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Southern Africa: AFCON, World Cup to Benefit SADC
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Mmegi/The Reporter (Gaborone)
14 April 2008
Posted to the web 15 April 2008
By Mogomotsi Moloi
Windhoek
The 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa and the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Angola represent massive strategic investment and tourism promotion opportunities that the Southern African Development Community (SADC) is likely to have.
This was said by the Programmes Manager of the European Union-SADC Investment Promotion Programme (ESIPP), John Gowen, during a two day-conference titled 2010 For SADC at the Gaborone Sun last week. The purpose of the conference was to consider how SADC could organise itself to relate to South Africa and Angola, the hosts of these much publicised sporting tournaments. It was attended by SADC public and private sectors, tourism boards and associations. The EU-funded ESIPP seeks to promote investment and inter-enterprise cooperation agreements in the SADC region by enhancing the capacity of regional investment promotion agencies to make the region attractive to both regional and international investors.
The conference presented, discussed and identified opportunities and assessed how intermediary organisations, namely, investment promotion agencies, tourism authorities and chambers of commerce, could position their countries to maximise potential benefits of the 2010 events. Gowen said the much-anticipated soccer showpieces should provide huge benefits for the SADC region. "2010 is the single biggest opportunity that southern Africa could ever have," he said. "World media people will be here to put a focus on this region. This is the opportunity that SADC has been waiting for and should exploit."
The region should be proactive and come up with long-term ideas of how to benefit from 2010 FIFA World Cup and AFCON. However, Gowen said there is still plenty of time before the events, therefore potential investors should not panic. He said in considering investment opportunities, SADC should focus beyond the events and think of the legacy to be left behind, but he emphasised that countries should be aggressive and seek information on how to create a regional vision towards the events. With reference to Botswana, Gowen explained that the country stands a better chance to host visiting teams prior or during games, which should rake in revenue and boost the hotel industry here. "During this event (the World Cup), Botswana should perhaps set up fan parks and big festivals to make money from world football supporters who are going to throng this place," Gowen said.
The country's already bulging tourism industry is going to expand even more. The Secretary to the Delegation of the European Commission to Botswana and SADC, Mark Thill, agreed that 2010 provides the opportunity for investment and tourism promotion opportunities for the region. Global events like the World Cup can change the perception of a country or region in terms of how it is seen by the world and even how it sees itself. The SADC region, which was formerly mired in conflict and civil war, is now at peace and open for business, Thill noted. He expressed the hope that Zimbabwe, which is currently in a political crisis following the delay in releasing presidential poll results, would have recovered by 2010 for the sake of the region. "The European Union is convinced that increased investment is key to meeting the challenges of development and the expectations of the people of the region," Thill told the conference.
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Also at the conference was Mike De Vries, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of German-based Land of Ideas. He made a presentation on how his country exploited the 2006 World Cup as an opportunity to change perceptions about that country.
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