Address by MEC Barbara Creecy Department of Sports, Art, Culture and Recreation

Issued by Gauteng Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation

13 February 2008

Programme Director:
Fellow panel members, Messrs:
Duncan Revie, CEO, Soccerex
Lucas Radebe, Soccerex Ambassador and South African Football Legend
Mphathisi Filtane, Business Development, Avusa Media
Sizwe Nzimande, Head of SABC Sport
Geoff Thompson, Executive Chairman of Youth Charter for Sport and (Celebrity for the British Empire)CBE
Other dignitaries, ladies and gentlemen; members of the Media

It is my pleasure to welcome the "Soccerex Family" back to Gauteng and to thank Duncan, Rita, Charlie, Ali, Daniel and the entire team for all the hard work that went into Soccerex 2007.

I would also like to thank our local Gauteng Soccerex partners:

• The VIP Protection Services and protocol units from the Office of the Premier who ensured the safety of our VIP guests;
• The Airports Company South Africa and in particular the immigration officers at and security staff (including SAPS) as well as The Gauteng Tourism Authority, MATCH and Eskape our travel and accommodation partners for the extra effort that went into ensuring that the first impression of our international guests was a pleasant and positive one;
• The Department of Public Transport, Roads & Works and the Gauteng Province Metered Taxi Association (GPMTC) for the Metered Taxi Project which was successfully launched at Soccerex 2007;
• The Department of Economic Development and their agencies GEDA and GEP for managing the commercial rights, business development and SMME support.
• The communications team ably led by the Office of the Premier for getting the Soccerex message out there;
• And last but not least, my departmental officials for leading and managing the event, including the media and all the others, too numerous to mention, who without whom this event would not have been the success that it was.

Whilst the economic impact assessment to quantify the return on investment for the Province of Soccerex 2007 is still in progress we can definitely report that Soccerex 2007 exceeded our expectations.

The Soccerex exhibition arena proved to be an unparalleled success, allowing companies to schedule meetings and promote their services to the global football industry. There was an unprecedented demand for stands across all three floors of exhibition space with many of the attendees already reserving their location for 2008. Among the string of successes are the fact that Soccerex 2007 attracted over 4000 local and international visitors, including managers, chairpersons and senior members of international football teams. On their return home, these visitors provided valuable word-of-mouth marketing which money cannot buy. The cultural programme at the Gala Dinner contributed to the commissioning of new works of performing arts that raised global awareness of Gauteng's cultural product. Most importantly for the future, Soccerex has helped us to understand the business of football a lot better.

Building on this success, the Province must now ensure that the people of Gauteng benefit from the legacy of Soccerex and 2010 long after the World Cup is over.

This lasting legacy will stem from several areas, but we are particularly excited by the long-term potential of our soon-to-be-launched Volunteer Programme to provide a residual benefit for communities.Volunteers will be integral to the staging of a successful World Cup in 2010. Under the programme at least 2000 volunteers will be recruited for the2009 Confederations Cup and the FIFA World Cup the following year.

According to the LOC, about 6 000 volunteers will be needed for the Confederations Cup and 15 000 for the World Cup nationally. To qualify as a volunteer, you must be at least 18 years old by March 2009 for the Confederations Cup and by March 2010 for the World Cup.

We plan to recruit general volunteers as well as specialists in various fields to work as volunteers. The specialists will include medical practitioners, translators, people from the legal fraternity and information technology experts. General volunteers will be recruited and trained in areas such as liaison, accreditation, ticketing, spectator services, community safety, fan parks, public viewing sites, transport, drivers, hospitality and logistics. We will also make every effort to ensure that people with disabilities are afforded the opportunity to participate.

My Department, in partnership with the Gauteng Youth Commission, will develop a comprehensive database of suitably qualified volunteers to assist in various categories of activities. We will also develop a comprehensive list of essential skills requirements aligned with the SRSA and LOC program against which we will train our volunteers. Soccerex and our other major sporting events will be used to create 'on the job' training and development opportunities for volunteers prior to 2010. Where it is possible, training will be linked to certified institutions and SETA's and skills developed will open up employment opportunities where volunteers are unemployed.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Duncan for making the decision to ensure that Soccerex also focuses on building long-term legacies for the communities and regions that have host them.

In partnership with the City of Joburg, local contractors Sport Talent Initiative (STI) and Tiger Turf, a five-a-side football stadium is to be built in Mapetla Soweto upon finalization with Joburg Metro. The Soccerex Park proposes to serve the community through managed and controlled utilization, events and programmes for children and youth during the day at no charge, and the sustainable Soccer5 league operation under lights in the evening.

Soccerex has also been influential in initiating and helping Diambars to establish the first Southern African Diambars football academy, which will be ready in time for FIFA World Cup 2010.

Diambars is a non-governmental organization that was formed by the French football legends, Patrick Vieira, Jimmy Adjovi-Boco, Saer Seck and Bernard Lama. Diambars' vision is to build football projects around Africa to address the needs of African football players. In 2003 the first project was completed in Dakar, Senegal. The project provides education to underprivileged children in the age group 13 - 18 years. The focus is on school education and the development of football skills through high-level coaching. This project will be implemented in partnership with Diambars, Ekurhuleni Metro and the Province and located in Ekurhuleni, Boksburg.

Partnering with these projects will accord the Department an opportunity to link them to our own High Performance and Academy programmes and will assist in the enhancement of our Home of Champions. Other legacy projects in the pipe line include a UNICEF Social Development Project; a Brazil Football Academy Project and the MATCH Training & Development Projects.

As the full impact of the success of Soccerex 2007 emerges, and with the implementation of a range of legacy projects now well under way, we are confident that the next edition of the series will cement further benefits to the province and continue to support the development of skills and facilities as we head towards the FIFA World Cup in 2010.

For more information contact Nomazwe Ntlokwana: 083 507 8068 / 011 355 2578