The hotels, guesthouses and B&Bs are all ready to welcome you when you get to South Africa. But how are they going to get you around?

These are interesting times at Go-Concierge. We flew from London to South Africa at the start of April expecting to find the country primed for kick off.

It is.

Anticipation is rising. Stadiums are gleaming. And the hotels, guesthouses and B&Bs are bursting to welcome you when you get there. But as we discovered to our surprise: they’re not sure how they’re going to get you around.

Jam busting

South Africa’s transport system is the best in Africa, but the World Cup is going to push the system to its limit. Take road transport.
Assuming the supply of rental vehicles doesn’t dry up completely, travelling by car is relatively straightforward – but not cheap. Even if you can find a rental car, navigating unfamiliar and roads is never easy. Especially after dark when you’ve had a drink or two. As for match day parking, think Oxford Street on Christmas Eve.
When they’re good, South African taxis are among the best you’ll find. When they’re bad, they’re coffins on wheels. But the comparison is academic. Good, bad or ugly: there’s a good chance there simply won’t be enough taxis to go round.
As for buses: if you find first world bus travel an endurance test, you’re unlikely to enjoy South Africa bus travel.

Private minibus: the way to go

As we knew all along, private minibuses will be the smoothest and safest way to get around South Africa during the World Cup. What’s more, South Africa’s hotels, guesthouses and B&Bs agree with us.
We’re still taking bookings from individuals and groups for match days and non-match days. But over the last few weeks, we’ve been running a roadshow across South Africa that’s attracting huge interest from the hotels, guesthouses and B&B managers nationwide. Most of them know how many guests they will be hosting. Most of them also admit they don’t have the wheels to get them around.

Are you sorted?

You’ve booked your flight. Bought your match tickets. Sorted your accommodation. But it might be worth asking your hosts how you’re supposed to get around once you arrive in South Africa. If you don’t get the answers you’re looking for, it might be worth taking a look at Go-Concierge: the safest, smoothest way to get around the World Cup.

With less than 100 days until the start of the World Cup in South Africa, many people will be thinking seriously about their plans for the football tournament. Despite massive investment in the country’s infrastructure, there are still concerns about South Africa’s ability to transport the 3 million fans while they’re there.

The country’s lack of established public transport is frequently cited as a factor that might hinder the success of the event. Although the host cities are doing their best to construct high speed rail services and bus transport systems, many fans have wondered aloud about how they will get around. Car hire firms are over-subscribed and many of the minibus tour operators are fully booked.

South Africa’s vast geography is a factor too, with large distances between fans’ accommodation and the stadia or fan parks. In addition, there is always the underlying concern about personal safety for fans who will be trying their luck with taxis, buses or walking.

So what’s the solution?

Run by UK-based South Africans, Go-Concierge Limited offers a travel service that will make the tournament a smooth, safe and unforgettable experience for travelling supporters from around the world. Go-Concierge’s service combines the local knowledge and peace of mind to make South Africa 2010 the trip of a lifetime for overseas fans.

Go-Concierge’s fleet of fully insured vehicles and drivers will operate from its dedicated support offices in the key host cities of Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg and Port Elizabeth. As well as transferring supporters from their accommodation to stadiums and fan parks on match days, Go-Concierge’s team of drivers and concierges will be on-hand to accompany clients to local venues to celebrate or commiserate after matches.

On non-match days, Go-Concierge clients will be invited to join a range of tours around the numerous attractions that make South Africa such a popular travel destination. Among other attractions, the day trips will include safari parks, wine estates, museums, golf courses, beaches and cultural centres.

Commenting on security concerns surrounding the World Cup, Durban-born and London-based Gareth Jones, Go-Concierge’s managing director, says: “South Africa has already held a series of very successful – and very safe – international sporting tournaments. At Go-Concierge, we’ve used our international know-how and local knowledge to create a service that will make this World Cup just as successful and safe for our clients. We will also be running help lines in case friends and families back home have problems contacting their loved ones in South Africa.”

As well as South African SIM cards, Go-Concierge will also provide each client with the option of using a personal hand-held GPS device. Fitted with the latest technology, the tracking devices will enable Go-Concierge staff to locate clients who might become separated from their group. This means fans can focus on enjoying themselves without the stress of navigating in unfamiliar surroundings or drink driving.

As Gareth Jones says: “With one hundred days to go, we are ready to give fans an unforgettable tournament, by taking care of their transport logistics, giving them complete peace of mind.”

South Africa. June. It’s a perfect winter’s evening at Durban’s newest stadium.

The white-shirted striker collects a short pass in the centre circle, turns his marker with a killer turn of speed, beats two more defenders on his way into the opposition penalty area and hammers a low shot into the bottom left-hand corner of South African goal. Game over!

This snapshot could be a preview of what England fans are praying to see during the 2010 World Cup. In fact, it happened almost half a century ago. In June 1963, to be exact. During the second match of Tottenham Hotspur’s end-of-season tour to South Africa. The game took place at the newly constructed Kingsmead stadium, which has now been replaced by the awesome Moses Mabhida Stadium, purpose built for this summer’s World Cup.

Wonder goal

In Kingsmead stands that evening was Roger Jones, a young Spurs fan celebrating his 16th birthday as his Grandparent’s guest. “It was Jimmy Greaves rather than Jermain Defoe or Peter Crouch who scored the wonder goal that night,” recalls Roger. “It was the second of his double in Tottenham’s 5-2 win.

