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Zulu dancers welcome Chilean fans at O.R. Tambo International Airport

Zulu dancers welcome Chilean fans at O.R. Tambo International Airport

O.R. Tambo International Airport on the outskirts of Johannesburg is the main gateway into South Africa for those of us boring enough to arrive in South Africa by air. Carrying more than 17 million passengers per year it is also the busiest airport in Africa. Even with the burden of hundreds of thousands extra passengers during the 2010 FIFA World Cup O.R. Tambo International coped without any major hitches. That was no big suprise, after all why would handling a mere 800 planes per day bother you when your systems can handle up to 28 million passengers per year without breaking a sweat?

In Short, O.R. Tambo International Airport has a lot it can boast about. By extension South Africa has a lot it can boast about. World class infrastructure, world class stadia, Nobel Laureates, world class universities, beautiful landscape and a wide and diverse culture.

So why was the first thing that international passengers saw after the cleared immigration and customs at this, Africa’s most modern airport remember, a bunch of scantily clad dancers doing a Zulu dance?


Video by Daudi Were

In his infamous satirical essay, “How to Write About Africa” Binyavanga Wainaina reminds us to

Never have a picture of a well-adjusted African on the cover of your book, or in it, unless that African has won the Nobel Prize. An AK-47, prominent ribs, naked breasts: use these. If you must include an African, make sure you get one in Masai or Zulu or Dogon dress.

So there! Zulu and Maasai dance are only allowed as a last resort! And even then only in satire! In Kenya there is a growing cultural revolt against having “jumping Maasai in red shukas” as the only advertised symbol of Kenya culture. There has to be more to show than this, we cry. In a similar way how can these dancers been selected as the most promiment ambassadors of South Africa culture? You never get a second chance to make a first impression the saying goes. Are these dancers the first impression South Africa wants to give about its culture?

But perhaps it is because South Africa has been so successful in many other areas (technology, construction, logistics, tourism, marketing and university education for example) that the display of half naked dancers at the airport reflects a country comfortable enough in its skin to dance in animal skins rather than one afraid to celebrate any other aspect of its culture? After all even the president put on some skins and does some dancing occasionally! Why shouldn’t South Africa highlight this aspect of its culture prominently if it wants to?

Having said that it was difficult to spend a day during the World Cup without bumping into yet another group of semi clad dancers, especially on match days.


I am taking part in the “Blogging the 2010 FIFA World Cup” project. Highway Africa in partnership with Global Voices and supported by MTN will provide coverage of the 2010 World Cup from a citizen media perspective through the use of on-the-ground reporting and the aggregation and amplification of online conversations across the continent, with a special emphasis on development issues. The content will be published on our own blogs and on the Reporting Development News Africa blog. Check out the other bloggers taking part in this project Eduardo Avila and Rebecca Wanjiku.
Cross posted at http://reportingdna.org/blogs/blog/2010/07/21/so-you-think-you-should-dance/

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MTN banner at Soweto Fifa FanFest

MTN banner at Soweto Fifa FanFest

As the figures trickle in we learn that the 2010 World Cup has been a financial success for FIFA as the football’s world governing body will bank at least USD 3.2 bn in tax free profits from the tournament. The vast majority of this money comes from pre-sold TV rights and sponsorship from corporates. It seems like a life time ago when many financial experts confidently predicted that FIFA would make a loss on the 2010 World Cup in contrast to the large profits the 2006 tournament generated in Germany.

Sportcal Global Communications, the independent sports business and financial information consultants, state in their report The Sports Market Insight: 2010 Fifa World Cup in South Africa that,

The 2010 Fifa World Cup will set the benchmark for global sports events on many levels. Not only will it be the first truly global event to be staged in Africa, it is due to smash previous records for media rights revenue, audiences, new media coverage, broadcast quality and sponsorship income.

A year before kick off at the 2009 annual Highway Africa Conference the 2010 FIFA World Cup Local Organinisng Committee (LOC) hosted African journalists for an evening at the then newly-built Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth. The 2010 LOC’s Chief Executive Officer, Danny Jordaan, stressed again and again that the World Cup would be a financial success for FIFA. It was clear that this was one of the key messages that Jordaan and his committee wanted African journalists to take and spread at home. Why is it so important that the World Cup made money, a lot of money, for FIFA?

