Reuters Soccer Blog

Community Blog: Kindness worth more than gold

The debate of inflated prices during the Soccer World Cup is an unending one. And in the end, what is on the price tag is entirely up to the service provider.

According to Ms Nikie Botha, a manager at the Jacaranda Overnight Accommodation in Polokwane, all-round kindness to your guests is more rewarding than ripping them off.

“My boss had earlier on suggested that we take the prices higher, we did, but it was difficult because we have our usual clients and I was the one who had to stand at the counter and turn them away because they couldn’t afford it. I believe in what goes around comes around, so if we give we will receive volumes”.

Nikie says in their endeavour to maximise in their turnover from the world cup they learnt that they didn’t have to compromise who they were as a brand, “we are an affordable accommodation and thats what we are presenting to everyone disregarding the event”. Because of their maintained affordability, Jacaranda is this week full with Mexican and French fans for the game tonight.

 “We have over 22 Mexican fans who will be staying over for the next three days”.  She says they are very happy to be accommodating tourists at a time like this, and to make them feel at home, on their arrival at Jacaranda, Nikie welcomed them is pure Spanish.

This blog was written by a community blogger  chosen  to write  on their community’s experience of the  World Cup.

World Cup hopefuls head up for air

World Cup organisers had plans to spread the 32 finalists for the 2010 tournament across South Africa, giving every corner of the country a chance to feel a little of the fever close at hand.

While the matches are only being played at 10 venues in nine cities, the team bases would have allowed for a wider spread, with the opportunity to watch a training session becoming almost as valuable a commodity as a match ticket for star-starved supporters away from the World Cup mainstream.

South Africa has a sparking coastline, lots of resorts of varying standards plus the interior of the country also enjoys a sophisticated tourist infrastructure.

There are many options from which teams can choose a base for the 2010 tournament and the major countries, qualified or not, have already been to South Africa to make their selection. Some coastal towns have done extensive marketing to try and attract a major football-playing nation to their location and a chance to share in the World Cup spotlight.

But to the horror of the 2010 organisers the vast majority of teams are plumping for a place at altitude, for the distinct advantage they feel it gives them.

Most national coaches, who have already been to South Africa on inspection visits, have demanded they stay and train up on high ground in Gauteng, the province that incorporates the greater Johannesburg and Pretoria area, where the air is thinner and the training therefore more effective. It is likely the vast majority of the teams will be cloistered together in a radius of some 150 sq km.

Only France, Sweden and Paraguay have elected so far to set up a coastal base, although so far only the latter have secured qualification to the 2010 tournament.