Public Transport in Cape Town during the World Cup

There is lots of accessible and affordable public transport running during the 2010 FIFA World Cup™, which is available from or near the Civic Centre bus station in Hertzog Boulevard in the city centre, and from Cape Town Rail Station. These are within easy walking distance of each other.

A free shuttle bus service for match ticket holders will run from the Civic Centre bus station to Cape Town Stadium in Green Point. This service will operate from six hours before kick-off, until four hours after the final whistle. Buses will depart every three to five minutes, depending on demand.

Great news for Highstead House guests is that there will also be a free bus service from the park-and-ride facility on the University of Cape Town’s Upper Campus in Rondebosch (5 minutes walk from our gourmet backpackers) to the Civic Centre bus station. The hours of operation will be from four hours before kick-off until four after final whistle.

The inner-city bus service, which will run 24 hours a day, will travel from the Civic Centre bus station, along DF Malan Street, Table Bay Boulevard, Heerengracht, Coen Steytler Avenue, Long Street and Loop Street, Buitensingel, Orange Street, Buitenkant Street, Darling Street, Oswald Pirow Street, and back to the Civic Centre bus station. This route also provides convenient access to numerous restaurants, entertainment areas, parking areas, and places of interest. Each journey will cost R8, and buses will depart every 10 to 30 minutes.

Road closures during the World Cup event will be kept to a minimum. However, some roads will be pedestrian-only zones, while access to others will only be for vehicles with the necessary security clearance and event accreditation. To find out exactly which roads will be affected by the World Cup festivities please visit www.capetownpartnership.co.za

Image source: propertyinvesting.net

Have you got your dance moves ready for the 2010 World Cup?

Let me guess, some of us are wondering if we’ll gain weight this winter with all of the invites to events during the World Cup. You don’t have to be a recluse and decline the party invitations as there are ways to party it up and keep fit and healthy at the same time. There’ll be no watching the games indoors, all alone, with a cup of soup on the couch. So let the dancing begin!

To get into the mood and get the party started, you can simply listen to the South African Afro-Fusion band, Freshlyground and Shakira’s newly released song “Waka Waka”. It is an official 2010 Football World Cup song which incorporates the element of the band’s unique sound with Shakira. The tone of the song will transform you into the soulful atmosphere of Africa and get your body moving.

The music video is remarkable and builds anticipation for the World Cup. Take a look at the ‘in the making’ video and listen to the song below – the official video is due to be launched soon and is the first ever 3-D music video to be produced.

Our guess is that ‘party central’ will undoubtedly be the Mother City, here you will definitely be accommodated with some of the best hospitality in the world. Cape Town is known for its rich heritage values, affordable accommodation prices, lifestyle and historical elements of South Africa as a whole.

The cheap accommodation in Cape Town offers you the perfect party lifestyle as it’s modern, authentic and only 5 minutes walk from essential places such as banks, restaurants, bars and the Rondebosch train station.  You definitely won’t be late for the games either, as this accommodation is less than 20 minutes away from the Cape Town football stadium and  international airport.

Thanks to Lebogang Mawelela for this guest post.

Where to watch the World Cup in Cape Town

68 000 lucky football fans will watch each of the games at the Cape Town Stadium live, starting with Uruguay versus France at 20:30 on Friday, 11 June 2010 and ending with a semi-final on Tuesday, 6 July 2010.

If you’ve managed to secure a seat in the Stadium, make sure that you leave plenty of time to get there, and enjoy the festivities along the Fan Walk on your way. The Fan Walk route is 2,2 km long and runs from the Cape Town Station on Adderley Street, to the FIFA Fan Fest on the Grand Parade, along Waterkant Street, across the new pedestrian bridge at Buitengracht, along Somerset Road ending up right outside the Stadium.

There will be police, security, information points, toilets and refreshments en route, as well as a number of restaurants and cafes if you want to stop for a bite to eat or rest your weary legs.