FIFA’s Finance Director, Markus Kattner explains that 95 percent of FIFA’s total revenue comes from the sale of rights relating to World Cup, a very risky venture leading to a “high exposure”. This is confirmed by FIFA General Secretary, Jerome Valcke, who states, “We [FIFA] are not rich. We are making quite good money thanks to the World Cup, but that’s the only money we have.”

In other words if the World Cup flops financially it would be catastrophic for FIFA and the organisation would probably not survive. For example, profits from the World Cup go towards funding its many other activities and less lucrative competitions such as junior and women’s World Cups and even the very popular and hig profile Confederations Cup between continental national teams champions.

All these important tournaments make financial losses which are only covered by the profits from FIFA’s premier competition. For example, in 2009, FIFA spent a significant amount of money on the Confederations Cup in South Africa USD 44 million, the under 17 World Cup in Nigeria USD 43 million, the Club World Cup in United Arab Emirate USD 30 million and the under 20 World Cup in Egypt USD 21 million. FIFA also spent USD 30 million for women’s competitions in 2008. Without the profits from the World Cup these tournaments would not be possible.

That FIFA was “allowed” to make all this money, tax free at that, has been labelled obscene. Especially when it is portrayed as FIFA makes this money at the expense of the ordinary South African, who is excluded from the football party due to high ticket prices, high food and breveage prices at official FIFA FanFests, and dracorian FIFA marketing rules.

The true impact, positive or negative, of the World Cup on the South African economy of the improved transport infrastructure, tourism, job creation, sporting legacy, country branding and nation building will not be known for, perhaps, another 10 years when it is possible to conduct reliable costs-benefits analyses to get an accurate assessment.

One group of people who we know will not be complain about FIFA’s healthy finances are the six FIFA confederations which each get an extra USD 2.5 million, and the national football associations which each get a USD 250,000 bonus from the windfall.


I am taking part in the “Blogging the 2010 FIFA World Cup” project. Highway Africa in partnership with Global Voices and supported by MTN will provide coverage of the 2010 World Cup from a citizen media perspective through the use of on-the-ground reporting and the aggregation and amplification of online conversations across the continent, with a special emphasis on development issues. The content will be published on our own blogs and on the Reporting Development News Africa blog. Check out the other bloggers taking part in this project Eduardo Avila and Rebecca Wanjiku.
Cross posted at http://reportingdna.org/blogs/blog/2010/07/20/show-me-the-money/

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South Africa’s relationship with the rest of Africa is fascinatingly complex.

On one hand, South Africa fascinates the minds of other Africans in a largely positive way. Here we have an African country that is a development giant illustrated in its status as a key member of the G20 not merely as Africa’s representative but in its own right as an economic powerhouse. Here we have a new democracy which behaves like an old democracy, changing heads of state as easily and bloodlessly as cutting a toe nail. Here we have a country that is comfortable enough in its multi-ethnicity to have 11 official languages and a national anthem with verses in three languages. A nuclear power, the home of the first open heart surgery, with a gross domestic product (GDP) four times that of its southern African neighbours and comprising around 25% of the entire continent’s GDP. South Africa leads the continent in industrial output (40% of total output) and mineral production (45%) and generates most of Africa’s electricity (over 50%).

On the other hand, you have South Africa’s relationship with the hearts of other Africans. Here too South Africa’s story is largely positive. Here are a people who fought the longest battle for liberation from oppression with apartheid falling only in 1994 meaning that the “born frees” are only 16 years old, not yet of voting age. Despite this South Africans have managed to lift themselves up, decide that their focus is forward not at looking backwards. In addition South Africa is double rugby world cup champion (1995, 2007) and African Nations Cup Champion in 1996 only two years after the fall of apartheid.

However, while South Africa has managed to capture the minds of Africans, it has had a much harder time winning over the hearts of other Africans. No doubt South Africa generates intense respect that comes with a recognition and acceptance of its status as the economic and political leader on the continent. The warmth of brotherhood, which is different from respect, while there, is not as intense.

