Perhaps it’s just as well England did not win the right to stage the 2018 World Cup. South Africa invested £3bn in this year’s tournament and got a paltry return of £373m or around 10 per cent, much less than expected.
Perhaps it’s just as well England did not win the right to stage the 2018 World Cup. South Africa invested £3bn in this year’s tournament and got a paltry return of £373m or around 10 per cent, much less than expected.
Far fewer foreign tourists came than expected, 309,000 as against 450,000. No doubt the global recession had an impact: potential visitors had less money or were worried about losing their jobs. One can see a similar effect with the Ashes in Australia with a much diminished ‘barmy army’ watching England’s so far stellar performance. However, the strength of the Australian dollar is a special factor there.
No doubt some people were worried about the threat of violent crime in South Africa and not without reason. However, the organisation of the event was largely faultless despite gloomy predictions. Those who went encountered excellent hospitality and it gave a boost to South Africa’s standing in the world. But how long-lasting will those effects be? Given the many problems that the country faces, could the money have been better spent? There are no easy answers.