The Cape Quarter is situated right in the centre of the Fan Walk and is an ideal place to enjoy the World Cup celebrations. The Piazza and the Square will be transformed into festive party zones with an array of live entertainment and plasma screens to watch the games.

If you didn’t manage to get tickets, make your way to one of the many restaurants or bars showing the matches on big screens, or secure a spot at the Grand Parade to experience the electric atmosphere and watch the games amidst roaring crowds of fanatical supporters.

The Grand Parade, with a capacity of 28 000, is the official FIFA fan festival for the duration of the World Cup. Entry will be free of charge and all 64 matches will be broadcasted live. Food and drinks will be available and additional entertainment will be provided between matches.

If you haven’t arranged your accommodation for your stay in Cape Town yet, check out our Gourmet Backpackers, with private rooms for R600/ night.

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World Cup ticket update

Sadly, there are no more tickets available for 2010 World Cup™ matches at Cape Town Stadium following the fifth and final stage of ticket sales, but those who have reserved and paid for tickets can now collect them from FIFA’s Ticketing Centre in central Cape Town.

But the good news is that even though tickets for all eight World Cup™ games to be played at the city’s new 68 000 seat stadium have been reserved, FIFA said that a few tickets may still be released for sale to the public.
“Tickets for these games might still come back (in small quantities) to the public sales in the future,” FIFA said in a statement.

World Cup 2010 Stadia in South Africa

For updates on the availability of World Cup™ matches, visit https://lmsfwctickets.fifa.com/LMS/MatchAvailability.aspx.

The last phase of ticket sales provoked near stampedes across the country where the public were queueing for miles to get their hands on a World Cup™ ticket. Just over 100 000 tickets were sold in the first day and the last few tickets for Cape Town matched were snapped up within hours.

The opening of the 11 FIFA Ticketing Centres across the country also means that fans can now collect tickets reserved and paid for during previous ticket sales phases.

Fans will need to produce their ID/passport, FIFA Original Ticket Confirmation, and proof of residence (such as telephone/ utility account) for Category four tickets, which are reserved for South Africans only.

Cape Town’s official FIFA Ticketing Centre is at The Spearhead, 42 Hans Strijdom Avenue, Foreshore, and is open from 09:00 to 18:00 seven days a week.

A FIFA Ticket Terminal will also be located at Cape Town International Airport from 7 June to 11 July 2010.
All queries relating to games and tickets must be directed to FIFA.

FIFA hotline number: 083 123 2010

Keep an ear to the ground as there still may be a few more tickets up for grabs according to FIFA. If you do have your tickets and need a place to stay while you are in Cape Town for the game, take a look at this affordable accommodation.

Source: Cape Town Government

One of a kind

Carmen van der Walt

You never know what you are missing if you have never had it. That is how it goes, supposedly. But what do you do when you miss something that was once a part of your life, which unfortunately you only begin to appreciate when it is gone.

Something that is priceless. Something right in front of you. Something you never took advantage of.

That happened to me.

After being away from home for four years I realised that the benefits of living at the coast, Cape Town to be specific, which I had taken for granted whilst living here, was what I missed most. This city is definitely one of a kind with its eventful nightlife, having lunch along the beaches, the lively promenade in Seapoint, the V&A Waterfront and most importantly, Table Mountain to name a few.

I realised this when I was driving along the Camps Bay beach road the other day, and all I could see was hundreds of umbrellas scattered over the beach. It was already 17:30, but time is never a concern for ‘Capetonians’ enjoying a warm summer day. With a bright orange-pink sunset layered over the sea I appreciated once again what a beautiful city Cape Town really is.

The greatest part of it all is the atmosphere that has been created due to the FIFA World Cup, and it has been the most exciting build up the country has experienced since South Africa was announced as the host. The recent count down started at 100 days to go and as we get closer to the first kickoff the climax is only growing larger to one of the greatest events for South Africans.

Over the past three years there have been many developments and changes in Cape Town and the rest of South Africa to make the FIFA World Cup a successful memory. As the time gets closer to this world-wide event the finishing touches on our valuable transport system, roads and final tests are being implemented on the stadiums.

