Our moment of truth
2010-07-11 13:00
Business leaders say that the benefits of the World Cup will be
felt for years to come and that it has been the best selling point for South
Africa since Nelson Mandela’s release.
Many of the polled leaders pointed to a renewed sense of
self-belief, nation building and hosting visitors with aplomb as the greatest
monuments to success of this month-long extravaganza.
But they believe the country needs to build on its World Cup
achievements to be viewed as a success by future generations.
Roger Jardine, chief executive of construction firm Aveng, said:
“The need for public-private partnerships has been elevated during this period.
These must be expedited so that the nation can leverage the balance sheets,
technical skills and project management expertise of the private sector to
deliver water, power, roads, hospitals and general infrastructure. With such
programmes come new skills and jobs.”
Aveng built Soccer City, the stadium that will be used for the
final match today.
Absa chief executive Maria Ramos said the World Cup propelled the
country and the continent to the point where the world’s views and expectations
of Africans and South Africans would have changed forever.
“More importantly, perhaps, I hope that we will continue to believe
in ourselves and this beautiful country on this great continent.
“It is our confidence and ability to continue to do great things
that will imbue confidence in others.”
Thandiwe January-Mclean, the chief executive of SA Tourism, said
tourists’ good impressions of the country and the World Cup were positive for
the country.
“People will tell their families, friends and colleagues about
their positive experiences.
“The greatest endorsement of the country came through social media,
with visitors and stars telling the whole world how they have experienced South
Africa, the World Cup and its people. That kind of endorsement is as effective
as word of mouth,” she said.
An urgent challenge for January-Mclean is to encourage more locals
to visit their own country.
“More South Africans visited parts of the country they had never
been to while following their favourite teams. We need to build on this
momentum.”
January-Mclean said the authorities ought to consider continuing
visible policing because it contributed to South Africa hosting a relatively
safe competition.
“South Africa has improved her credentials to host other major
global events after a successful World Cup,” she said.
The hysteria surrounding the World Cup may have led to some people
falling deeper into the debt trap as they may have spent money they did not
budget for.
Thami Bolani, the chairperson of the National Consumer Forum, said:
“At the first sign of trouble, consumers need to speak to their creditors and
approach debt counsellors. This will help them avoid unpleasant experiences such
as repossessions and blacklistings.”
He said the transport infrastructure that had been put in place
should be properly maintained to ensure continued benefit to consumers.
For Jardine, the strong leadership and a commitment to work
together were the hallmarks of this World Cup.
“Our new stadiums, which were finished safely and ahead of
schedule, are world-class examples of African ingenuity and expertise. Together
with the massive upgrading of road and rail systems, airports and
communications infrastructure, these have helped South Africa mitigate the full
brunt of the global recession and have unblocked obstacles to further economic
growth,” he said.
Ramos said the world would have seen that South Africa as a
country, and Africa as a continent, was filled with great potential, talent and
opportunities – on and off the football pitch.
“As a nation, we have demonstrated that we have the capacity,
infrastructure, technology, knowledge and, most importantly, the determination
and passion to get things done well,” said Ramos.
These views were echoed by Iraj Abedian, the chief executive of Pan
African Advisory Services.
“It is going to be our duty to harness the experiences, and
transfer the technical and administrative competence, to run municipalities and
implement service delivery.
“This could become a turning point in our developmental trajectory
as a country,” he said.
Bolani said local consumers deserved the better service they had
grown accustomed to over the past month.
“Retailers need to understand that part of what consumers are
buying is decent treatment,” he said.
- City Press