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Commonwealth Games could be good for Durban

Commonwealth Games could be good for Durban

In 2022, Durban will make history and become the first ever African city to host the Commonwealth Games. While big sporting events can often rack up even bigger bills, this one might actually be worth the country’s while. By ANTOINETTE MULLER.

Provided nothing extreme happens before 2022, South Africa will be able to add another major sporting event to its glowing cabinet of hosting stuff. To nobody’s surprise at all, Durban was confirmed as the host city for the 2022 Commonwealth Games. Nobody can deny South Africa’s prowess at hosting sporting events, it’s the only thing the country is better at than issuing dodgy tenders. As far as hosting things go, South Africa was already on a steady footing to put on this one and the powers that be insist it will actually be a good thing for the economy. Being the first African city to host the games is a big deal and the impact will only really be seen once the games are done and dusted, but there are many factors to consider before then.

First things first – the cost. Luckily, there will be no splashing out of cash to build overly fancy facilities. The Moses Mabhida Stadium – the stadium that played host to Soccer World Cup Games in Durban – will host the games. Only the athletes’ village, shooting range and athletics track need to be built in order for facilities to be up to scratch. Infrastructure needs to improve, but you can argue that’s a good thing in the long-term anyway.

Using a facility that is (mostly) already in place avoids a big burden on ratepayers as they will not need to contribute to the upkeep of a permanent facility.

The government says it expects R20bn in output to the economy, which translates to R11-billion in gross domestic product growth delivered by hosting the games. If that figure proves to be correct, it will still be much more than the R3.4-billion it is expected to cost to get the infrastructure ready, even when adding the R98-million it cost South Africa to bid for the games and they are still ahead.

Of the estimated budget, R124-million will go towards “sports venues (overlays and equipment)”, R164-million on the Commonwealth village (services and overlays), R633-million on the “games workforce”, R391-million on “advertising and promotions”, R103-million on “administration”, R40-million on “readiness/ test events and meetings” and R324-million on “project management fees”.

Sports facilities would require R330-million while a further R1.3-billion would be spent on the construction of a new Commonwealth Games village. There are other benefits, too, including creating more than 10,000 jobs, the potential for more tourism on the back of a successful games, training for more than 10,000 volunteers, many of whom will come from the rural areas around Durban and government projects getting a kick up the backside to get a shift on.

But just because it looks like a good deal and quacks like a good deal, does not always mean that it is. Durban won the bid by default after Edmonton, a Canadian city with massive oil riches, withdrew its bid citing oil price concerns as the reason. When the bidding process was opened, only two countries put in bids. That raises the question: is hosting the games more trouble than it’s worth?

It is only in recent times that the Commonwealth Games have blossomed into a behemoth, but that’s not necessarily a good thing. The Commonwealth Games are not the Olympics as they continue to grow into a hungry behemoth, the risk is there that they could become too big for their own good. For now, though, South Africa should, theoretically, be capable of delivering a profitable event on budget and if the 2014 event is anything to go by, of benefit to the community too.

A study into the effects of the Commonwealth Games on the East End of Glasgow, held in 2014, showed respondents were generally happy with the hosting of the games, even if they were inconvenienced. The study found the biggest impact of the games was that more people (14%) were now taking part in sport. One in 21 households in the area benefited from employment as a direct result from regeneration of the area in 2013/14. In addition, one in 10 respondents reported employment gains (either additional employment or extra working hours) for someone in the household during the games time in 2014.

Nearly three-in-five respondents (59%) said their neighbourhood had improved better as a place to live in over the past two to three years, more than the 50% who said so in 2012. This is much higher than the national rate for identifying positive neighbourhood change for those living in deprived areas, currently at 24%.

Glasgow’s Commonwealth Games brought in £43.6-million from sponsorship, £33-million from televesion rights and £118-million from commercial revenue overall. Ticketing sales represented the second-highest source of commercial revenue, with £33.9-million, but it was still far less than the whopping amount (around £550-million) spent on hosting the games. The impact, however, is long-term. The games, being beamed around the world, is like a “free advert” for tourism in the host city and the host city generates millions from those visiting during the games.

But the biggest asset of the games is, of course, its athletes and this is one area where South Africa is seriously lacking. The heroic exploits of Wayde van Niekerk, Anaso Jobodwana and Sunette Viljoen at the recently concluded International Association of Athletics Federations World Championships in Beijing was impressive, but investment in athletics in South Africa is still lacking and the country is not producing nearly as many athletes as would be expected. Athletics South Africa and the Department of Sport and Recreation have promised on a number of occasions that things are changing, but the proof will be in the pudding. South Africa have five years to develop and implement a plan designed to scout, nurture and produce talented athletes who can not only beat the best in the world but help the country delivery a memorable Commonwealth Games that will leave a lasting legacy. DM

Photo of Durban sunset by Darren Smith.

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