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 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 country men 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 as well as Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment companies. This we are doing in order to ensure that the benefits of hosting this major event are shared by all.
By allocating and subsidizing 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.