As Johannesburg prepares to host the upcoming G20 summit, Vilakazi Street in Soweto — one of SA’s most iconic cultural and tourism destinations — is already buzzing with anticipation.
Restaurants, fashion outlets and stalls selling a variety of local goods are all anticipating the large crowds that will be coming in on Friday and over the weekend.
People can see for themselves that SA is a nice, beautiful country with the best weather and nice people.
— Sakhumzi Maqubela
Souvenir and clothing store owner Aubrey Ledwaba said he was looking forward to the weekend.
“This reminds me of the 2010 World Cup; we all had such high expectations,” he said. “The government had gone all out at that time, and I just hope local business owners don’t go into debt by trying to do all sorts of new things to impress the visitors.
“We had expectations for 2010 as well. People did come, but the crowds weren’t really big, and it left a lot of people in debt from all the renovations they had made.”
Ledwaba said he had already seen a few tourist buses in the area, adding that he hoped service delivery in the township would continue at the same pace after the G20.
“The city came out a few days ago. They brought people who were cleaning the roads, cutting the grass, and painting the signs. They were doing their jobs, and it was so nice to see everything being so clean.
“But it’s also disappointing to know that all of this is because of the G20. They [the city] had it in them to do everything [before] but didn’t want to assist in making this street better, especially with tourism being the cornerstone of this community,” he said.
One famous Soweto restaurant, Sakhumzi, was filled with tourists from Europe and Asia yesterday.
Owner Sakhumzi Maqubela said they have been boosting staff capacity for the coming weekend.
“We hope and trust that the G20 will make a difference. We had to get more people as interns, and others are just casuals that are assisting so that when people start arriving, we are not getting overwhelmed. We don’t have a special menu, just a buffet special [so] they can get more than pap and braai meat,” he said.
“For us, after the 2010 World Cup, we have seen people coming to the country where they get to learn more. Now, after president Donald Trump said so many [negative] things about South Africa, people can see for themselves that SA is a nice, beautiful country with the best weather and nice people.”
Margarette Wesley, owner of the Wesley Boutique Hotel & Spa in Bryanston, said she started receiving bookings early in October and was fully booked for the next two weeks.
“I have corporate bookings and vacation bookings mixed in. And their purposes for being here fluctuate. Some are here for the business of the G20 and want to see what they can invest in the country. While others just want to get a good feel of what South Africa is about.
“And it’s really good business because usually during this time of year, you only really get corporate clients who just have business for three days in the city, and then after that, they are gone,” she said.
Sowetan
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