2010 Business Opportunities

I was fortunate enough to attend a conference at the CSIR where opportunities for SMME's were highlighted (4 Des 2008). Lengthy discussions on the legal issues for eager entrepreneurs had to be endured. OK, these legal issues are important - but still boring.
What was interesting though, was that they needed small businesses to help Tswane City counsel fulfill their promises to FIFA. They also named the areas were specific opportunities will be. Some of the opportunities are in these sectors:

• Transport - Scores of press, fans, organisers and entourages have to be carted to and from games.
• Accommodation - There is currently a serious shortage of registered and graded accommodation. Businesses interested in hosting visitors has to be on the "M.A.T.C.H." database. (see fifa.com)
• Food - scores of people will have to eat and drink lots of beer.
• Safety & Security - Health safety and safety from criminal elements.
• Volunteer procurement - Someone will have to find helpers, ushers, cleaners and the like. Someone will have to manage these volunteers.
• Waste management - 50 000 people at Loftus can really make a mess

There were at least 20 other opportunity sectors named, but these stuck with me. A point of reassurance (a "riem onder die hart") is the following:

1. Tshwane will probably be used as a central hub by various team administrations, press crews and fans. This means they will stay at one establishment for the duration of the entire event and shuttle to the individual games. The reason for this is because a lot of the other host cities are within manageable driving distances from the city: Rustenburg = 1.5 hours, Polokwane = 3 hours, Nelspruit = 3 hours. This is besides the 4 stadiums going to be used in Tshwane itself.
2. The Tshwane City counsel and FIFA have agreed that local residents and SMME's will be used as much as possible. This is government's way of empowering residents of the City. This ensures that as many South Africans as possible can benefit (profit) from the worlds biggest sporting event.

MORE GOOD NEWS...
Tshwane will also host games played in the 2009 Federations cup! This is another major event leading up to 2010 Soccer. The Federations cup also offers HUGE opportunities for SMME's.

So here's the catch (for me): As a previously advantaged South African, now disadvantaged, it will be beneficial to prove to the Tshwane city leaders that my business is BEE compliant. (Luckely my business is.) This will not kill the flame of optimism and exitement about this major event. All South-Africans will hugely benifit from such a massive opportunity called World Cup 2010!