How the Media & Events industry can alter our perceptions

The 2010 FIFA World Cup was a significant time for South Africa; it was a time for the nation to showcase their ability to host such a largely domineering event, an event that the majority of the world will be watching. In this blog I will be discussing the use of the media industry in relation to this event. I will also be looking into how an event can have a significant impact on the cultural, social and economic factors.

How did a country with one of the highest crime rates in the world be elected to host the 2010 FIFA world cup? Surely they should have chosen a well-structured first world country? South Africa Averages 50 murder’s a day in a nation of 47 million. www.africanholocaust.net [Accessed on 17/11/11] It has also been ranked first in rapes and has a notorious record for car hijacking.

‘’We want, on behalf of our continent, to stage an event that will send ripples of confidence from the Cape to Cairo– an event that will create social and economic opportunities throughout Africa. We want to ensure that one day, historians will reflect upon the 2010 World Cup as a moment when Africa stood tall and resolutely turned the tide on centuries of poverty and conflict. We want to show that Africa’s time has come.’ Thabo Mbeki

This is a very bold statement made by Thabo Mbeki – South Africa’s former president, although his hopes did come true, the main question is – did they last?

This statistic shows the Local perspective on the 2010 FIFA World Cup

Research has shown that people have high expectations of the 2010 FIFA World

Cup™ (Pillay, 2006):

•           85% optimistic about job creation and economic growth;

•           33% expect to gain personally from 2010 FIFA World Cup;

•           78% expect black economic empowerment to improve;

•           75% believe that rundown parts of the locality in which they live will be upgraded

Many reports have stated that the FIFA World cup was a honeymoon period for South Africa, unsustainable and extremely fabricated. I have to agree and disagree with this assumption because although there has been a significant improvement in terms of economy and infrastructure I think the most important aspect is the shift in the global perception of South Africa.

‘’We have witnessed the explosion of national pride across all races and cultures," South African - President Jacob Zuma

This statement entails some true and false implications, there was certainly a burst of pride across the nation but how long did it last? I was in South Africa during the build up towards the event and I must say - the sense of euphoria was definitely in the atmosphere. I think the ‘explosion of pride’ happened between the subdivisions but not as a unifying whole.

Doesn’t he mean to say..

‘’We have witnessed an explosion of pride across races and cultures independently’’

What I am trying to imply here is that yes, the nation was filled with pride and enthusiasm but this did not fundamentally change the state of the nation. The economical, racial and cultural divide was still very much present and visitors would eventually come to acknowledge this.

The media projected a constant state of unification during the build-up period in order to entice the visitors. I was in South Africa during the time and I remember how the adverts had changed significantly and noticeably – showing a people of different cultures enjoying a product together. There was a constant reminder of ‘oneness’ which was so clearly exaggerated and only accurate in an idealistic reality.

South Africa is still undergoing amendment, as mentioned in previous blogs a political revolution is not enough to change a cultural discernment.The media’s forced attempt to re kindle the cultural fragments that were left behind is proving ineffective, in my opinion the solution is primarily acceptance in order to allow the moving forward process

This video was taken on the 18th of December 2010 in Cape Town, South Africa.
The comments made in this video are all personal opinions
The following people have been interviewed: Jasmin Mieny, Natalie Mamela and Caitlin Smith
It was edited by myself on the 15th of January 2012

Many people undoubtedly questioned South Africa’s ability to host such a major event, being a third world country with a high crime rate and a toxic historical past. However the final success of this event proved nations wrong.

South Africa, Gateway to the Nation. Available at: http://www.southafrica.info/2010/hearts.htm [Accessed on 01/12/11]