Programme Director
The South African High Commissioner in New Zealand
Diplomats of different Countries
Members of the media
Officials of Sport and Recreation South Africa
South Africans present
New Zealand nationals
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen
It gives me tremendous pride and pleasure to be here today to address you at this South African evening. This is a historic occasion as it marks the first time that South Africa has hosted an Ekhaya for a single coded event such as this Rugby World Cup.
Ekhaya is the Zulu word for “home” and is associated with all the warm feelings of home that are particularly special to a South African. Ekhaya is a hospitality program known as our “Home Away from Home”. It is amongst others, a tool that uses sport to showcase our country.
Our team held an official opening of our Ekhaya on 7 September 2011 and I am told that it was a great success. Ekhaya is a programme led by Sport and Recreation South Africa in partnership with Brand South Africa (previously known as IMC), and partners such as our sister Departments of Trade and Industry, Arts and Culture, Tourism, State Security Agency, as well as our South African Rugby Union, and others.
As for what is on offer, there are several amenities and exciting activities on the program. Amongst the main features are an e-Café with Wi-Fi, regular press conferences, full live coverage of all matches on the big screen, South African cultural, business and sports showcases, competitions and giveaways, and information on South Africa. Entertainment forms an integral part of the Ekhaya stand during any major sporting event. It is arranged that seven renowned artists from South Africa will perform for the duration of the programme, courtesy of our Department of Arts and Culture.
Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to give you the rationale for hosting this Ekhaya here at the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand. In the past few years, South Africa has considerably raised its profile as a world-class host of international sports events, from the 2003 Cricket World Cup to the 2010 Confederations Cup and, of course, the most successful 2010 FIFA World Cup. In the last 16 years, South Africa has hosted three World Cup championships.
This is a remarkable accolade for a democracy as young as ours. It points to two things: 1. that the global community has truly embraced South Africa since democracy; and 2. that the world trusts South Africa’s capability to deliver big, global events where the participants and spectators are safe and where the infrastructure of the host destination meets the transport, accommodation and other functional requirements of all attendees.
We therefore cannot rest on our laurels. The challenge now is to take the 2010 World Cup experience forward. To invest in this experience for the future of our children and of our country. The tournament has ended, but the legacy must live on and inspire us and the way we work.
However, we realise that our reputation for what we have done successfully in the past – no matter how brilliantly we performed in the past – is not enough to ensure on-going success in the future. Future success depends completely on working hard, and on maintaining our excellent reputation as a mega event destination.
To continue building on past success, we need a strategy and action plan. And these two essential items were addressed at the end of July at the Sport Events and Tourism Exchange event we hosted in Cape Town. The hard work lies ahead of us. Not behind us.
National Minister Marthinus Van Schalkwyk told delegates to the Southern African Association for the Conference Industry (SAACI) conference in Cape Town the same week that our destination cannot rely on leisure tourists alone to meet arrivals targets for 2020.
We need to attract more business tourists and sports tourists... especially from the markets that are emerging as strong growth points: China, India and Brazil. Mega event and sport tourism are integral to the nation meeting the targets – and objectives – of the National Tourism Sector Strategy.
Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to remind you of South Africa’s 2020 National Tourism Sector Strategy targets. We want to:
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Grow tourism’s total contribution to the economy from R189 billion in 2009 to R499 billion;
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We want to grow foreign arrivals to 15 million; and
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We want to create 225 000 new jobs in tourism
Value for money remains a strong growth driver in global tourism, and we continue to see this in the choices that visitors make when choosing South Africa either as a business or leisure destination. The destination needs to continue offering good value for money to all visitors to ensure that arrivals growth remains resilient and robust.
Besides exceptional arrivals last year, the FIFA 2010 World Cup also raised awareness about South Africa, and the desire to visit South Africa, to unprecedented levels. For example, within six months of the World Cup, a global poll of millions of people by Trip Advisor named Cape Town as the world’s most desirable destination city and The Telegraph readers in the UK named South Africa as the world’s best and most desirable destination.
South African Tourism is maximising this global boost in awareness through robust, deal-driven campaigns and global marketing campaigns to maintain awareness and grow arrivals, the exceptional circumstances of last year and the lingering effects of the global financial crisis notwithstanding.
South Africa has already secured more than 200 events for the next five years. They will attract about 300 000 delegates; they will contribute significantly to foreign direct spend in South Africa; they will provide our industry with guests and customers... and they will create jobs for South Africans.
So we are piggy-backing on this major international event and using sport as a leverage to market South Africa abroad. We are making every effort to promote sport tourism, as well as trade, industry and investment in our country. We are also using the Ekhaya as a platform for networking and a space where South African Nationals can relax, feel at home and socialise with other sport fans and visitors. This is also a base and support mechanism for the players, supporters and support staff of our pride, the Springbok team. In addition, South African people visiting here for the World Cup, go out and support the Springboks and visit Ekhaya - our home away from home.
So what are the key benefits we hope to gain from hosting an Ekhaya here in in New Zealand? We are expecting to increase inbound investment in South Africa; to open up more export opportunities; to strengthen our sporting relations with countries abroad; and to create an appetite for inbound tourism, especially sport tourists.
Ladies and gentlemen, let us be reminded that this is a Rugby World Cup. The Web Ellis Cup has been placed out here for the team that has a plan and the spirit to go out there and play out of their skins to seize it. We know that where we come from, there will be fifty million fans behind our Springbok Team.
I invite every one of you to join us in saluting the defending Champions, who we know will do us proud. We want to wish every player all the courage and determination required to carry the silverware back to our shores.
Let us put our hands together and cheer our Team SA, the mighty Springboks with a hearty round of applause! Go Bokke! Go!
I thank you for your kind attention!
