Each time I visit Johannesburg, I am inspired by its vitality and versatility. South Africa‘s economic powerhouse is a destination not only for business and investment, but also for the young, fabulous and chic searching for opportunity, adventure, and fun.
During the World Cup, friends in South Africa wrote about the pride and common purpose the country exhibited during those four glorious weeks. ‘If only it could be bottled,’ they said. On a recent trip to Johannesburg it was clear that, indeed, something special had taken place. There are the outward signs – creative ads that are still on display, the friendliness of strangers, offers of assistance at every turn – but more importantly there is a new confidence. South Africa far exceeded expectations, leaving the world wanting more.
What comes next? That’s the only question that remains regarding the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The world came to South Africa – and to the dismay of many – Africa remains! No riots, no violent or untimely protest, not even a controversial final call that undermined the entire multi-billion affair (Ghana not withstanding).
Rumit Mehta, recently returned from safari in four African countries, shares his extraordinary experiences with Africa.com. This is the fourth in a five part series being released this week (complete with photos!) detailing his travels in Zambia, South Africa, Namibia, and Botswana.
June 25-29 – Durban, South Africa
The buzzing of vuvuzelas on the street, in the local taverns and in the soccer stadiums signifies that Africa is competing on the global stage! The biggest party of it all is taking place in South Africa with fans packing the stadiums rooting for their favorite team.
For many of us in the African diaspora, the recent FIFA World Cup in South Africa has been truly a wonderful excuse to get together with family and friends. One week ago I traveled to Washington D.C. to watch the final match at a unique event, organized by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art. It was actually two events: the first was a family-friendly viewing party for the Spain-Netherland’s final game; the second was an after-party reception for the older crowd.
The final is set! Spain will face the Netherlands on Sunday. No matter who takes the World Cup title, South Africa is already claiming that it is the big winner.
Goal! Three Africa.com users have won tickets to the 2010 World Cup games by signing up for our online contest!
Can you feel the excitement?!
This weekend, Africa.com’s New York office kicked off the World Cup at a local pub with the Nigeria v. Argentina game, a head-to-head match-up between two of the worlds’ best clubs.
A lot of quizzical looks have come my way as news of my resignation from Goldman Sachs has spread. Why am I leaving a lucrative career as a managing director at a prestigious firm and one of the few senior African-American investment bankers on Wall Street to devote my full energies to the high risk dot.com world? Why am I not just outsourcing the re-launch of Africa.com, the Internet portal that I’ve owned for almost a decade?
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