Current Edition >> Archives Section >> Spot Coverage >> December 2007
2010 said to open 80 000 jobs in tourism: According to a skills audit by the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT), the three years ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup would open up about 80 000 job opportunities in the SA tourism and hospitality sector. The audit indicates that over the next three years, the industry will require about 24 100 cooks and chefs, 23 500 waiters and waitresses, 15 000 cleaners, 7 800 cashiers and 8 000 managerial staff.
Red lights on quality of drinking water in Free State: According to a report obtained by the Democratic Alliance from the Dept. of Local Government & Housing 64% of 48 towns and cities tested in the period August 2006 to July 2007 obtained red status as to the quality of their municipal drinking water. Of these 24 towns and cities obtained at least six times red status on different testings. The main culprits are the following municipalities: Metsimaholo (including Deneysville), Ngwathe (including Heilbron), Moqhaka (including Kroonstad), Phumelela (including Warden), Maluti a Phofung (including Bethlehem), Matjhabeng (including Welkom), Mohokare (including Zastron) and Kopanong (including Jagersfontein). The problem seems to lie mainly with sewerage plants not properly serviced.
Voorspoed Diamond Mine boosting Kroonstad: It is reported that the R1,2 billion Voorspoed Diamond Mine north of Kroonstad on the Vredefort road is already boosting property prices at Kroonstad. The mine, expected to reach full production only in the second quarter of 2009, is planned to create a total of some 1 100 jobs. It's also expected that the mine is to produce in a lifespan of 12-16 years an estimated 10 million carats of diamonds. Average house prices are reportedly up from around R200 000 in 2003 to the current R650 000.
Chinafication of Africa: According to an article in Mining Weekly, China is going business-wise big time for Africa with an estimated 800 Chinese stake-owned enterprises currently active in every country on the continent. Chinese imports from Africa totalled $28,8 billion in 2006, a 37% increase over 2005, while Chinese exports to Africa in 2006 were worth $26,7 billion, up 43% on 2005. China is Africa's third largest trading partner after the US and the UK. In 2005 oil accounted for 70% of all African exports to China. One of the biggest latest transactions is a $4 billion loan by China Eximbank to Angola. Since 2000, Chinese companies have built eight large power stations and more than 6 000 km or road in Africa. The latest is the purchase of 20 % shareholding of Standard Bank by the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC).
Housing project of 600 units for Brandwag, Bloemfontein: It is also reported that the Mangaung Local Municipality is planning a social housing project in Brandwag to supplement the existing Witwoonstelle by a further 600 new flats available for people with income between R1 500 and R7 500 per month. The Witwoonstelle already consists of 351 units. Planning for the project has been completed and construction is to begin shortly.
Ramblers Sports Club to be renovated: It has been announced that the historic Ramblers Sports Club in Bloemfontein, originally established in 1896, is to be renovated over the next two years by the Mangaung Local Municipality to the tune of some R12 million. Both the building and the premises are to be extensively upgraded. It has also been recommended that the property be declared a national heritage site.
Waterlandgoed vir Klerksdorp: Die nuwe Ambegeto Water Estate by die Johan Neserdam is die eerste leefstylontwikkeling en die grootste residensiële ontwikkeling nóg vir Klerksdorp. Gelee op 71 ha en 3,8 km buite Klerksdorp word dit onwikkel deur die Sand Group, waarby die voormalige rugby Springbokke mnre. Karel en Michael du Plessis betrokke is. In die eerste fase is 367 erwe met 'n gemiddelde grootte van 850 m² en pryse wat wissel tussen R300 000 en R750 000.
Skills Training Centre planned at Gariep Dam for three provinces: A Skills Training Centre for the Free State, Eastern and Northern Cape at Gariep Dam is in an advanced stage of planning, in collaboration with the Dept. of Labour. The premises earmarked for the Centre are those of the Dept. of Nature Conservation southwest of Gariep Dam on the banks of the Orange River, which are to be vacated by the latter for new customised premises. The surrounding area with an employment rate of more than 60% is in dire need of skills training and the development of entrepreneurship. For the implementation phase corporate social investments from the private sector are required. For more info, contact Mr. Leon Crous at tel. (051) 754 0024 or fax (051) 754 0495.
Free State group in new Kimberley property development: It has been announced that a Free State development consortium, Ya Rona Developments in partnership with Group One, is the driving force behind the new Northgate Property Project at Kimberley at a total cost of R1,6 billion. It comprises 6 000 residential units as well as shopping centres, schools, churches and a sporting complex over the next seven years in the Roodepan area. A focus point of the development will be the Kamfer Dam, which is to be preserved as a environmentally protected site. The residential units will cater for the price range R215 000 to R550 000.
