# General Business Category > General Business Forum >  2010 WORLD CUP MERCHANDISE

## The Flying Scotsman

World Cup fever is almost upon us and from what i see & hear most South Africans are slow of the mark when it comes to realizing the opportunities that are to be had where they always leaving things to the very last minute by then being to late.True or False ?

----------


## tonyflanigan

You got it!

Its b'cos we all reckon the other dude with more bucks is gonna do it so I'm not gonna waste my time.
 I'll wait for another opportunity that I can let slip through my fingers.
 :Banghead:

----------


## The Flying Scotsman

Hi Tony

You know the score..!! But aye am just trying to give all a wee wake up call here by pressing a few buttons & that i understand its not their fault maybe its all due to the weather.

----------


## tonyflanigan

:Big Grin:   Haccomadation Hinstitutions, even in this little backwater are of the opinion that 2010, b'cos of the WORLD CUP, is gonna be GREAT! the whole year looks to be SOLD OUT! No accommodation to be had anywhere! Expand, spend, new furniture, new TV's, and NEW websites! 

Man oh man, do they get righteously indignant when you warn them against over-capitalising on a short-term flash in the pan. We don't warn TOO much, cos we still want the work, but we do feel a touch of realim is needed. Maybe the sole B&B in Putsonderwater will be fully booked for 2 weeks during WC2010, and very likely the cities that have full on stadiums will have a bumper WC2010, but I seriously don't think the rest of Sarf Effrika will get much of the wave. Maybe just a tad of water around our li'l pink soles.

 :Bananadance:

----------


## The Flying Scotsman

Awright Tony.

I respect your reply and that am just a little bit bitter here that Scotland never qualified but worse still your lucky am not Irish & that please see my first post as a bit of friendly banter only.

First and foremost though its not about how many bums you can put on seats/beds as you know but what comes about after the beautiful game not to mention the massive incentives that are to be had for all & that the people up above not forgetting the locals really pull out all the stops here by helping to put Sunny SA back on the map.

I sincerely hope that its offerings are not forgotten and that Mexico is given a run for its money. 


Fingers crossed x

----------

tonyflanigan (12-Jan-10)

----------


## Dave A

I have little doubt overseas visitors will have no problem getting a truly South African experience.

----------

tec0 (12-Jan-10), The Flying Scotsman (13-Jan-10)

----------


## Marq

Tony, while I agree with your views on the 2010 scenario and its effects on us South Africans, I would have thought that as someone who laments in his writings about the poor tourist service delivery, you would have been more positive about South Africa and South Africans. :Big Grin: 

I am sure East London gets the short stick on most occasions and Durban does not seem to be that far behind when it comes to tourist promotions and things related thereto. The thing is that we have to get out there and just do it ourselves. If we rely on municipal, provincial or government help for things to happen then we will be disappointed every time. This appears to be the case the world over.

With regard to 2010 trinkets and involvement, I don't believe its because we did not get off our arses. I think its thanks to FIFA and Mr Septic Bladder, closing all avenues of individual entrepreneurship down before they started. One cannot do anything unless you have their approval. Instead of allowing the local South Africans licence to promote and manufacture, it seems the 'tenders' were given to those in fifa circles and in the 'know'. It appears that the real winners in this 2010 scenario will be fifa and the international circuit. We may pick up the crumbs of post games tourism and even some export opportunities but my feeling is that it is just a clomp pomp, wam bam thank you mam - see you in four years time somewhere else if you can make it.

South Africans I believe are capable of doing stuff, but I think they need a bit more international marketing exposure and experience to actually make it happen. 2010 was such an opportunity but mishandled by the government who do not see the slight of hand that Mr Bladder used.

----------

Dave A (13-Jan-10), The Flying Scotsman (13-Jan-10), tonyflanigan (12-Jan-10)

----------


## Pap_sak

I was very slow off the mark - looked at the prices and said "no way, too high" I was wrong...Retailers are very weary of having dead stock after the WC.

----------


## tonyflanigan

@ Scotsman. um... I'm kinda Irish, or so I've been told at any rate, but apart from that, no apologies or any such thing for background. I mean, who am I to bitch at my dad 'cos of his background. LOL, all I know is that to get to the Mother Country, you fly north, and about two thirds of the way there you turn left. I think.  :Confused: 

Next up, and this is for Marq as well. Marq, you bring up a few damn good points. I'm not going to go into the fifa (read political) angle now. I may just get annoyed and ban kilts or declare tartan illegal. South Africans do have what it takes to be successful, anywhere in the world. I have considered the emigration thing many times, but (close yr eyes admin) fuck that. South Africa is where I was born, and South Africa is where I stay. In other posts it may seem that I'm disenchanted, I am, but I have made the decision to do the best that I can, right here. We have international clients who are totally blown awat with the work we have done for them, and all have become long-term clients.  :Applaud: 

I think that what I'm trying to get to is that rather than cry into our Klippies and coke, and buy the newspapers just to get peed off at what our esteemed national leadership is up to, we should rather expend our energy and expertise on those things that will bring us what we want (eg.:work, to make money, to buy a car or a bottle of scotch).

