Sibongakonke Shoba And Chris Van Gass
6 March 2008
Johannesburg — SOUTH Africans could start booking tickets to watch the world's biggest sport event in 2010 as early as June this year, the Fifa-appointed MATCH Hospitality announced yesterday.
Pascal Portes, chief operations officer of MATCH Hospitality, said the hospitality packages would be sold at an average price of $1450, 39% less than what spectators paid at the 2006 Soccer World Cup in Germany.
The cheapest packages would cost $380-$1400, and the most expensive at $3500-$6000.
International soccer fans will be able to buy tickets in September.
The Western Cape 2010 World Cup Standing Committee also heard that the controversial Green Point stadium would now cost between R300m and R500m more than original estimates, for a final cost of R3,7bn-R4bn.
Committee members raised questions over the R10m-R12m a year that would be required to operate and maintain the stadium after the World Cup.
Green Point stadium was expected to get eight matches, including a semifinal, and had targeted nine teams to use Western Cape as their base.
MATCH said it would offer two packages. The onsite package includes match tickets, access to catering, entertainment, commemorative gifts and parking. The full hospitality package also includes air tickets, ground transport and accommodation.
Spectators have five options to choose from in this package. The first is the Big Six series, which includes private suite seats at the six big stadiums (Soccer City, Ellis Park, Loftus Versveld, Durban, Cape Town and Port Elizabeth) and tickets to watch 44 matches.
The second option is the Gauteng series, which includes seats in private and shared suites to watch 21 matches played in all three venues in that province.
The Venue series offers tickets to all matches played at a selected stadium, excluding Soccer City.
The fourth option is the Final Round series -- tickets to matches that will be played in the final round .
The Follow Your Team series offers fans an opportunity to pick a team to follow. If that team does not qualify to the next round, fans can choose another team or request a reimbursement.
MATCH is negotiating with various tertiary institutions to provide accommodation, laundry, catering and other services. MATCH senior executive manager Adam Brown said the company had acquired 36000 rooms countrywide, including 11000 rooms from small, medium and micro enterprises such as B&Bs and lodges.
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