The first match will be played with teams from Group A, South Africa vs. Mexico on 11 June 2010 and we will be a proud nation supporting Bafana Bafana, and cheering on all those who have prepared South Africa for the FIFA World Cup.

After being back in the Mother City for three weeks, it is evident that the ‘Capetonians’ are waiting in anticipation for that first whistle to blow in the second match, which is to be played at the inventive Cape Town stadium.

I must say, it is great to be home. I love this city!

Thanks to Carmen van der Walt for this guest post.

Practising safe football!

After spending the last three years on transport and accommodation upgrades and changes, South Africa is ready and prepared for the FIFA 2010 World Cup. With less than three months to go, the final touches and preparation is being implemented and the results are successful.

If safety is a question on your mind when travelling to and around South Africa, then let me reassure you that many precautionary measures have been implemented in the last three years to keep you safe and secure.

The government has spent millions of Rand on security for the FIFA World Cup on escorting the teams to games, hotel rooms and airports, as well as on tourists and fans by placing more police officers on patrol around the country. This system will be put into place for the event and security will be tighter in the future to ensure a friendly and safe environment for the citizens and tourists.

A survey was released on 25 March 2010 by the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office and announced that British tourists are safer in South Africa than they were in any other host country of the previous FIFA World Cup.

The survey revealed that British visitors were at twice as much risk of danger in Germany in 2006 than they are in South Africa in 2010.

It has been recorded by SouthAfrica.info that the International travel to South Africa has grown drastically over the past fifteen years. Come and experience this opportunity of travelling a unique and diverse country that is full of rich culture, surrounded by national game parks; the gorgeous Table Mountain, the well known coastal Garden Route and wine routes to say the least.

There is nothing stopping you!

Image source: Safarinow

This is a guest post by Carmen van der Walt

OUR 2010: one step closer to raising R100 000 in 100 days

I stumbled across this great initiative, literally taking place in the shadow of the Cape Town stadium, and wanted to share it with you. If you aren’t familiar with Cape Town, the CIDs are doing a great job at keeping the neighbourhoods around the stadium complex safe and clean. I am sure they are busy gearing up for very busy World Cup season.

This initiative is a great plan to get local companies to get involved in their communities via football. It looks like it’s being very well supported, but I sure they can do with as much additional help as they can get.

Enjoy! And if you are a local company – donate!

With less than 100 days to go until the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the Green Point (GP) and Orange-Kloof (OK) City Improvement Districts (CIDs) launched the OUR 2010 campaign to activate businesses to invest in the sustainable development of our communities through football.

The initiative is a collaboration with African Brothers Football Academy (ABFA) and former Bafana Bafana striker George Dearnaley and kicked off with a R6 000 donation from the CIDs. This donation will be used for membership fees for underprivileged children to attend ABFA.

Harley-Davidson Cape Town has made a generous donation of R10 000. Part of this donation will be used to ensure that these children can continue to play football at ABFA on an ongoing basis, and the rest will be used for soccer balls.

Says ABFA founder Craig Hepburn, “In support of OUR 2010, ABFA will cover the ongoing membership fees of every second child who joins the academy leading up to the World Cup.”

The children attending ABFA are from the OK and GP CID areas as well as from other areas around Cape Town. Says GP CID CEO, Marc Truss: “The CIDs decided not to limit the campaign to children within the boundaries of the GP and OK CID areas, but rather to open it up and help as many children as possible to play football in a safe environment, where they can develop their skills under the guidance of experienced coaches and interact with children from different cultures.”

Two of the children directly benefiting from OUR 2010 sponsorship are Thobani Morris, a 15 year old from Orange-Kloof and Giggs Dungi, a 13 year old from Woodstock.