There are several reasons why this could be the case. The one I have encountered most regularly is the “except South Africa” syndrome. The “except South Africa” syndrome ironically is a direct consequence of South Africa’s huge strides in development. It presents a unique dilemma as the same things about South Africa that fascinate positively African minds are the same ones that push away African hearts by making it appear so apart. For example take Wikipedia’s entry on Sub-Saharan Africa:

Sub-Saharan African countries top the list of countries and territories by fertility rate with 40 of the highest 50, all with TFR greater than 4 in 2008. All are above the world average except South Africa. Figures for life expectancy, malnourishment, infant mortality and HIV/AIDS infections are also dramatic. More than 40% of the population in sub-Saharan countries is younger than 15 years old, as well as in the Sudan with the exception of South Africa.[47]

Sub-Saharan African countries spent an average of just 0.3% of their GDP on S&T(Science and Technology) in 2007. This represents an increase from US$1.8bn in 2002 to US$2.8bn in 2007. This represent an increase of 50% in spending in S&T in Africa. South Africa is the sole exception. South Africa spends 0.87% of GDP on S&T.[85][86]
(emphasis mine)

MTN's World Cup 2010 Africa United ShieldIn so many ways, some positive, some negative, South Africa seems so removed from the rest of Africa. It is almost impossible to get any meaningful statistic on Sub-Saharan Africa that does not exclude South Africa as the inclusion of that data would transform the results completely. I first noticed this during Idris Mohammed’s talk at TEDAfrica in which most of his statistics on the economy of Sub Saharan Africa excluded South Africa. While it is a blessing to be a trailblazer and a honour to be a leader, South Africa has also found that it can be lonely place to be.

This explains South Africa’s obsession with making the world cup not just about celebrating South Africa but about celebrating Africa. This I believe is not so much about selling Africa to the world but about selling South Africa to the rest of Africa. South Africa is tired of being just the cleverest kid in school; South Africa wants to be the most popular kid in school.

Team Africa United MTN, official sponsor of the World Cup, main advertising campaign is centred around urging us to support team “Africa United”. South Africans in particular were urged to make “every African match a home game” by buying tickets to matches involving African teams and (equally important) to go to the stadia and support those teams with the same passion they support Bafana Bafana. MTN also shouts, “Let’s go Africa. Let’s go 2010.”

South Africa is reaching out to the rest of Africa, perhaps “except South Africa” and “accept South Africa” do not have to be mutually exclusive.

Let's go Africa. Let's go 2010 banner


I am taking part in the “Blogging the 2010 FIFA World Cup” project. Highway Africa in partnership with Global Voices and supported by MTN will provide coverage of the 2010 World Cup from a citizen media perspective through the use of on-the-ground reporting and the aggregation and amplification of online conversations across the continent, with a special emphasis on development issues. The content will be published on our own blogs and on the Reporting Development News Africa blog. Check out the other blogger’s taking part in this project Eduardo Avila and Rebecca Wanjiku.

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G20Voice logoI am in London at the kind invitation of G20Voice. 50 bloggers will be your eyes and ears at the G20 Summit in London, April 2. We come from 22 different countries, and between us represent a global audience of over 14 million readers and online participants. Some are journalists who use blogging as their medium to disseminate their views. Some are ‘professional bloggers’, others of us are are ordinary citizens who have become known through our blogs.

We have been given the same media accreditation as the main stream media to enter the G20 Summit tomorrow and hopefully we will be able to make a positive impact for citizen journalists and some of you will be invited to the G8 and other high level meetings in the future.

So who’s here at the G20?

Leaders of the world’s major economies and of global economic financial institutions have been invited to attend the London Summit. This includes the leaders of the G20 countries, which represent:

  • 90% of global GNP (gross domestic product)
  • 80% of world trade
  • two-thirds of the world’s population

Having said all that only two African leaders are here:

Kgalema Motlanthe – President of the Republic of South Africa
Meles Zenawi – Prime Ministe of Ethiopia in his role as Chair of NEPAD

This is a dire state of affairs even if you go beyond the numbers. Motlanthe is just keeping the seat warm until South Afrcian elections later this month, and Zenawi well you couldn’t have asked for a better example of a “soft” dictator that are the bane of our continent!

So who speaks for Africa here? Or even – should Africa be speaking here? Should Africa want to be involved in the G20? I think the important thing is to keep a sense of perspective by keeping an eye on the big picture and to question even the basic assumptions.

Arriving in London this morning and making my way by tube from Heathrow to Westminster, in the heart of the city, (the Houses of Parliament, 10 Downing Street etc are only a few steps away) was notable only in that it was uneventful, none of the chaos that has been hyped to a ridiculous level by people with various agendas.

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