South Africa enjoys World Cup tourism windfall

As the World Cup enters its second half, tourism officials say football fans have already brought an economic windfall that looks set to continue as the big countries progress to the later stages of the tournament.

South Africa is on target to earn about 8.8 billion rands ($1.1 billion) from tourism during the World Cup, according to a new report from Grant Thornton consultancy. That?s just a slice of the 93 billion rands that the games are expected to have generated for the economy. Most of that amount was spent on infrastructure by the government on stadiums and improving transport links.

Business is booming with foreign fans at bars and restaurants. Cape Town?s V&A Waterfront shopping and entertainment complex has proved popular with fans ahead of games at the nearby Green Point stadium, where Portugal plays Spain on Tuesday.

?On a daily basis it?s more or less in the figure of 100,000 coming through with spikes on match day,? said Waterfront spokeswoman Annemie Liebenberg.