In a study released by international accounting firm, Grant Thornton, it is suggested that the 2010 Soccer World Cup will result in a R93-billion injection into the South African economy. This injection will come directly through the World Cup but also indirectly through government spending on the upgrading of infrastructure for example.

Of the R93-billion, R13-billion is expected to be spent by foreigners during the World Cup. The study shows that fewer visitors than initially thought are expected to attend. The visitors that are attending, however, are expected to spend more money than previous tournaments such as the Soccer World Cup in Germany in 2006.

The study showed 373 000 foreigners were expected to visit South Africa for the tournament, about 230 000 of them ticket holders.

The study showed that the overall impact of the impact of the World Cup in years to come could be very significant. Marketing the country through a massive global television audience could attract about 2-million extra tourists over the next three years.

Reported by Engineering News