Is Brazil ready for an international samba?
After South Africa received the rights to host the 2010 FIFA World Cup in 2004, it was clear that while the country was elated at finally receiving retribution in losing out on the 2006 showpiece, the task of infrastructure building was a significant hurdle which needed to be overcome.
Four years after Spain lifted the trophy at Soccer City, all eyes are now on Brazil who are less than a month away from hosting the 2014 FIFA World Cup. And as if this was not enough of a financial, and administrative headache, two years later the world will be returning to Rio de Janeirio for the 2016 Olympic Games.
What can Brazil learn from South Africa's hosting of the 2010 World Cup? And what can we learn from Brazil?
Looking at a mirrored reflection
Geoff Blount, CEO of Cannon Asset Managers, says that while each country in the Brazil, Russia, India China and South Africa (BRICS) cluster is unique, parallels are often drawn between South Africa and Brazil.
"With apparently similar problems, South Africa seems to be increasingly, and I believe erroneously, looking to the Brazilian social and economic model for solutions. While we have much to learn from Brazil, South Africa is fundamentally different to that country,” says Blount.
Brazil is the largest country in South America with many administrative regions in the country. These regions each have their own challenges. And with a vast population living below, or close to, the poverty line, administration is a significant challenge. Although not as expansive, South Africa is equally complex.
The differences with our Latino cousins
Blount points out that despite its challenges, Brazil has built a common national identity, irrespective of race and class. This is where South Africa really falls short. We have 11 official languages, we vote down racial lines and despite the fact that we put on a brave face to the world that we are not racially divided, even politicians admit we are.
The only time we unite is every four years or so during the Rugby World Cup, Cricket World Cup or Olympic Games. We rule out the Soccer World Cup because of Bafana Bafana's perennial inability to qualify for the showpiece.
"South Africans host a permanent inferiority complex, in that everything foreign is better and we are oh so third world. Ironically, this means we sometimes overcompensate and deliver better than first world. Brazilians are almost the opposite. While aware of their shortcomings, the Brazilian attitude is that things are sort of ok. While Brazilians like being Brazilian, in spite of their issues, South Africans suffer a roller coaster of emotions towards their country, regularly swinging from extreme despondence to exuberance,” says Blount.
Looking in and looking out
Blount points out that Brazilians are settled in their country but are far more inward looking, possibly due to the size of their country, while South Africans are more outward focussed.
"This means that at the individual level, they are much more entrepreneurial than South Africans. However, our large corporates are world class, excelling on the global stage. Despite issues with regard to maintenance and development, South African infrastructure is superb relative to Brazil. Brazil's poor infrastructure is often referred to as risco Brasil the Brazil risk.
This is where Brazil can learn major lessons from South Africa. While the roll out of Medupi has been a significant black mark against our books when it comes to infrastructure roll out, we pulled together and built the 2010 soccer stadiums with no major challenges. And these stadiums have been described by FIFA as world class. There are concerns that Brazil will struggle to deliver its stadiums on time because of funding issues and labour disputes which are heating up around the stadiums.
While South Africa has no room to talk when it comes to labour disputes, the recent platinum strike is a glaring example of this. When it was time to build the 2010 stadiums, there were no labour disputes. Workers pulled together in a common cause to get the job done. Perhaps Brazil should view the 2014 World Cup in the same way that South Africa viewed the 2010 version. Sixty four years from their last World Cup, it is safe to say it is the first modern era World Cup which Brazil will be hosting.
Lessons to be learnt
Because this is in essence the first World Cup of the modern era that Brazil is hosting, and the fact that there are significant comparisons between South Africa and Brazil, some of the aspects of the 2010 World Cup can be looked at as a list of what Brazil can look forward to, and what it must avoid.
One aspect that Brazil can look forward to is the increased tourism which will be coming into the country. During the 2010 World Cup, South African's became very entrepreneurial and developed small businesses which catered specifically for tourists. These included new guest houses, food and beverage establishments and companies that offered tours around the city.
A new ministry which has been created by the new Zuma cabinet is a ministry for small business development. If this ministry was around during the 2010 World Cup, some of the small businesses which did not survive after the World Cup would still be around today. Brazil needs to find a way in which to assist smaller businesses so that it continue its cultivation for business development.
Brazil will also need to run its transport sector like a well-oiled machine. When Spain beat Germany in the second semi-final in Durban, some fans didn't even get to watch the match as their flights – which took off at 6 pm – only offloaded passengers at King Shaka International Airport at 11 pm. This was blamed on no parking bays for planes at the airport because of the increased amount of private jets which came into the airport. This leaves a bad taste in the mouth of fans who could have spent a lot of time in the city spending money at local businesses.
Editor's Thoughts
It seems as if there is a trend with FIFA to allow developing nations the chance to host major sporting events. Perhaps Russia and Qatar can also learn from South Africa's experience in living up to the stringent requirements laid down by FIFA. Please comment below, interact with us on Twitter at @fanews_online or email me your thoughts [email protected].
