SA's moment of truth

Johannesburg - Business leaders say the benefits of the 2010 FIFA World Cup will be felt for years to come, and that it has been the best selling point for South Africa since Nelson Mandela's release.
 
Many of the polled leaders pointed to a renewed sense of self-belief, nation building and hosting visitors with aplomb as the greatest monuments to success of this month-long extravaganza.

But they believe the country needs to build on its World Cup achievements to be viewed as a success by future generations.
 
Roger Jardine, CEO of construction firm Aveng [JSE:AEG], said: "The need for public-private partnerships has been elevated during this period. These must be expedited so that the nation can leverage the balance sheets, technical skills and project management expertise of the private sector to deliver water, power, roads, hospitals and general infrastructure. With such programmes come new skills and jobs."
 
Aveng built Soccer City, the stadium used in Sunday's final match.
 
Absa Group [JSE:ASA] CEO Maria Ramos said the World Cup propelled the country and the continent to the point where the world's views and expectations of Africans and South Africans would have changed forever.

"More importantly, perhaps, I hope that we will continue to believe in ourselves and this beautiful country on this great continent," Ramos said. "It is our confidence and ability to continue to do great things that will imbue confidence in others."
 
Thandiwe January-Mclean, CEO of SA Tourism, said tourists' good impressions of the country and the World Cup were positive for the country.
 
"People will tell their families, friends and colleagues about their positive experiences. The greatest endorsement of the country came through social media, with visitors and stars telling the whole world how they have experienced South Africa, the World Cup and its people. That kind of endorsement is as effective as word of mouth," she said.
 
An urgent challenge for January-Mclean is to encourage more locals to visit their own country.
 
"More South Africans visited parts of the country they had never been to while following their favourite teams. We need to build on this momentum."
 
January-Mclean said the authorities ought to consider continuing visible policing, because it contributed to South Africa hosting a relatively safe competition.

"South Africa has improved her credentials to host other major global events after a successful World Cup," she said.
 
Out of pocket

However, the hysteria surrounding the World Cup could have led to some people falling deeper into the debt trap as they may have spent money they did not budget for.
 
National Consumer Forum chairperson Thami Bolani said: "At the first sign of trouble, consumers need to speak to their creditors and approach debt counsellors. This will help them avoid unpleasant experiences such as repossessions and blacklistings."
 
He said the transport infrastructure that had been put in place should be properly maintained to ensure continued benefit to consumers.
 
For Jardine, the strong leadership and a commitment to work together were the hallmarks of this World Cup.

"Our new stadiums, which were finished safely and ahead of schedule, are world class examples of African ingenuity and expertise. Together with the massive upgrading of road and rail systems, airports and communications infrastructure, these have helped South Africa mitigate the full brunt of the global recession and have unblocked obstacles to further economic growth," he said.
 
Ramos said the world would have seen that South Africa as a country, and Africa as a continent, was filled with great potential, talent and opportunities – on and off the football pitch.

"As a nation, we have demonstrated that we have the capacity, infrastructure, technology, knowledge and, most importantly, the determination and passion to get things done well," said Ramos.
 
These views were echoed by Pan African Advisory Services CEO Iraj Abedian.
 
"It is going to be our duty to harness the experience and transfer the technical and administrative competence to run municipalities and implement service delivery. This could become a turning point in our developmental trajectory as a country," he said.
 
Bolani said local consumers deserved the better service they had grown accustomed to over the past month. "Retailers need to understand that part of what consumers are buying is decent treatment," he said.

 - City Press