BLK JKS representing at the official pre-World Cup concert in Soweto. Remember Tutu dancing in the stands?

Mzabalazo. This is for Japan.  For organizing on the field, and shutting out the Danes  3-1.

– Sean Jacobs

After watching Bafana Bafana’s close shave against Mexico on TV, my brother, David, and I went off to see France vs Uruguay at the new Cape Town Stadium. In short: imposing, massive structure.  We had really good seats. 8 rows back from the field on the halfway line. (We bought tickets made available after cancellations.)

The Highlights: Seeing thousands of people–not just South Africans–walking central Cape Town streets at midnight, using public transport (we were on a 12.30am train to Observatory, a suburb of Cape Town) and the buzz of the city center filled with multinational bands of fans. This is unheard of in a place where criminals, or fear of criminals, have forced people to not venture out after dark, even less take unreliable public transport.  (Trains are running specially for the World Cup late at night.)

One of my friends, also at the game, noted that if Cape Town can get its proposed rapid transport bus service completed and then to work, such a public culture could become permanent.

Oh, the match was underwhelming.

[Read more...]

First impressions:

The dreaded vuvuzelas droning everywhere. And the myths about it being “tradition” continue.   And people defend it even when it is clear it is not good for their health.  I could not help notice the flags on cars. No surprises that the South African flag dominates. From the suburbs to the townships. England (largely because of the popularity of the English Premier League) and Portugal (a large Portuguese community, mostly descendants of immigrants who left newly independent Mozambique and Angola for Apartheid South Africa in the 1970s) vie for second place.  Some fans have done the smart thing and have two flags: South Africa and Argentina or Brazil or Italy. They’re realistic.

Tonight I watched the Kickoff Concert on TV.  I was expecting the worst. Shakira wore the grass skirt for the African World Cup. Get it. Spoke a bit of Zulu (“Ngiyabonga mZantsi” though it came out as “my zansi”), shook her hips.

Oh, and Desmond Tutu, who appeared excited to be out this late, said some nonsense about South Africa being the “butterfly nation.”

The best part of the show was the commercials.

The Vodacom commercials, built around some local TV characters, are clever and funny. (They’re all a play on the breakout hit, “Make the Circle Bigger,” and involve members of the national team, Bafana Bafana, doing the moves. Remember my earlier post about it being the unofficial summer hit?).

There was also some ridiculous ad playing on the imagined success of black economic empowerment. For local beer Hansa. Watch for yourself.

Finally, remember the Castle Lite (a local brew) ad with Vanilla Ice. Now it is MC Hammer’s turn.  (BTW, South African beer commercials have become a lucrative side job for has-been American entertainers. Remember Lou Gossett Jr?)

The best thing I read today: Danny Jordaan, the head of the local organizing committee, at a press briefing on the world’s media, previewing tomorrow’s opening game:

“You see the headlines: ‘Race war’, ‘Bloodshed’, ‘Chaos’, ‘Plan B’, ‘Don’t do it’, ‘It’s not going to happen.’  And then … the celebration after … South Africans are late believers, but once they believe they are fanatical believers.”  Amen.  (h/t: Herman)

Oh, and follow me on Twitter, where I’ll be more active for the next few days.

– Sean Jacobs