Moveable Feast

Tuesday, 9th March, 2010 at 11:38

Is it me or has everything become a bit of a “Moveable Feast”?  They say that there are Lies, Damn Lies and Statistics, but lately it seems that Liar’s and Damn Liars are found out by statistics!

The stats are often twisted to say or prove what the producer wishes, but factual stats also make it clear when we are being misled or simply bull shined! 

As the World Cup approaches I increasingly fear and feel that the whole magnitude of this event is still lost on many, but that certain people especially some major real estate and hospitality bodies have misled us.

Will 500,000 visitors arrive in SA?  That is 1500 Jumbo Jets, arriving in SA full of visitors, without a single South African onboard, does anyone really think that is going to happen, be it one day or over four weeks.  That is 50 Jumbo’s a day, even assuming 50 turn up on each day of the last week just to watch the final!

Some hotels are reporting a lack of bookings to date, you can still buy tickets even for the semi and final, that’s if you’re crazy enough to pay R30,000 (which means 95% for your free drinks and sandwiches and 5% for the ticket), they must be great snacks!

You can buy tickets over the website but then know this, you “will not” be able to use any of them, if the person you nominate and give the ID for cannot go, fact!

Germany is reporting far fewer bookings than estimated and I read that SA had estimated that 20,000 English barmy fans were in SA for the Test matches?  Well at Newlands I didn’t see more than 5,000 max, so “their” estimate that 30,000 English Soccer Fans are on the way for the World Cup may be a tad optimistic?

Back at home crime figures are down but then that appears because some criminals have ministerial protection or at least strong pre-nups!

On a lighter note Cape Town’s magnificent stadium has been going through its pre World Cup shake down, to ensure all is working and safe.  The first 20,000 watched a soccer match, makes sense, yes?  Then it stepped up to 40,000 for a Stormers vs Boland rugby match, that’s ok yes? Finally the dilemma of 68,000 needed to test a full stadium, so soccer and rugby possibly on the same bill?  How is Cape Town doing it?  Well it’s going to be a Christian get together, bizarre but then maybe after the World Cup we will be sitting with the largest church in the world, that’s pretty cool in a weird way!

Despite all of the stuff I ramble on about I am still the number one fan of the World Cup.  It is going to be great and we will all be in the very centre of it, as its impact and glamour grow day by day.

Financially it will impact on SA for the month it is on, its lasting legacy however should be the ambassadors for South Africa we create if we are decent and fair hosts.

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