World cup 2010 in pictures

Johannesburg City Center - World cup display

Cape Town Fans

Zakumi - Mascot for the World Cup

Adderly, Cape Town -  Water feature 

Green Point Stadium, Cape Town

Soccer City, Johannesburg

Soccer City - Open day Match

South Africa vs. Mexico - Opening Match

Cape Town Fans blow Vuvuzela's

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Its almost here

Are you Ready?

South Africans are,

parading through the streets of SA, blowing their vuvuzelas and making a cacophony of noise as the FWC draws closer.

The wait is almost over!

Opening Match

Time listed at GMT + 2

Brazil, Spain and Argentina dont let me down - you're in my top 3

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Welcome Gautrain!

Why hello Gautrain (Kaoo/Gao Train) - the long awaited train system in Johannesburg no doubt comes with a huge applause in a city where traffic is a growing problem.  The Gautrain project (an 80-kilometre mass rapid transit railway system)  is not complete however ahead of the World cup, the link between the Airport and Sandton (Johannesburg's commercial hub based in the northern suburbs) has been set up.

3 cheers for Gautrain!~!~!

Today, is its first official day in operations and here's hoping to a wonderful and successful story in its name. The trip between the airport and Sandton will set you back approximately 12 minutes ($12 US fare one way) compared to a drudging drive in a rental car of up to 45 minutes in peak traffic.

For more information go to: http://www.gautrain.co.za/

So what about Sandton - is it a safe city? Hell yeah! Sandton has to be one of the most beautiful commercial cities in South Africa and the Gautrain station has been situated ideally on the famous 5th street playing neighbour to the famous Nelson Mandel Square, The Sandton City Shopping Mall, The Sandton Inter-continental Hotels, The Sandton Convention Centre, The Raphael hotel suites and The Michaelangelo Hotel suites.

A picture of Fifth Street and Sandton City

A bit advice for our tourists: When anywhere in Johannesburg, do be street smart, dont talk on the cellphone while walking on the street, try your best to trade in the local currency or by visa cards, dont ask people on the road for directions and use the official transport systems allocated (Johannesburg boasts a great bus system and more recently, an equally good private cab service that will cost you though).

On the upside, you will love Jo'burgers, the cuisine, the hotels, the sunsets, or a drive to the Lost city and its few other gem amneties.

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Only 12 days to go!

YAY

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122 days to go

We at 122 days to go for the big launch of the 2010 World cup. South Africa as a host city promises to offers you views of every kind...Here are some of the stadiums selected for the world cup.

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2010 World cup - Safety assurance

As a south african expat one of the common questions I am hearing this year, is, how safe is South Africa going to be during the world cup...Well here is what the South African Government has to say

Safety and Security The Government's Promise (http://www.sa2010.gov.za/safety-and-security)

The Government has assured the millions of fans who will be coming to watch the 2010 World Cup that they will be safe in South Africa. There are a number of prongs to South Africa’s safety and security plan:



• South Africa will be working closely with international agencies to gather intelligence

• there will be a focus on border security at ports of entry – including South Africa’s land, sea and air borders

• route security, specifically those leading from airports into the cities, will be a priority

• police are to divide the host cities into sections, with teams patrolling sections and focusing on FIFA headquarters, hotels, other accommodation establishments, the stadiums, fan parks, restaurants and tourist venues

• state-of-the-art information and communication military technology will be used as well as a fleet of nearly 40 helicopters

• a dedicated force of 41 000 officers will be deployed.



Some R665-million will be spent on procuring special equipment, including crowd-control equipment, crime scene trainers, unmanned aircraft, helicopters,



10 water cannons, 100 BMWs for highway patrol and up-to-date body armour. About 300 mobile cameras will also be used.  These investments will continue to assist the police in their crime-fighting initiatives long after the World Cup is over.



South Africa will have dedicated 2010 police stations within close proximity to each of the stadiums, as well as dedicated crime-investigation teams and special courts to investigate and deal with all event-related crimes 24/7.



A 24-hour multilingual hotline will assist visitors requiring police or medical services.  Border security and sea and air security strategies are in place.



South Africa's track record in managing high-level events speaks for itself. The country has hosted several global gatherings, such as:

• World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in 2002


• Non-Aligned Movement summit in 1998


• Rugby World Cup in 1995


• African Cup of Nations in 1996


• All Africa Games in 1999


• Cricket World Cup in 2003

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