It was supposed to be the World Cup that would bring ‘social and economic progress across Africa’. Six months after the final whistle, what’s the true legacy of four weeks football frenzy?

Social worker Giosiame Masiki from Soweto sums up what remains of the World Cup: “We were hoping for more tourists, more jobs and a brighter future. We ended up with beautiful stadiums, improved infrastructure, a certain sense of unity and in some cases new friends from all over the world.”

Soweto, or at least its image, has changed because of the World Cup, according to Lebo Malepa. He owns the only backpacker hostel in Soweto. “Not so long ago, travel guides and magazines would discourage people from visiting Soweto, let alone spend a night in the township. Since the World Cup, we’ve seen some very enthusiastic reports and tourism is picking up around here.”
Indebted entrepreneurs
Many entrepreneurial South Africans turned their homes into guesthouses, anticipating the expected influx of tourists. Grace Pilane from Alexandra township, who still proudly wears her Bafana Bafana soccer shirt at every imaginable occasion, says: “Several friends of mine took out loans to add a room to their house. We were waiting for the tourists to arrive, like everybody had been telling us for so long.”

With Johannesburg’s posh suburb Santon and Fifa’s Fan Park only a 15-minute drive away, and the vicinity of the Ellis Park and Soccer City stadiums, people from Alexandra had high hopes that this World Cup would bring them some business. But as the final match came closer and most extra beds remained unslept in, they realised that this World Cup would not drastically change their lives.

Tough chew
“Sure, the Soccer City stadium looks beautiful,”admits Mrs Pilane. “But I can’t eat it, or can I? Three of my four sons are unemployed. My pension pays for their food and medical insurance. If I think about the $ 440 million that was spent on that stadium, I could come up with a list of things that would have made a real difference. Even the people from Alexandra who worked as volunteer hosts in the stadiums during the World Cup are now back to their part-time jobs at the supermarket. How can you support a family with that?”

Patrolling the Gautrain station, Joseph Rambau is less pessimistic. Some months before the World Cup kicked off, he took up his job as security manager at the flagship infrastructure project. “If it wasn’t for the World Cup, Gautrain would still be under construction. We have provided thousands of people with fast, safe and reliable transport and I have met people from all over the world who want to know a bit more about South Africa. It’s a joy working here.”  [media:factfile1]

White elephant hunting
CEO of Cape Town’s Green Point Stadium during the World Cup, Purshoth Chetty, applauds the boost the tournament has given urban and social development. He doesn’t believe the $ 600 million stadium is predestined to become a white elephant, even though it has hosted less than a dozen events since the World Cup.

“The Green Point Stadium and the surrounding park and playing fields are accessible for everybody. The setting between Table Mountain and Robben Island is spectacular. But what’s more important: this World Cup has planted new hope among millions of South Africans. We should cherish and nurture that hope so that our children will have a better future.”

Safe soccer
But over at Crossroads, a township on the other side of Table Mountain, 13-year old Sinoxolo Petele has a hard time thinking of how the World Cup has changed his life. Yes, he cheered for Bafana Bafana, and later on for Holland, and yes, he visited the Green Point Stadium on a school trip. But other than that, there’s not much, he says as he takes a break from playing football at the local Cruyff Court.

“Today I can play well, because somebody brought along a real football. But some days, we have no ball to play with. Luckily the shop around the corner sells condoms. They sometimes give us a few, and when you blow them up, you can play for a while. But you can’t kick too hard, or else they’ll explode.”