, the teams now have their work cut out for them, with just two weeks to go before 4 December.

Says Shameel Ho-kim, 2010 Project Manager, City of Cape Town: “We realise Long Street stakeholders – and Capetonians in general – are now very keen to be kept abreast of preparations towards the 4 December for the Long Street party are extremely fortunate to have the close cooperation of the Long Street Association as well as the Cape Town Partnership and the Central City Improvement District (CCID) to assist us with both communications and activation. This will ensure not only that we inform and involve all those who are keen to be part of the festivities, but also hold a world-class event of the highest standard in a safe, secure environment.”

In preparation of the public event in Long Street on 4 December, the CCID’s urban management team has compiled a defects audit of the area. Ninety-two defects were identified, ranging from potholes to shabby pavements to missing drain covers and broken fairy lights. The City of Cape Town’s roadworks has already jumped in with a dedicated team attending to the defects under its jurisdiction, while the CCID is itself training a six-person team from Straatwerk to assist roadworks.  The City’s electrical division has also already given all electrical boxes a facelift with new coats of paint.

For more information on the Long Street Festival for 4 December, please email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Bafana Bafana Coach Carlos Parreira (left) and CEO of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ Local Organising Committee, Danny Jordaan. Photos by Travis Robertson

South African soccer coach, Carlos Parreira, has said that Cape Town Stadium is “one of the top five stadiums in the world”.

Addressing the media during the Cape Town International Challenge at Cape Town Stadium on Saturday, the Brazilian said that he was amazed by the stadium.

“I have been everywhere, and this stadium has a wonderful ambiance,” he said.

Danny Jordaan, CEO of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ Local Organising Committee, said he would have given Cape Town “nine out of 10” for its World Cup preparations.

“I think Cape Town is now ready,” he said, thanking all those who have given their support during the test events that have been held in preparation for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™.

“Congratulations to the city of Cape Town.”

Francis Dugubatsi, a soccer official from Ghana, said he had thoroughly enjoyed his trip to Cape Town. “It is a very fine place indeed,” he said.

Cape Town Stadium looked magnificent under lights last night, when South Africa’s under-20 team took on Nigeria

Cape Town Stadium is going to be a stunning venue for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™