SA's World Cup boon balloons

Johannesburg - The World Cup has pumped an estimated R93bn into the local economy, government spokesperson Themba Maseko said on Wednesday.
  
South Africa's successful hosting of the event would also lead to an increase in foreign direct investment, and see more foreign tourists visiting the country, he told a media briefing in Pretoria.
  
"Initial calculations [show] that R93bn was pumped into the economy just before and during the World Cup.
  
Two weeks ago, Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan said the World Cup will add R38bn to South Africa's economy this year.

"However, the minister of finance (Pravin Gordhan)... is still doing the final calculations, and we expect that within another month or so we will be able... to verify those figures. So this is an initial estimate at this point in time."
  
Maseko said the successful World Cup had brought about an improvement in both South Africa and the continent's global image.
 
"And we anticipate that this will translate into an increase in the number of tourists."

Final projections
 
Changed perceptions about the country would also lead to increased foreign direct investment.
  
"But again, the economic cluster will do the final projections, and we should be able to give you those figures in another month or so," he said.
 
Transport Minister Sibusiso Ndebele singled out the taxi industry for praise, saying it had performed excellently during the World Cup.
  
"They have really moved themselves from being a problem to being part of the solution," he said.

- Sapa