Originally from the Eastern Cape, Morris now lives in Oranje-Kloof with his aunt and brother, and takes the train to school in Gugulethu each day. He attends ABFA as many days a week as he can after school, and has been going to the Academy for over 8 months now. Says Morris, “I like coming to African Brothers, because of the soccer and because all of my friends are here.” He also commented on the fact that he feels very safe within the environment at ABFA and that his dream is to become the goal keeper of the ABFA team.

Giggs Dungi is a newcomer to ABFA. He only started a week ago, but so far really enjoys spending time at the Academy and will definitely make it a daily activity. His father taught him soccer when he was 8 years old and since then he has been playing soccer at his school, Prestwich. He says he prefers coming to African Brothers Football Academy, because he can play soccer for longer hours and is around his friends. Giggs also feels 100% safe at the Academy. His dream is to become a professional soccer player like his hero Marco Borriello from AC Milan.

OUR 2010 is running for another 78 days [now 76 days!]. Visit the website, www.cid2010.com to find out more or contribute towards the campaign.

Tourism Radio for World Cup fans

Aerial view of Cape Town, Table Mountain and the new stadium

Visitors who will be travelling around the Western Cape during the 2010 FIFA World Cup in rental cars will be able to tune in to Tourism Radio, a station designed to inform and entertain them while en route.

After a full year of research 54 areas were identified as tourist hot spots, such as Cape Town’s City Bowl. Other surprising results included the towns of Riebeek Kasteel and Worcester.

The Victoria and Alfred Waterfront and Table Mountain are just a couple of the popular attractions found in and around the City Bowl. With highlights such as these, it’s not surprising that Tourism Radio’s users spend 8,42% of their time there.

The Atlantic Seaboard wasn’t far behind and bagged three of the top five positions. According to Tourism Radio’s statistics, tourists spent a lot of their time in Sea Point, Camps Bay and Hout Bay.Once a visitor opts to include Tourism Radio in their hired car – starting from R59 a day – they can tune into Tourism Radio on 91.4 FM to get cultural, historical and anecdotal information, as well as updates on nearby attractions and shows.

The station also airs entertaining and informative radio shows on topics like South African slang, local music and 20 questions a tourist would like to ask a South African.

This is a great way for visitors who have limited time to find the most interesting spots and get a real feel for Cape Town City and its surrounding attractions. Even those who are here to work during the World Cup such as the FIFA volunteers,  will be able to hire a car for a day or two and get to see the sites (with a virtual tour guide on board).

To find out more or to book your Tourism Radio device for the World Cup visit www.tourismradio.co.za

Is Cape Town ready for the FIFA 2010 Football World Cup?

With less than a week to go until the official ‘100 days countdown to the FIFA World Cup’ kicks off on 2 March 2010, let’s take a look at how Cape Town is doing in terms of preparing for the major influx of fans.

The excitement is definitely mounting right across the country, but as most Capetonians will agree, the intense energy in Cape Town is a clear indication that we are ready for 2010 and beyond.

In preparation for the big event, South Africa has been in overdrive for the last 4 years. South Africans have seen extensive road works, massive stadium upgrades, new stadiums built, and an overhauling of public transport systems in the lead up to the tournament.

The World Cup will be staged at ten venues in nine South African cities: Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth, Nelspruit, Polokwane, Bloemfontein, Rustenburg and Pretoria. Johannesburg will be home to two World Cup stadiums, Soccer City and Ellis Park.

Judging from the successful Final Draw on 4 December 2009, the Mother City is raring to go for the FIFA 2010 Soccer World Cup. With eight matches being played in Cape Town, the Mother City plans to be the best hostess the Cup has ever seen. Matches in the city include England vs. Algeria, Italy vs. Paraguay, and Quarter-Final and Semi-Final matches.

The brand new Cape Town stadium was officially opened to the public on Saturday, 23 January 2010 when it held an inaugural soccer festival. Built to host the Cape Town leg of the FIFA 2010 World Cup, feedback seems to show that the stadium in Green Point had past its first test run. A total of 20,000 spectators attended the Cape Town derby between two top local teams Santos and Ajax Cape Town, which ended goalless at the end of regulation time, with Santos winning 6-5 in a penalty shootout.

