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 collect your FIFA 2010 World Cup tickets

So you’re booked your flight and your accommodation, mapped out all your favourite tourist attractions and are pretty much packed and ready to roll. But wait, something is missing… you still need to collect your actual FIFA World Cup tickets!

To make sure that collecting your tickets is as quick and easy as possible FIFA Ticket Terminals will be set up at OR Tambo Airport, Johannesburg, King Shaka Airport, Durban and the Cape Town Airport from 7 June 2010 to 11 July 2010 from 7am to 9pm. The Self Service Ticket Terminal will be assisted by a volunteer should any queries arise and the Helpdesk Ticket Terminal will be manned by a member of staff.

If you’d like to collect your tickets ahead of time, or are flying in at the crack of dawn or late at night, you can also collect your tickets from any of the FIFA Ticketing Centres (FTCs). The Cape Town FTC is located at The Spearhead, 42 Hans Strijdom Avenue, Foreshore, Cape Town. It is open 7 days a week, from 9am to 6pm, and will be open for longer on days prior to matches at the Cape Town Stadium.

Source: www.fifa.com ; Image sourced from: travelblog.portfoliocollection.com

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

My South Africa Essentials App ideal for World Cup visitors

This free iPhone App is a must have for all visitors traveling to South Africa for the FIFA World Cup. It’s the perfect way to be immersed in all the action, navigate your way around each of the host cities and stay in touch with friends and families back home.  Download it here.

iPhone, iPod touch and iPad users can use it to look up World Cup information, such as the latest updates about their favourite teams. It will also give them access to detailed city guides, interactive maps and travel advice. And to put the cherry on the cake, users can share information via mySouthAfrica.tv where they can upload pictures, videos, postcards and stories to capture the essence of their trip to South Africa.

William Prince, global manager, e-marketing, South African Tourism said, “This new iPhone application allows South African Tourism to offer rich, engaging content that is very specific to the users and presented in a new and dynamic way. The content is fresh, accurate and appropriate for those travelling to South Africa for the 2010 FIFA World Cup and allows the users to share all their stories and experiences straight from the iPhone.”

Sources: Bizcommunity.com , Apple.com

Last chance to buy 2010 FIFA World Cup tickets

This news should make you smile, especially those of you who have missed out on the first four 2010 World Cup ticket sales phases. Here is your last opportunity to say ‘I was there’ and attend a 2010 World Cup Game.
FIFA have simplified the process of applying for 2010 World Cup tickets in this last minute over-the-counter 2010 World Cup ticket sales phase. This is your last chance, so read these easy steps on how to apply carefully.
From the 15th April 2010 all South Africans can purchase 2010 FIFA World Cup tickets in real time online or over the counter.

4 ways to buy 2010 FIFA World Cup tickets:
•    Complete an application form on fifa.com/2010
•    Walk into an FNB branch and complete an application form
•    Apply in person at one of the FIFA Ticketing Centres
•    Call the FIFA Ticketing Call Centre (083 123 2010)

With a mere 62 days to go until kick-off, be sure to buy your tickets and get ready to say ‘I was there’.

And lastly, one more reason to smile – If you are traveling from far and near to be at a game have a look out for great accommodation deals; including these gourmet backpackers in Cape Town.

Source: Shine2010.co.za

Daunted by all the languages in SA? Learn to say hello in all 11

If you’re looking forward to being immersed in South African culture, but are feeling slightly daunted by the 11 official languages, then the new Hello South Africa phrasebook will be right up your street.

Launched earlier this month by Hello South Africa Publishing, this comprehensive, pocket sized book has over 600 phrases in all the official South African languages.  It also has a pronunciation guide for each language and easy-to-pronounce pseudo-phonetics below each phrase.

The colour coded index, photographs and travel tips are ideal for visitors who are just here for a couple of days and want to grasp the basics.

If you are a volunteer for the World Cup or are here for a longer visit, then delve a little deeper into the phrasebook and enjoy reading up on the history and culture surrounding the 11 languages.   There are also language distribution maps which highlight where the various languages are predominantly spoken throughout South Africa.

If you are visiting Cape Town, check out the following articles for some practical tips and suggestions:

• Getting around Cape Town during the World Cup
• Food, glorious food!
• Accommodation

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

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

Accommodation for FIFA 2010 World Cup Volunteers

Volunteers from all over the country (and world) will be moving to the host cities to proudly support and promote South Africa to the visitors during the tournament. These volunteers have to make their own way to the host city as well as find accommodation for the duration of their stay. Highstead Houses offers ideal accommodation (that won’t break the bank) for volunteers coming to work in Cape Town. They offer discounted rates for volunteers so make sure that you check out their accommodation offers before you book anywhere else.

More about the FIFA 2010 World Cup Volunteer Programme:

After a successful FIFA Confederations Cup 2009, the 2010 FIFA World Cup Organising Committee South Africa (OC) started the drive to recruit 15 000 volunteers for the 2010 showpiece tournament in July 2009. Applications closed in August and the interviewing process took place over January and February 2010.

With 32 teams participating, an expected influx of 450 000 visitors and 64 matches across nine host cities in ten stadiums, the volunteers will play a vital role in assisting the OC to deliver a successful 2010 FIFA World Cup.

“The volunteer programme is an excellent way to get involved in South Africa and Africa’s once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of hosting the world’s biggest sporting event,” said 2010 World Cup organising committee chief executive Dr Danny Jordaan.

“From ushering people to their seats, to assisting the media and foreign language speakers, welcoming people at the airport and driving guests around, it is the volunteers that actually make the tournament happen,” said Jordaan.

In total volunteers are required in 16 functional areas – accreditation, marketing, media, protocol services, spectator services, transportation, administration, environmental services, welcome and information services, information technology and telecommunication, language support, rights protection programme, logistic services, hospitality and ushering services and volunteer management.

Click for more info on the FIFA 2010 World Cup Volunteer Programme

Sources: FIFA.com and SA Good News