by Sharon Sorour-Morris 19 Jul 2023
Netball World Cup Fan Park

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It’s the final countdown! Excitement is mounting in town as the Cape Town CBD gets ready to host Africa’s first Netball World Cup at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) next week.

With the Netball World Cup Trophy already in the city – having arrived in Cape Town last week amidst great fanfare – the City of Cape Town is in the process of constructing a family-oriented Fan Park outside the CTICC where netball fans will be able to watch matches on a big screen, play interactive games, and enjoy free entertainment and other activations. 

Several of the 16 teams that will be competing from across five World Netball regions have already arrived in the city to compete in the global tournament, which opens on 28 July and runs until 6 August 2023.

SHOWCASE CENTRAL CITY

The sporting event is set to significantly boost the tourism and eventing economy of the inner city as well as that of greater Cape Town and the Western Province.

Tasso Evangelinos, CEO of the Cape Town Central City Improvement District (CCID), says hosting the event is a proud moment for the city and the CBD. “This is a fantastic opportunity for us to, once again, showcase that Cape Town, and its CBD, is a world-class sporting and events destination and will build on the excellent reputation we established when we hosted other international sporting events such as the FIFA World Cup in 2010.”

The CBD and greater Cape Town is set to benefit directly from visitor and organiser spend, and from job creation during and after the event.

Evangelinos praised the City of Cape Town for its hard work in securing the tournament and in promoting the sport and raising its profile in various communities in the run-up to the tournament.

With the event taking place in the footprint of the CCID, Evangelinos says the CCID’s operational departments – Safety & Security and Urban Management – were ready to welcome players and thousands of visitors to town.

CCID Safety & Security manager Jurie Bruwer says the department has put measures in place to ensure the areas around the Fan Park and the CTICC are safe and welcoming. “We will be collaborating with SAPS and City Law Enforcement and will restructure the deployment of our Public Safety Officers (PSOs) prior to the event.”
CCID security guards will be placed strategically around the periphery of the event, says Bruwer. “In addition, our specialised six-member unit will patrol the area surrounding the event and be highly visible.”

The CCID will also have two mobile security and information kiosks at CTICC 1 and CTICC 2.

BOOST FOR CITY HOTELS

The tournament will be a major economic boost for the Cape Town hospitality industry, with the country’s leading hotel group, Southern Sun, being the world cup’s Official Hotel Partner.

Says Samantha Clingham, Southern Sun Operations Director: Cape Region: “It is with great pride that we extend our warmth and hospitality to World Netball. All participating teams will be hosted at a selection of Southern Sun’s world-class hotels in the city.”

Clingham says hosting international sporting events such as this in Cape Town presents “a wonderful opportunity for Southern Sun, the city and indeed South Africa as a nation, to showcase our special blend of culture, extraordinary experiences, and warmth to the world. It goes without saying that this brings a much-needed boost to the country’s economy, which relies heavily on the international inbound market to thrive.”

CITY EVENT DESTINATION

The Netball World Cup 2023 is one of many global sporting events that have taken place in the Mother City this year.

In February alone, at least three international events took place in Cape Town including the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup international cricket tournament, of which Cape Town was one of three international host cities; the IIHF Ice Hockey Women’s World Championship Division II Group B tournament; and Africa’s first-ever E-Prix event which took place in the Green Point precinct when Cape Town joined 11 other cities as a host of Season 9 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.

Coming up in October is the prestigious global city race, the 42.2 km Sanlam Cape Town Marathon, with organisers on a mission to put the city and the continent on the world stage, taking on its second year as an Abbott World Marathon Major candidate.

FAN PARK “GEES”

The Netball Fan Park will open daily from 07h00 and will close after the final match of the day. Adding atmosphere will be Cape Town Carnival floats as well as cultural performances. Activities include netball exhibition matches and there will be a seated food court.

The opening concert takes place on Wednesday, 26 July 2023 at 18h00 with the line-up including Nasty C, Emo Adams and the band, GOODLUCK.

Tickets for some of the games are still available at https://nwc2023.org.za/tickets/ 

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by Sharon Sorour-Morris