Lebo Malepe hopes to make some money from the 2010 World Cup in Johannesburg. His grandmother lives in the township of Soweto and Lebo will set up a bed & breakfast on her property. Although the Dutch embassy is advising supporters not to visit the townships, his grandmother Rachel knows how to deal with the security situation: guests should not go outside after dark.

By Elles van Gelder

Meat is sizzling in the cooking pan. Seventy-six-year-old Rachel Mokoene is standing behind the electric hot plate in her home in the Soweto township. In the winter she uses the old green furnace which runs on coal in the corner. "Then the house gets nice and warm." Her kitchen is about twelve square metres and is the centre of her modest home. Here she has been receiving family, friends and guests since 1957.

 Gogo
And soon she hopes to welcome football supporters too. She will set up a bed & breakfast together with her 34-year-old grandson Lebo Malepe. Lebo is sitting at the kitchen table and eating the baked meat. He is visiting his grandmother to see if the renovation of the accommodation for supporters is proceeding according to plan.

"Okay, this is one of the rooms that we are fixing up. We want to set it into a dormitory. Hopefully there will sleep between six and eight people."

His gogo (Zulu for grandmother) lives on a small property which includes her home, two shacks and a building with three rooms and a shower and toilet. The rooms will be used for the bed & breakfast. They are now being painted.

Entrepreneurial spirit
South Africans are asking how the 'common man' will profit from the FIFA World Cup, the international football tournament which will begin in June. An estimated 350,000 foreign supporters are expected to attend the games. So far few Dutch supporters have made reservations due to the high costs of flights and accommodation. Fewer than a third of the 22,000 tickets have been sold.

The South African government maintains that the World Cup will benefit the country as a whole. However it is not that easy for people to profit from the games on an individual basis. Lebo however has the kind of entrepreneurial spirit necessary to make a profit from the tourists visiting the country.

"2010 as a whole is just beautiful for the country. It's new hope, a new beginning for us. It's going to help this country to grow, so that the world knows there is South Africa and it's a beautiful country."

He laughs: "And there is no better place to stay than at my grandmother's house in this fantastic neighbourhood." Lebo's love for Soweto is tatooed on his arm. The young South African who never finished high school knows what he is talking about. He succeeded in setting up a lodging for backpackers in the house owned by his father's side of the family. Now the house from his mother's side of the family will accommodate tourists.

Memories
But this time the guest will get to meet his grandmother, which adds to the charm. Lebo: "She has many stories to tell." Rachel was born in Soweto in 1933 and never moved. Soweto, which is an abbreviation for South Western Townships, is the largest township in South Africa. The township became known throughout the world in 1976, when students rebelled against a decree forcing black students to include Afrikaans as a language of instruction. The Soweto uprising, with its many dead and injured, sparked a chain reaction which played a major role in the liberation struggle against the apartheid regime.

Rachel's house is in Orlando East, near the former home of ex-president Nelson Mandela. Lebo: "She can tell guests about the history of Soweto and share her memories with them. Visitors can also experience at first hand how many South Africans live. And Orlando Stadium, which serves as a training venue for the 2010 World Cup, is just around the corner."

New life
Grandmother Rachel is looking forward to the arrival of the tourists. "I hope the World Cup will help change my life. I will be better off financially, my health will improve and I will be happier. I'll be able to spend more time with my grandson and I'll meet people from all over the world. I used to think that I would have to spend the rest of my life struggling to live off a meagre pension. I never thought that I would have a new life."

"Yes, I cook what I have. With pleasure. As long as they ask for it, then I'll do whatever I can for them. They can even eat African food. I even cook African food for them, if they want to."

Lebo believes that because of the World Cup many people have new hopes. "However, not everyone will profit from it. Particularly people in the towns where the matches will be held will be able to earn something. I think it will be difficult elsewhere. I am glad to grab this chance with both hands. This is good business for me and my niece and nephew who will help me. It should be more of a hobby for my grandmother. She is old and I want her to enjoy herself. She should let her grandchildren do the real work."

Security
Lebo has not yet set a price for a room at grandmother Rachel's bed & breakfast. However, he does not intend to rip off tourists. Many hotels and guest houses in South Africa are raising their prices during the World Cup. The country's official tourist agency, South African Tourism, has warned that the country could lose its image as an inexpensive place for a vacation. Lebo agrees, which is why he is targeting the budget tourist in particular.

The question remains whether many of the expected 350,000 supporters will be willing to book a room in a township. For instance, the Dutch embassy is advising Dutch supporters to avoid the townships, or to visit them only with an escort due to the security situation. Grandmother Rachel admits that there is a lot of crime and has one important house rule. Guests may not go out alone after dark. However Lebo says the guests should not be afraid. "We are here for their protection. We come from Soweto and want to make them feel welcome."