believes Soccerex will bring harmony to Gauteng people
19 September 2007
Let me begin by acknowledging the presence in our midst of Excellencies
Members of the diplomatic corps who have graced this occasion. We are humbled
that you could join us today.
As we all know, the 2010 FIFA World Cup, of which Soccerex 2007 is an
important precursor, is an event for the whole of the African Continent. As
South Africa we are just providing the stage for hosting this prestigious
event.
It is therefore essential that we as the Gauteng Provincial Government work
with Embassies and High Commissions representing African countries in
particular and all those countries that we enjoy cordial relations with.
We are indeed delighted to see so many of the trade commissions present here
today. We are also delighted that the Southern African Development Community
(SADC) Secretariat is also represented. We would like to take this opportunity
to request all of you esteemed ladies and gentlemen to invite your colleagues
and your countrymen and women to attend the Soccerex event in November. This,
we believe, will offer them a unique opportunity to assess and take advantage
of the many business opportunities that our country and in particular our
province offers.
We trust that you will respond positively to our request and we look forward
to welcoming all of you to our shores during Soccerex and beyond.
In less than two months from now, leaders of the international football
fraternity will converge in Gauteng for Soccerex 2007 which we will host for
the next three years. This major event offers an ideal opportunity for decision
makers in the business of football to learn about football in this country, and
most importantly to network and to do business with each other. We hope that
this will help provide impetus to the further development of the sport sector
of the economy in Gauteng and on the African continent in general.
To us as the Gauteng Provincial Government, Soccerex is an opportunity to
showcase Gauteng's competitive advantages on the international stage ahead of
the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
The event will further strengthen our efforts to accelerate the growth of
the provincial economy by showcasing Gauteng as an ideal destination for
investment, tourism, sporting and other major events. In addition, it will
contribute towards building Gauteng as a globally competitive city region.
We estimate that the hosting of Soccerex will inject more than R7 billion
into the Gauteng economy and will contribute massively to job creation. The
event also offers numerous opportunities for local companies to partner and do
business with their international counterparts.
As part of our ongoing effort to expand participation in the economic
mainstream, the Department of Economic Development through its agencies; the
Gauteng Economic Development Agency (GEDA) and the Gauteng Enterprise Propeller
(GEP) will facilitate the involvement of local businesses in Soccerex focusing
mainly on Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) as well as Broad Based
Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) companies. This we are doing in order to
ensure that the benefits of hosting this major event are shared by all.
By allocating and subsidising exhibition space for SMMEs during Soccerex, we
have created a platform for local SMMEs to be part of this major international
event. This is consistent with our approach that SMMEs play a major role in the
development of economies and that they need to be supported in order for them
to participate meaningfully in the mainstream economy.
Furthermore our tourism development agency, Gauteng Tourism Authority (GTA),
will assist SMMEs to take advantage of the tourism opportunities that will be
brought about by the hosting of Soccerex.
Finally, we are pleased to announce that we have reached an agreement with
British Airways to be the official airline carrier for Soccerex 2007.
I trust that we will all work together to ensure that Soccerex becomes the
resounding success that it should be and that its impact will be felt both in
our province and beyond for many years to come.
Thank you.
Enquiries:
Nomazwe Ntlokwana
Tel: 011 355 7525
Cell: 083 507 8068
Issued by: Department of Finance and Economic Affairs, Gauteng Provincial
Government
19 September 2007
