When joy comes to town

There were many things I was unprepared for when coming to Africa’s World Cup.

After experiencing the surprising friendliness and cool efficiency of Germany in 2006, when I learnt I was off to South Africa my mind immediately turned to issues of practicality.

How the hell was I going to get decent internet speeds to do my job? Am I going to get robbed blind when I get off the plane? How the hell will I be able to juggle TV producing, online reporting, radio interviews … and sleep?

Sure the Internet issue is an ongoing drama but all the rest appear to be completely completely baseless.

But what I was totally unprepared for?  The unbridled, joyous, passionate nature of South Africans and how I know they’re going to put on a stunning World Cup, even before a ball is kicked.

I spent three hours shooting my story in the centre of Cape Town today – where there was a free concert to open proceedings before tomorrow’s first World Cup match.

Locals warned me not to walk around carrying two DSLRs and a video camera as I’d be a target. I was asked several times by our local crew if I had a fixer. I went expecting a good concert but I was a little cagey about being robbed. Now all I feel is this joy rubbing off on me, usually from people who, by our standards, have almost nothing.

Tens of thousands of people crammed into the city – only 25,000 fit into the official FIFA fan fest. There they danced, they laughed, they all wore South Africa’s rainbow flag and the gold of their football team – and they beamed with pride.

Here in Cape Town there was no Beyonce, Alicia Keys, Black Eyed Peas or Shakira – they’re performing in Johannesburg as I type. Local acts entertained the crowd, and it appeared to me that’s just the way they liked it. Young and old welcomed the world with huge smiles, young children flocked to my camera, teenagers hung around just to watch what I was doing. If people caught me filming them as they danced, they just danced better, prouder, with even more dignity.

This is a nation that is re-birthing – slowly and with plenty of growing pains – but underlying it all is a deep sense of self-belief and hope for the future.

While so much of our time in media is spent looking at the costs, benefits, winners & losers in any given World Cup – there’s always a massive social and cultural impact that you simple can’t understand unless you go.

In Germany it was the return of a sense of nationalism – where Germans could again be proud of their great nation and fly the flag of Deutschland without fear or shame.

South Africa is exploding in a cacophony of chaotic joy, passion, excitement and pride – and while there are mountains to climb, this nation is ready to climb them without fear nor favour.

As I sit in my apartment hearing the African beats and vuvuzelas waft over from the Waterfront, I’m strapping myself in for one hell of a ride for the next month…