According to a report by Creamer Media, the Sasol Group of Companies is considering a new fossils-to-fuel plant which in magnitude could be the equivalent of the projects that led respectively to the establishment of Sasolburg in the 1950's and Secunda in the 1980's. Called Mafutha, meaning in Zulu “oil”, the establishment of the plant could also lead to a new residential and business town on its own. It is estimated at this stage that the return on the plant could contribute R19,38 billion to the GNP of South Africa or 1%. The location of the plant has not been decided yet, but the Free State, Limpopo and Mpumalanga are in line.
On 3 December 2007 a critically important workshop is to be held in Bloemfontein with the aim to get as many as possible accommodation suppliers in the Free State to register themselves officially for the influx of visitors from abroad for the FIFA World Cup in 2010 in South Africa. As part of the national 2010 Accommodation Sign-Up drive, the workshop presents a golden opportunity to Free State accommodation establishments to come aboard for this global event and also provides this province with a chance to stake a much stronger claim in the international tourism market. The workshop is to be held at the Premier Protea Hotel in Nelson Mandela Drive, across the main entrance to the UFS, from 08:30 – 12:30. See page 7 of this edition for more information.
All owners and managers of accommodation establishments in the Free State are being called to officially register their establishments for the hosting of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa and at the same time to let their establishments be graded by the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa (TGCSA).
The 2010 FIFA World Cup is less than 1 000 days away and FIFA wants to ensure that South Africa has enough accessible accommodation available for visiting international fans for each soccer event. “It is with this in mind that the TGCSA has embarked on a massive national campaign to prepare accommodation establishments to receive the estimated half a million foreign visitors who are expected to descend on South Africa in the next three years for the soccer spectacular,” says Thembi Kunene, CEO of TGCSA.”
The national campaign, 2010 Accommodation Sign-Up, is presented in partnership with MATCH (the only company appointed by FIFA to manage accommodation, ticketing and IT solutions for the 2010 FIFA World CUP) and the Tourism Enterprise Programme (TEP).
The project is currently being rolled out in more than 25 locations around the country to provide opportunities for SMME accommodation owners on how to become official accommodation providers for the 2010 FIFA World CUP.
FIFA is working through its appointed agent, MATCH, to provide non-hotel accommodation for visitors. MATCH will contract a minimum of 55 000 rooms in hotels and in non-hotels in the host cities and in accommodation satellite areas. Satellite areas are areas where 200 rooms or more can be secured for visiting fans and where the area is accessible for transport to and from the host cities.
To validate the signing of the MATCH contract, establishments need to become star graded with the TGCSA, the official provider of a framework and process for grading across all relevant sectors of the tourism industry in SA. TEP is providing financial assistance in terms of star grading fees to previously ungraded SMMEs. The assistance available pays up to 50% of the fee in years one and two, with up to 25% in the third year. To qualify for assistance, one has to register with TEP.
Once the MATCH contract is signed, establishments have 12 months in which to become star graded. According to Mahandra Naidoo, Senior Operations Manager at MATCH, numerous “very attractive” benefits are to be derived from becoming an official MATCH accommodation provider. “MATCH will profile all contracted establishments on the FIFA.com website,” he says. “Moreover, we will use contracted accommodation providers all over South Africa – not only in the centres where games are being played.”
The most significant benefit of signing up with MATCH is that establishments will be posted onto one of the world's most visited websites – www.FIFA.com. In 2006 this website received more than 4 billion page views. Thus the internet is going to be a major factor for the 2010 event in South Africa. The FIFA website is designed to provide a one-stop shop (tickets, transport, accommodation) for fans planning their trips.
On 3 December 2007 representatives from 2010 Accommodation Sign-Up will be in Bloemfontein to assist as many Free State establishments as possible to sign up. The venue is the Premier Protea Hotel, across the Free State University, with the time 08:30-12:30.
For more information, log onto www.tourismgrading.co.za or www.tep.co.za or call (011) 567 2710 or Joy Statham (Project Manager) at joy@wkg.co.za or 082 5200 125.
Pictured at the Grading 2010 information session at Bloemfontein on 2 November 2007 were, from left, Victor Lerumo (Kimberley Tourism), Thembi Kunene (CEO TGCSA), Ben Cederstrom (TEP), Phomolo Mokuele (CEO FS Tourism Authority) and Thabo Motsohi (Dept. of Tourism, Environmental and Economic Affairs).
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