Love them or hate, the angry bee drone of the vuvuzelas has become the distinctive sound of the 2010 World Cup. But will they just be a one-month wonder or can South African firms cash in big time? The biggest horn maker is Cape Town’s Masincedane Sports. Half the company’s R7m (£680,000) revenues in the last decade have been earned in the past 12 months. The company has already exported horns elsewhere in Africa.
Love them or hate, the angry bee drone of the vuvuzelas has become the distinctive sound of the 2010 World Cup. But will they just be a one-month wonder or can South African firms cash in big time? The biggest horn maker is Cape Town’s Masincedane Sports. Half the company’s R7m (£680,000) revenues in the last decade have been earned in the past 12 months. The company has already exported horns elsewhere in Africa.
It has signed a distribution deal for Germany and has been talking about potential sales in Brazil where the next World Cup will be held. In Russia, which is bidding for the 2018 event, importers are already interested. In the UK, supermarket Sainsbury’s made a speculative purchase and has sold 50.000 in the last few days alone.
The vuvuzela could become a feature at English football grounds next season, if they are not banned that is. As one Charlton fan reporting from Cape Town put it, ‘I could watch this rubbish at The Valley for £15 and without the vuvuzelas.’ Some footballers and managers are arguing that the intense somd makes concentration and communication on the pitch difficult. Some critics say the horn makes such a racket that it could damage hearing.
In any case, vuvuzelas are just the sort of cheap plastic product Chinese manufacturers make so well. Imports from the east are already being sold in South Africa, so the boost for the local economy may be limited.
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The music of the Vuvuzela – Vuvuzela Concerto in B Flat
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