“I remember feeling shell-shocked at the start of the second half when Spurs’ Scotland keeper, Bill Brown, could only palm a 30-yard cracker from local hero Les Salton onto the crossbar. That left ex-Blackpool right winger and Stanley Matthews understudy, Brian Peterson, to slide the ball into an empty net.”

While Roger fretted, the Spurs players just looked at each other and shrugged. A minute later, Terry Dyson cut in from the left wing to equalise. Three minutes later, it was 2-3 as Jimmy Greaves weaved his magic.

Heading back

Forty seven years later, Roger – now living in the UK – is heading back to South Africa for the World Cup in pursuit of more football magic. This time, however, he’s mixing business with pleasure as co-director of Go-Concierge, a specialist sports travel company dedicated to making the 2010 World Cup as smooth, safe and memorable as Tottenham’s glory, glory night in Durban.

“I set up Go-Concierge with my son, Gareth,” says Roger. “He was born in Durban and like most South Africans, he’s passionate about sport. He’s been living in London for the last 15 years, so he also knows what England supporters expect when they follow their team abroad.”

Commenting on preparations for the opening game on 11 June, Roger says: “I was in South Africa a few weeks ago, and the place is buzzing. We were at the Moses Mabhida stadium to see South Africa beat Zimbabwe and the place makes Wembley look like a Legoland exhibit. With 100 days to go, everything is shaping up perfectly. As the South Africans say: ‘Bring it on!’”

And safety? “We understand that most of the supporters coming to South Africa will be stepping into unfamiliar territory and South Africans acknowledge their concerns,” says Roger. “Sure: travel is all about new experiences. But we’ve got the global expertise and local knowledge to make those experiences as secure as possible.”

Smart operators

Smart operators like Go-Concierge have moved quickly to secure a supply of top-of-the-range minibuses that are on standby to drive supporters to every match or fan park and back again – whatever the time of day or night.

Between matches, you can join day trips to a choice of attractions such as safari parks, beaches, vineyards and golf courses before going on to some of Africa’s best bars, clubs and restaurants without the worry of navigating unfamiliar streets after a few drinks.

Constant contact

What’s more, every supporter who books up with Go-Concierge can get a South African SIM card or rented handset at discounted rates; a list of useful contact numbers; and the option of renting their own personal GPS tracker. Meanwhile, their folks back home get a helpline in case they need to contact their absent loved ones at short notice. All this and back-up from the Go-Concierge support office, its SA-born drivers and concierges.

Just be there!

Check out the full story at www.go-concierge.com and see what Roger, Gareth and the team are doing to make your 2010 World Cup the smoothest, safest and most unforgettable experience of your life.

You should have been there. We were.

After hours of anticipation, Nelson Mandela finally appeared. And when he raised that fist and unleashed that smile, it felt as if the world was going to fall off its axis at the sheer joy of it all.

We’re not talking about the great man’s release from prison exactly 20 years ago this month. We’re talking about his big-screen appearance during last December’s World Cup draw in Cape Town

Joy unconfined

If you weren’t lucky enough to be there, check out YouTube and witness nearly 60,000 people of all ages, races and nationalities partying down Long Street as if there lives depended on it.

Believe us: never has our continent experienced so much unconfined joy in such a confined space.

Two months later with less than four months to go before kick-off, the anticipation keeps growing as the countdown keeps going. And the message from everyone who cares about South Africa and cares about football is as loud as a Nelson Mandela shirt: “Bring it on!”

Hoeness, schmoeness
Inevitably, we’ve had our critics. Like Uli Hoeness, one-time German international, now president of Bayern Munich and self-appointed expert on geo-political conflict. Uli tells us he won’t be coming to South Africa in June because of the fatal attack on the Togo team bus during the Africa Cup of Nations in Angola this January.

In 2006, Europol – the EU’s law enforcement division – reported 500 terror incidents across Europe. They included a near-miss bomb attack on Frankfurt airport specifically timed to coincide with World Cup. Did Uli flounce into exile when he read Europol’s report?

A word in your ear, Uli & Co: South Africa has already hosted several highly successful and perfectly safe international sporting tournaments. In fact, the 1995 Rugby World Cup was such a hit that Clint Eastwood has just made a film about it.

Not bad, not ugly. Just good.

Peace of mind

Of course, no-one’s being complacent. Most of the supporters coming to South Africa will be stepping into unfamiliar territory and South Africans acknowledge their concerns. Sure: travel is all about new experiences. We just want those experiences to be as positive as possible.

Smart operators like Go-Concierge have moved quickly to secure a supply of top-of-the-range minibuses that are on standby to drive supporters to every match or fan park and back again – whatever the time of day or night.

Between matches, you can join day trips to a choice of attractions such as safari parks, beaches, vineyards and golf courses before going on to some of Africa’s best bars, clubs and restaurants without the worry of navigating unfamiliar streets after a few drinks.

Constant contact

What’s more, every supporter who books up with Go-Concierge can get a South African SIM card or rented handset at discounted rates; a list of useful contact numbers; and the option of renting their own personal GPS tracker. Meanwhile, their folks back home get a helpline in case they need to contact their absent loved ones at short notice. All this and back-up from the Go-Concierge support office, its SA-born drivers and concierges.

Just be there!

Check out the full story at www.go-concierge.com and see what South Africa is doing to make your 2010 World Cup the smoothest, safest and most unforgettable experience of your life.

Note to self: just be there!