Bafana gear is big business amid frenzy

By Anel Lewis and Bongekile Macupe

With the World Cup finally here, genuine Bafana Bafana and branded soccer gear has become almost as rare as a ticket for the final on July 11.

So rare that one retail store sold R100 000 worth of branded 2010 T-shirts within an hour last week.

Retailers and supermarkets capitalising on the surge in national pride and soccer fever have had to increase orders to keep pace with the huge demand for soccer clothing.

And fong kong suppliers have enjoyed a roaring trade as desperate fans search for soccer shirts and flags - irrespective of whether they are upside-down flags or display misspellings - to get into the gees of the tournament.

But while retailers are getting a welcome cash injection from World Cup product sales, the cost of hosting the event has ballooned from the projected R3 billion to almost R40bn.

Minister of Finance Pravin Gordhan has said the government spent almost R30bn on transport, telecommunications, and the six new stadiums and upgrading of four others.

Gordhan said the initial estimate was that the World Cup would add 0.5 percentage points to economic growth this year, but revised estimates indicate that the 350 000 visiting fans would contribute about R15bn to the economy.

SA Chamber of Commerce and Industry CEO Neren Rau said that while business was booming for the World Cup, it was too early to say what the long-term impact would be. But early indications are that business confidence, which was at a low in May, increased in June.

He said retail activity was doing well, as was expected during the World Cup, but there would be a dip after the event from next month.

According to Edgars head office, one Gauteng store sold R100 000 worth of branded 2010 T-shirts within one hour. At Edgars in Cresta, Joburg, the demand for branded clothing has seen items flying off the shop's rails.

Hayley Kahn, Edgars's executive of footwear and active wear, could not give exact numbers, but said sales were 50 times more than what had been expected.

"We have to keep bringing in stock because we are selling out in a week," she said.

Pick n Pay was expected to sell 40 percent more than originally forecasted, said spokesman Tamra Veley.

"The biggest sellers have been soccer trading cards and flags in all shapes and sizes, followed by soccer balls and vuvuzelas. Our best-sellers to date are drinking bottles, mugs, plush toys and general soccer accessories," she said.

Shoprite and Checkers supermarkets have reported massive sales of soccer supporter gear. Shoprite director Brian Weyers said the supermarkets had sold 250 000 mini-soccer balls with the national flag, 150 000 flag tattoos, 75 000 car flags, 40 000 vuvuzelas and 40 000 larger soccer balls in the past six weeks.

Many people have opted to host World Cup parties and braais at their homes. Weyers said the sale of outdoor merchandise, including camping chairs, cooler boxes, umbrellas and suntan lotion, had increased.

Meanwhile, sales in the group's liquor shops increased last week by 50 percent, compared with sales for the same period last year.

Ultra Liquors managing director Colin Robinson said there had been a 20 to 30 percent upturn in sales since the start of the month, with Thursday and Friday in the run-up to the World Cup opening game being very big sales days.

At China Mall in the Joburg city centre, business has been booming and many businesses have had to order and reorder more vuvuzelas to keep up with the demand. Flags are also big sellers, with the larger ones selling for up to R50.

Another success story is Craig Marais, of Sockzela, who is exporting coverings, or sockzelas, for the ubiquitous vuvuzela.

What started as a "stupid idea" has grown into a thriving business that employs about 80 people working at two factories in Joburg.

Marais said the idea of a sock for the vuvuzela came to him when South Africa hosted the Confederations Cup last year, but "business really picked up about six months before the World Cup".

He said he was making "a lot" of money, "probably about a million".