With the 2010 Soccer World Cup just days away, visitors and television viewers will soon be gobsmacked at the scale and beauty of South Africa’s brand-new stadiums.

However, in a quiet (albeit only on non-match days) corner in the shadows of Table Mountain, stands what for me, is the Grande Dame of sports stadiums in the country: Newlands Rugby Stadium.  The country’s oldest stadium has always been a must-visit for me on every occasion that I visit home.  My annual trip to Cape Town often coincides with the Tri-Nations or Currie Cup tournaments so I always get to watch a Stormers or Western Province fixture.  I recently came across a great online feature that allows one to view all 360 degrees of the inside of Newlands stadium, on a match-day nogal!  At the risk of sounding like a gushing teenager…It was just too cool not to share.

Click here to open the 360 degrees viewer in a new window

While working for the Cape Town sports department a few years ago, I spent 6 years working in, amongst others, some really impoverished Cape Flats communities.  The Cape Flats was once a large, windswept, sandy stretch of land bordering Cape Town’s False Bay where the then-Apartheid government forcibly removed non-white residents to.  As the story below says, the Cape Flats has since been transformed into a vibrant, colorful community with it’s own unique character.

I was very chuffed when I came across the following story about two local entrepreneurs who started a venture that aims to fulfill a need related to the upcoming 2010 Soccer World Cup: cheap, affordable accommodation.  So much so that I wanted to share it with you here.  When you visit Cape Town next time, even after the World Cup has come and gone, do look them up and get a slice of the Cape Flats culture.  You will be very impressed.

Backpacking the Cape Flats

Source: 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa Organising Committee

Due to high levels of poverty, the Cape Flats have traditionally fallen outside Cape Town’s tourism radar. Hylton Mitchell and business partner Gerome Hofmeester have challenged perceptions with the launch of the first backpackers in the area.  The Blue Flag Backpackers opened its doors in the Cape Flats community of Steenberg in February 2010, with Cape Town Mayor Dan Plato cutting the ribbon.

According to Mitchell, the Cape Flats offers its visitors warmth, hospitality and more.  “Myself and Gerome have always been talking about making the Cape Flats more accessible to tourists,” he says. “We know the Cape Flats as a vibrant, diverse set of people and neighbourhoods, full of creative and funny characters.”

A large, flat expanse of land south-east of Cape Town’s central business district, the Cape Flats was used during South Africa’s apartheid era for the removal of black and coloured people from the more central urban areas.

Mitchell and Hofmeester, co-owners of Blue Flag Tours, opened their backpackers in time to help host the thousands of fans who will be arriving in South Africa for the 2010 Fifa World Cup, and already their accommodation is full for the duration of the tournament.  “The 2010 Fifa World Cup has placed South Africa on the international stage, and it has given young entrepreneurs like ourselves the confidence to take a step,” says Mitchell. “We believe small and medium entrepreneurs are vital in unlocking the potential of this event.”

Mitchell’s long-term plan is to help place the Cape Flats on the tourism map. “We want to take tourists to the famous cultural spots and develop specific tourist products that are unique to the Cape Flats, like the Minstrel Celebration that takes place each year.”

The entrepreneurs also aim to ensure that Blue Flag establishments benefit local communities. Through training and employment, the Bue Flag Backpackers will enable a number of community members to get involved in growing tourism in the area.  “We have formed close links with the community and want to offer internships and apprenticeships for young people in the area,” says Mitchell.  “In the street where the backpacker is operating we’ve employed ladies to clean and prepare food for some of our guests. We see it as an opportunity for the community to come and sell their arts and craft to tourists and get to meet people from other parts of the world as part of our cultural exchange experience.”

With the FIFA 2010 World Cup a few months away, we thought it would be a good idea to dust off the old travel guides, dig out some brochures and trawl the internet to find stories and ideas that can help visitors plan their visit to our beautiful country.

The first story we found comes courtesy of our friends over at zoopy.com who has a great in-house program called Out and About. 

This episode of Out and About deals with Cape Town Tourism’s Go Card.  Have a look: