Why is the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa an opportunity for South African Tweeple on Twitter?
Posted on | January 4, 2010 | Comments Off on Why is the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa an opportunity for South African Tweeple on Twitter?
Why is the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa an opportunity for South African Tweeple on Twitter?
More so than ever before, with the international attention of a World Cup and the current penetration of technology in the Country, we are ready for a social event online in South Africa of massive magnitude discussing FIFA 2010. More so than the Rugby World Cup, now South Africa is wired and online chatting like never before. Amongst users of twitter is the large 30+ million mobile phone users with carriers such as MTN, Vodacom, CellC, and international firms promoting communications and support by South Africans and FIFA supporters.
The world is watching the lead up to the 2010 FIFA World Cup and that means as a user of twitter, the world is watching you. As a twitter user, your international community of followers and individuals is going to grow just because of the event and what you tweet.
In addition, there are obvious opportunities to help and refer international twitter users for things such as:
- Tickets available for sale
- South African Venues
- South African Accommodations
- South African Events and Entertainment
- World Cup events locally and globally
- Attention towards issues that should have international focus in South Africa
- What you are doing to prepare as a South African business
- What opportunities you believe international twitter users should look at when they come to South Africa
- Covering pre-event conferences and activities related to the 2010 FIFA World Cup
- Covering the actual activities of the 2010 FIFA World Cup
This is an opportunity to communicate with the world and fellow South African’s and Soccer fans and bring the South African nation together.
These are just a few ideas of how the FIFA World Cup could benefit you as a twitter user in South Africa.
The FIFA 2010 World Cup is being called by the CEO Danny Jordaan of the Organizing Committee that “2010 is a year which represents one of the greatest and grandest nation building initiatives ever undertaken since the death of apartheid.”
This includes bringing the Nation together digitally and physically. Twitter is not only a medium for communicating with millions of people online, but it is also a chance for twitter users to meet locally with people of common interest online and in person at twitter user meetings called “Tweet-ups.” Johannesburg has organized such a tweet-up group which you can view at http://www.meetup.com/tweet-ups/
Leading up to the South Africa 2010 World Cup twitter users at these events will be important suppliers of information as members of media and individual opinions.
“The challenge now is to mobilise the nation – the country needs each and every South African in their workplaces and their communities to stand up and decide what they are doing to welcome the world in 2010. Every South African must ask himself or herself: What am I doing to be a good host of the FIFA 2010 World Cup. Over 15,000 volunteers from 52 countries will soon be selected and begin training to help us deliver the games and host the multitudes of visitors. This is just one of the many ways that the nations of the world will get involved in this historic opportunity. What are you doing to be a good host?”
I suggest you tweet to be a good host South Africa, join the twitter users in South Africa and get a good idea of what is going on. If you are from overseas, start by joining the tweet-up groups and following their users, there are also some great resources online for finding South African twitter users.
“From now until the end of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, every South African must play their part in ensuring we come together as one nation to deliver the best FIFA World Cup ever,” Jordaan concluded.
“The year 2010 must be the year in which for the first time, we all communicate positive messages about our country to the world – the successes and possibilities. We have to put the culture of negativity behind us. “
“We can already see the fruits of the tournament,” Zuma said. “We have new magnificent stadia, roads and new-look international airports. “
Zuma urged South Africans to be welcoming and hospitable to the thousands of international tourists and football fans set to descend on the country in June and July – and to support the country’s national soccer team, Bafana Bafana.
“Most importantly, we must make 2010 an exciting and most enjoyable year for all of us. Happy New Year and Happy 2010 Soccer World Cup to you all!”
Once again the way to achieve these goals is to be online and talking and supporting through referral. Who knows South Africa best but us, the people living in South Africa, the Tweeple behind the scenes.
A total of 386 300 of the tickets were bought by South African soccer fans, while the remaining 114 237 were bought by fans from all over the world.
In total, about one million tickets for all 64 matches and categories are made available in the third sales phase including a limited number for the opening match and the final.
This is an opportunity for meeting influential American’s, Europeans, Canadians, Mexican’s, Brazilians, Asians, people and tweeple of all nations globally who are attending the event.
- How will the addition of 100,000 foreigners swarming and watching sporting events effect your life in South Africa… I want to know on twitter.
- Do you have extra tickets available? I want to know on twitter
- Do you have a flat to rent, know someone who does, or has an opinion about the accommodations situations… We all want to know on twitter.
If you have not already, join the Johannesburg Twitter User group at http://www.meetup.com/tweet-ups/ and keep track of the people within this group. Hopefully by following, you will get a chance to meet other great people that can help you and tweet with you from South Africa.
If you are South African and you are not on twitter, you should be, 2010 is your year to join http://www.twitter.com and become one of the Tweeple of South Africa.
Written By Ryan Gibson, http://www.twitter.com/ryanagibson