Cape Town approaches legacy in a way that contributes to two main pillars of the city’s 2012-2017 Integrated Development Plan. It does so by looking for events that can meet the following guidelines:
Pillar 1: Opportunity City
- Infrastructure upgrades – Event requirements that can contribute to the City’s development.
- Financial legacy – Management of the expenditure by matching requirements to resources. Looking at procurement/participation opportunities that can benefit local suppliers, such as traders, entertainers, concessionaires, event infrastructure requirements, catering and volunteers.
- City marketing and destination promotion – Using the sporting event platform to promote destination attributes. For example, the green goal award by the International Olympic Committee for the 2010 Fifa World Cup green goal programme, showcasing 44 environmental projects.
Pillar 2: Inclusive City
- Social cohesion – Opportunities to build national pride
- Sport development opportunities – Assist sports federations to use the opportunity of the major sports event to develop and grow the sport within the city.
- World Cup legacies
Legacy of the 2010 World Cup
The 2010 Fifa World Cup, which was hosted partly in Cape Town yielded several valuable legacies. The event laid a firm foundation for economic growth in the city and helped to boost its international profile. Upgrading of infrastructure strengthened the city’s prospects as a tourism and business destination.
Infrastructure legacy:
- Public transport – implementation of a bus rapid transit system (MyCiTi) in the CBD and surrounds, pedestrian walkways and cycle lanes.
- Airport upgrade – overhaul of the domestic and international arrivals and departure hall and terminals at Cape Town International Airport, extra parking bays.
- Cape Town Railway Station upgrade.
- Roads and highway upgrade – New Koeberg interchange, Hospital Bend upgrade, extra lanes on the N2 airport to city route.
- New hotels, B&Bs and restaurants.
- The Fan Walk, a pedestrian walkway from the city centre to the Cape Town Stadium.
- Broadband infrastructure upgrades.
- Athlone and Philippi stadia upgrades (World Cup training venues).
Social legacy:
- Local community revitalisation, building social and human capital, developing critical skills in the workforce and inspiring national pride and unity.
- Encouraging healthy lifestyles, particularly among young people, through sport development.
Economic legacy:
- Employment opportunities
- Visitor boom
- Estimated R38bn (€2.6bn/$3.6bn) was added to South Africa’s GDP as a result of the World Cup.
- Changed perception of the host economy and the potential for tourism, trade and investment.
Safety and security legacy:
Hosting the 2010 World Cup presented an opportunity for all South Africans to showcase their hospitality by welcoming visitors, and demonstrating their competence by hosting the tournament in a safe environment.
The event brought improvements in safety and security systems in general and an increase in awareness levels of the importance of ensuring safe environments, not only for visitors but for locals.
The fight against crime received a boost, with the national government spending R1.3bn on safety and security. Even though this was brought specifically for the World Cup, the long-term benefits for all South Africans post-tournament were the true safety legacies.
Environmental legacy:
One of the successes from the World Cup was the way in which good waste management added to the general tourist appeal and fan experience. Some 58 per cent of the waste generated during the event was diverted away from landfill to recycling. The Cape Town Stadium design achieved an estimated 15-per-cent saving in electricity use and a 27-per-cent reduction in water use. Dual-flush toilets, low flow showerheads and taps were installed, while spring water from Oranjezicht on the slopes of Table Mountain now irrigates the Green Point Urban Park, saving 580 million litres of drinking water per year.
Useful links
Provincial Government of the Western Cape main report on the World Cup legacy
Other reports on World Cup legacy from the Provincial Government of the Western Cape
Report on Cape Town's Green Goal environmental World Cup legacy project
Other sections of this report
Introduction – Latest thinking and expert discussion on legacy
Page-turner version of the full report