No doubt there are many places in South Africa that are only going to get crumbs out of the WC, but don't let that stop you, or slow you down. We may not be the biggest biz in our field, not even the best, but what we do have is excellent customer service, and that, when all is said and done, is where our next client comes from. 

I'm not pessimistic about South Africans, just the ones who feel they deserve everything just because of who they are. 

Oh, and poor service delivery for the tourism industry,  :Big Grin:  , a fave topic, but I won't go into that now...

----------

Dave A (13-Jan-10), The Flying Scotsman (13-Jan-10)

----------


## The Flying Scotsman

Totally agree with you David am so looking forward to it i cannae wait...!!!!  Also Listening to the sound of these imfamous vuvuzela's should be an experience to saviour wooooo hoooooo

----------


## wynn

Gary Baily's website www.gameplan2010.co.za offers a few ideas on how to cash in on the worldcup.
Don't know how it will help us down here in 'Slummies' though :Frown: 

problem with the server at the moment?????

----------

The Flying Scotsman (13-Jan-10)

----------


## The Flying Scotsman

*World Cup fever is almost upon us and from what i see & hear most South Africans are slow of the mark when it comes to realizing the opportunities that are to be had where they always leaving things to the very last minute by then being to late*


Hi Marg & Pap Sak 

Thats exactly the reason why i made this post is for the simple reason as you both have stated.


First of all just because Fifa have tight restrictions in place to keep happy all major sponsors , then that doesn't mean everybody has to lie down and not participate.Why should they take all the glory and capitalize while everybody else just sits by all bleary eyed.As we know in any given venture then there's always risks where having bottle or should i say having the balls to play these big boys at there own game.As they say "He who laughs last wins" & with a population of 17 million and with the expected arrival of 500,000 tourists from various countries all with football fever & with a spending power of 10 Billion then all it takes is a little bit of creativity , innovation & dedication not to mention little capital.

Call it Guerilla Warfare call it what ever but see it as survival.

As to the fear of having leftover 2010 WC stock then if thats the case and you do have then somethings wrong. Maybe its time you look in the mirror and hang your head in shame and admit that its time you find a new job as sales is possibly not the right game to be playing

----------


## The Flying Scotsman

http://www.theforumsa.co.za/forums/group.php?groupid=10

----------


## The Flying Scotsman

:Oops: C'mon Gazza get that link sorted mate :Oops:

----------


## The Flying Scotsman

With name like Flanigan Tony i knew where your roots lay a long time ago.

 As the Scots would say "BÃ*onn adharca fada ar na ba thar lear" :Console:

----------

tonyflanigan (13-Jan-10)

----------


## tonyflanigan

:Rofl: 
blarry hell Scotsman, I don't understand a word you've written there! 

Lol, I am able to have a conversation in Hinglish, have a grasp of the mudder-tale (afrikaans), and can say a few bad things in two african dialects, but I swear, what I saw there in your post makes me wonder if I should'nt be speaking to my attorney...

 :Big Grin:  Only problem is my attorney is sarf effrikin  :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic):

----------


## Marq

> Gary Baily's website www.gameplan2010.co.za offers a few ideas on how to cash in on the worldcup.


Correction to that link its  here.

I dont know that it offers anything positive. - for example  - there are two ways to get into the accommodation thing - one, only if you are graded and two, only if you go with us. Some choice. :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic): 

Then this is the solution to help the poor:-



> It's vitally important that corporate South Africa is seen to be helping to get the benefits of the 2010 FIFA World Cup to the poorer communities - so any African type gifts, please try and source them from the rural communities, and please don't be shy about letting them know that corporate South Africa is helping the poorer communities!


 :Huh: 

This under sponsorship:-



> Soccer has long been seen as the perfect vehicle for sponsors to deliver messages to the dream male demographic,


 'dream male demographic' - what is that?

Seems the BS has already started in the quest for 2010 business opportunities.

----------


## Marq

> blarry hell Scotsman, I don't understand a word you've written there!


The grass is always greener on the other side.....for those who were wondering.

----------


## Dave A

> Also Listening to the sound of these imfamous vuvuzela's should be an experience to saviour wooooo hoooooo


Let's hope they don't ban them for the World Cup. It's definitely part of our local flavour!



> problem with the server at the moment?????


The TFSA server, Wynn?

----------


## tonyflanigan

> Correction to that link its  here.
> 
> This under sponsorship:-
>  'dream male demographic' - what is that?
> 
> Seems the BS has already started in the quest for 2010 business opportunities.


LOL, the BS started about 30 seconds after the announcement that WC2010 was gonna be in South Africa

----------


## tonyflanigan

damn, I'm slow...

isn't a WC a water closet, better known as a Sh*t house?

----------


## wynn

No Dave, whatever server the webpage is on. I even tried Marq's link and it took so long I clicked back out again.

 :Banghead:

----------

Dave A (14-Jan-10)

----------


## Dave A

Thanks Wynn. I'm a bit more sensitive than usual because I managed to crash the TFSA server quite spectacularly the day before. It was only a couple of minutes downtime, so I doubt too many people noticed.

Back on topic, I had a hawker trying to sell me a World Cup cap at the traffic lights less than an hour ago. It had the official logo, so I take it the pirates are starting already.

----------