The Sunday Argus reports that gates opened at 2pm and fans swarmed in, posing for photos with characters in African costume and blowing vuvuzelas. At the designated parking areas, police carried out security checks, conducted vehicle searches and used sniffer dogs. The queues moved quickly, with the large crowd outside thinning out within half-an-hour as people went inside.

Speaking before the game, Cape Town Mayor Dan Plato said: “What a wonderful moment. What a beautiful stadium.” He also thanked Premier Helen Zille and the public for their support in making the stadium, and the day, a reality. Zille said: “Ke Nako. Our time has come. “This is the most beautiful stadium, in the most beautiful city, with the most beautiful people in the world.” By kick-off most of the seats on the first deck of the stadium were full and a roar of excitement went up as the first game on the stadium’s new pitch got under way. This game was the first of three “dry runs” at Cape Town Stadium ahead of the World Cup.

There are numerous exciting campaigns kicking off next week with only 100 days to go until kick-off so keep an eye out to make sure you get in the spirit for the 2010 FIFA Football World Cup in South Africa.

Sources:
Cape Town Magazine
The Voice of the Cape

Getting around Cape Town during the 2010 World Cup

Unlike many European or American cities, Cape Town is not always that easy to navigate using public transport. As a rule, South Africans who can afford to be, are pretty addicted to their cars.

However things are changing and a variety of public transport initiatives are being put in place prior to the 2010 FIFA World Cup, specifically to help get visitors to town from the airport, and then to the Cape Town Stadium in time for the football matches, and then home again.

To help you plan your trip to Cape Town during the World Cup, here are some options for you to consider:

1. Car hire

If you are planning on doing some exploring while you are in Cape Town, you should consider hiring a car for excursions to the winelands, Cape Point, Chapman’s Peak, the West Coast and so on.

The usual range of rental car companies are available in the Cape Town and at the Cape Town International Airport, including, Avis, Hertz, Budget and Europcar.

Or perhaps you want something a bit out of the ordinary? Scoot around Cape Town in a classic car from Motor Classic Rentals.

Travelsupermarket has a handy car rental comparison tool here.

Finally, remember to always read the fine print, take out comprehensive insurance, and don’t underestimate how many kilometres you could potentially clock up – South Africa is a big country!

2. Trains

Trains are an affordable option for getting from Highstead Houses into the city centre (and then from there to the Stadium using the city of Cape Town’s new integrated transport system). Or proceed by foot for a walking tour of the city centre, or by taxi or bus.

For a scenic trip along the False Bay coast take a train south to Muizenberg, St James, Kalk Bay and Simon’s Town.

You can read the Metrorail timetables and routes here.

3. Taxis

There are two types of taxies in South Africa. Private metered taxis are booked by phone or at a taxi rank. The cars are clearly marked as taxis, have meters and clearly mark the rate per kilometre. One of our favourites is Rikkis Taxis – look out for the yellox Rikkis phone in many pubs and clubs.

Minibus taxis are cheaper, travel specific routes and can be crowded and unsafe, depending on where you are. For short distances in busy main roads these are ideal though and a great local experience.

You won’t need to look for a minibus taxi – they will find you and whistle or hoot. Confirm the destination and cost before getting on board, and also try to have the right change available.

4. Integrated Rapid Transport

One of the most immediate and most needed side effect of hosting the World Cup in South Africa has been the fast tracking (forgive the pun) of Cape Town’s Integrated Rapid Transport system. This aims to pull together public transport in the city to create a sustainable and balanced transport system.

It takes rail + buses + minibuses + taxis + park n ride + cycle ways + bike parking + pedestrian ways and makes them all work together. This is a 10 – 15 year project, as you might imagine, but World Cup routes have been prioritised: airport – city; city – stadium; west coast route.

5. Hop on, hop off sightseeing tours

A must-do while you are in Cape Town. Get the details at Citysightseeing Cape Town.