As hundreds of netball fans descend on the shores of Cape Town to witness the first Netball World Cup on African soil, the local hospitality industry has already reported a positive increase in occupancy rates.
The Federated Hospitality Association of Southern Africa (Fedhasa) said their members have also noted that top-end products appear to be faring well, such as 4-star plus and 5-star properties.
“Sporting events play a vital role in the tourism and hospitality sectors, and open up opportunities for growing the sector by creating jobs and bringing visitors to South Africa. The positive impact at a regional level and the local economic empowerment opportunities that present themselves as a result of such events, cannot be ignored,” said Lee-Anne Singer, Fedhasa Cape chairperson.
President of the Cape Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Jacques Moolman, said any international event of this kind is a major stimulus for the local economy and the events industry in particular, a hugely important sector in the Western Cape.
He said the last Netball World Cup, which took place in Liverpool, provided an £8.18 million (R200 million) economic injection to that city, according to research conducted by the Sport Industry Research Centre at Sheffield Hallam University.
“It also generated ticket sales of 112 000, according to a report in the International Netball Federation’s 2019 annual report. It is difficult to predict attendance figures for the Cape Town edition, but the fact that we are hosting the event is a massive vote of confidence, not only in South African netball but also in our ability to deliver a world-class event. It is the first time the tournament is being held in Africa,” said Moolman.
He said the positive impact of the event goes way beyond ticket sales and hospitality sector spend; it also helps build the brand of South Africa and the tourism industry via media exposure.
“Hosting the Netball World Cup also bolsters Cape Town’s fast-growing reputation as a global hotspot for international sports events across a variety of sporting codes. The City of Cape Town estimated the value of the Rugby 7s tournament to the Western Cape at around R700 million, slightly more than the value of the Two Oceans Marathon. So it is clear that hosting these events is hugely important to local businesses,” said Moolman.
He said Cape Town is considered Africa’s events capital, with an estimated income of over R2 billion.
“Hosting the Netball World Cup is also a welcome investment in female sport at a time when male sport still dominates, both in terms of investment and broadcasting attention, and we hope to see more events of this kind that could address the gender imbalance,” said Moolman.
JP Smith, Mayco Member for Safety and Security, said a review of the economic impact revealed that seven of the biggest events hosted in Cape Town over the last year, generated over R5 billion worth of economic activity in the Mother City.
“A deeper dive into the numbers shows that between February and March alone, over 417 000 people attended events in Cape Town. Those events created over 11 000 jobs and provided various trading opportunities for small to medium enterprises,” said Smith.
He said the city, through its Fan Park, is ensuring that local residents without tickets for the Netball World Cup, have an opportunity to experience the World Cup spirit at the official viewing area with live daily entertainment, giveaways, and netball games on a big screen.
Western Cape MEC of Finance and Economic Opportunities in the Western Cape, Mireille Wenger, said South African Tourism has estimated that the tournament will bring in an estimated R68 million to the local economy, and 56 000 people are expected to attend the World Cup at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC).
“This is a significant contribution, and beyond direct economic impact through visitor and organiser spend, events such as this generate a ripple effect of job creation, both during and after events, through increased spending at our world-famous attractions, restaurants, hotels and much more,” said Wenger.
The first match of the tournament will be played on Friday, July 28, where South Africa will take on Wales.