The Economic Opportunities for South Africa
It is estimated that almost three million tourists will descend on the cities and the towns surrounding Johannesburg next June, for the sixty four soccer matches that make up the whole of the 2010 World Cup. The television audience for the final games alone is expected to reach upwards of twenty eight billion people from around the world. All with their eyes not only glued to the games, but on the country of South Africa as well. This is going to provide opportunities for the large businesses, the entrepreneurs, and the small businesses and boutique hotels. South Africa has been developing and growing since the end of apartheid, but this will speed up that process tremendously and provide new opportunities for new ideas and local companies.
Some of the commercialism has been regulated, that having anything to do with the Cup itself, with restrictions being placed on the advertising, and the sales and marketing, however there are still many openings for the local companies and businesses to boost the sales of their goods and/or services. The government is not getting too involved in the sector of the larger financial systems and companies, as they will perhaps understand better how to take advantage of the opportunities for economic growth, aside from ensuring that the larger companies will support the small ones.
They do plan to intervene in the smaller companies run by people with less experience or those who have been marginalized. One way in which they will help the smaller informal businesses is by providing them with the means to electronically process transactions, ensuring that the tourists will be able to use their credit cards. The ripples that will be caused throughout the country when the tourists start arriving will serve to boost all, from the entertainment industry, to the arts and crafts markets, and even the health service industry. And the hope is that this sort of growth will continue even after the games have ended, as the international audience will see that South Africa truly is a great place to visit.
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