World Cup fiesta: The rebranding of South Africa

I was in South Africa in June this year and visited Johannesburg, Pretoria and Capetown. I came home with an impression that by the time the first ever FIFA World football fiesta to be held on the African has come and gone, South Africa would have been so transformed that it would be in the […]

I was in South Africa in June this year and visited Johannesburg, Pretoria and Capetown. I came home with an impression that by the time the first ever FIFA World football fiesta to be held on the African has come and gone, South Africa would have been so transformed that it would be in the league of developed countries. The people are seizing every opportunity thrown up by the fiesta to improve every part of the country.

From the Tambo International Airport – classified as one of the world’s busiest airports – to the central business district of Johannesburg, I could feel the football fever around me.

Johannesburg, known affectionately as the city of Gold, has been associated with wealth opportunity and prosperity since gold was discovered on a farmland in 1886. But right now, the city is bustling with life and activity; it is simply the heartbeat of South Africa with regards to politics, industry and economy.

Even before now, there has been more to Johannesburg than just the serious side of life, as it is filled with art, entertainment, local celebrities, music and theatre. But with football lovers coming from all over the world, they will have a dose of opportunities to just sit back and have fun.

The South Africans are making the best out of the opportunities coming their way with the world football fiesta. In so many ways the event is creating jobs for both the blacks and the coloured.

There are constructions and upgrading of stadia everywhere, building of modern rail roads that cut across the country, citing of five star hotels in almost all major cities and above all creating an enabling environment for investors to set up their businesses.

“This is the best time for the South Africans after the Apartheid regime”, David Andrew, a tourist enthused, adding, “The blacks are becoming more confident and can be seen flourishing in businesses that had hitherto been the exclusive preserve of the whites”.

One thing that caught my attention was the history of Johannesburg International Airport. Unlike the Murtala Mohammed International Airport that has remained static, the Johannesburg airport I learnt, had taken the lead from the Cairo International Airport as Africa’s busiest.

In 2004, some 15.3 million passengers passed through the magnificent facilities. In 2006 it was renamed Oliver Tambo International Airport. It has six terminals and the runway is among the largest in the world measuring 4, 400 meters.

The terminal is focused around the convenience of all its travelers with necessary amenities, providing easy movement and quick drop-off/pick-up zones.

It is one of the modern airports equipped to the hilt with medical clinics, Doctors, Physiotherapist, Optometrists and a Dentist.

With the World Cup in focus, I was told, the airport is being expanded to handle about 24 million passengers every year.

Andrew’s comment jostled my memory to the period I visited South Africa shortly before its freedom from white domination. Apartheid regime at that time still held the country by the jugular. White faces imprints and imprimaturs were everywhere; they owned and controlled hotels, land and other property everywhere.

The blacks were forced to reside in the ghettos called townships. They only had a taste of the goodies when hired as labourers. They had no free access to spending as registers were opened for the blacks at shopping malls to keep tap on how much they could spend monthly. Anyone who exceeded the spending ceiling was subjected to a probe and possible prosecution. That was Apartheid South Africa then.

All these restrictions and dehumanization–though not totally removed-could now be said to be things of the past in the new South Africa. Thanks to the resilient struggle of the freedom fighters whose arrow head is the one and only Nelson Mandela.

With the 2010 Soccer World Cup fiesta taking place in South Africa there is a strong confirmation that apartheid is dead and buried forever.

Already, major companies have relocated to South Africa. I understand that they are there because of the conducive environment. Apart from the fact that all facilities like electricity, water, good roads are perfectly in order, the government has liberalized commerce and trade with its attractive trade policy.

However, a critical issue in South Africa that needs to be addressed is the lack of broadly accepted “ground rules”, governing how debates and contentious matters are to be conducted in the now democratic rainbow nation.

The no–hold–barred approach was understandable during anti-Apartheid struggle, but it is inappropriate and clearly counterproductive in a young democracy still struggling to reconcile old foes. There must be openness.

This write-up will not be complete without giving credit to the Nigerian High Commissioner to South Africa, Ambassador Buba Marwa for doing a marvellous job of giving Nigeria’s image the much needed fillip, garnering respect for scores of Nigerians in that country, the pervasive fear of xenophobia attacks notwithstanding. General Marwa is a dedicated leader and has demonstrated this quality by the way he has been diffusing tension among Nigerian ethnic groups in South Africa at critical times.

Within a very short time, General Marwa has vastly improved the bad image of Nigeria. He told me how he was able to identify credible Nigerians and make them leaders of their various ethnic groups. Registers are opened by these leaders to keep a tab on their members and ensure that they are of good conduct. In addition, Nigerians carrying diplomatic and official passports can now enjoy three years unfettered visa. Thanks to Marwa’s reforms.

 I am not surprised at the pace the image of Nigeria is being brightened up by the tireless Ambassador Marwa. He has always been a reformer and a performer. He did it when he was governor of Lagos State.

I was happy to travel aboard South African Airline but was sad that Nigeria lost the golden opportunity to sustain its airline (Nigerian Airways) years ago, and has not been able to bring it back till date. All the countries I visited in 2009 were proud in showcasing their airlines. An example is the United Arab Emirate (UAE). The Emirate Airline is a pride to the country. Everything in the UAE is an opportunity to showcase its Emirate Airline. It is a brand that the UAE people are proud of. My good sister, Dora Akunyili, must find something unique to showcase about Nigeria before her rebranding project can become a statement of fact.