Vusumuzi Dube
The Netball World Cup starting on Friday is expected to inject about R68m into the local economy of host city Cape Town in South Africa.
The tournament, hosted in Africa for the first time, is also expected to bring an influx of visitors to the city.
Flags of the 16 participating nations were hoisted in the Central Business District on Friday. They include host nation South Africa, defending champions New Zealand, Australia, Barbados, England, Fiji, Jamaica, Malawi, Scotland, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, Wales and Zimbabwe. The event opens on July 28 and ends on August 6.
“[It] is predicted to bring a boost of about R68m to the local economy,” said Tania Colyn, acting spokesperson for Western Cape cultural affairs and sport MEC Anroux Marais.
Cape Town safety and security MMC JP Smith, who opened the flag raising ceremony, said sporting events drew spectators which in turn boosted local restaurant, hotel and retail spending.
“A review of the economic impact revealed that seven of the biggest events hosted in Cape Town over the last year generated over R5bn worth of economic activity in the Mother City. A deeper dive into the numbers shows that between February and March alone, over 417,000 people attended events in Cape Town. Those events created over 11,000 jobs and provided various trading opportunities for small to medium enterprises.”
He added that in terms of the Netball World Cup, the previous edition held in Liverpool in 2019 had an economic impact of about R189m.
Load-shedding and crime were two key issues addressed in preparations for this year’s event. The immediate tournament area will be exempted from load-shedding for safety reasons.
Private security has been hired for the venue, the Cape Town International Convention Centre. Metro police, traffic services, the SAPS and the city’s tourism safety unit will be deployed in numbers. The event will be preceded by a free fan park concert on July 26.
“For the concert itself we will easily see 5,000 to 10,000 people, and for daily activations and activities, it will be several thousand people on site, aside from the people coming to see a match.
The netball World Cup is not just a tournament, it’s a celebration of passion, dedication and unity. It brings together athletes from diverse backgrounds, cultures and countries, all joined by the love for the game,” said Smith. (source: www.sowetanlive.co.za)
Online Reporter