19 young academics are selected to participate in this international research. Below you will find the names of the researchers together with a short summary of their research. If you have any questions or if you have specific information about one of the themes, then contact us via contact[at]researchprojectzuidafrika.nl
Eva Kelder and Katja Jellema – employment possibilities
During the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, Human Talent Consultancy (HTC), a part of Mise en Place Group, has been hired by MATCH Hospitality as it’s excusive hospitality staff supplier. Around nine thousand South African people were trained by HTC to work in the stadiums. After finishing this training, these people were given a certificate and a letter of recommendation, so that they had a chance of finding new jobs after the world cup was over. The question now, one year later, is: What did the training of HTC mean for the people in Johannesburg who worked at the stadiums during the World Cup and how did this project affected the organizations that were involved?
Karin ter Horst and Yteke Braaksma – SOS Childvillages
We are doing an impact study of the Worldcoachesproject by the KNVB and SOS Children’s Villages South Africa. The aim of the Worldcoachesprogram is to educate coaches in soccer and provide them with lifeskills, so that they can reach out to the children they are coaching.
We’re doing research in Mamelodi, and we want to know what the impact of the program is on the coaches and on the children who are coached by world coaches.
Suzanne Haring and Mirjam Geerse – Cruyff Court
In our research we focus on the impact of the Cruyff Court on Hillbrow, opened the day before the start of the Worldcup 2010. The Cruyff Court gives kids in this high crime area a place to safely play soccer. We talk to different parties involved in the project, like the housing association and the coaches. Also we try to get a good impression of the surroundings of the Court by getting familiar with the neighborhood and by talking to a lot of people.
Hilde Middelkamp and Kirsten Stolk – Discovery project
We are doing research for Discovery, a life insurance company, who developed together with the KNVB the Worldcoaches program. By doing interviews we are looking to the meaning of this project for the coaches, children and for Discovery. Thereby we will look how the project went and how they can develop new courses.
Anna Potijk – social cohesion among students
Historically sports have played a major role during and after the Apartheid in South- Africa. Soccer was mainly a black sport and rugby a white sport. In South- Africa black and white people have been divided for a long time. One of the goals of the World Cup was to unite South- African people more with eachother and create more interest for soccer. In my research I investigate what the influence of the World- cup Soccer 2010 was on the connectedness between South-African people and the connectedness with South-Africa. Next to that I want to take a look at the influence of the World Cup on the ethnical identification regarding to sports.
Julie van den Broek d’Obrenan en Yme Dijkstra – safety issues and media influence
Before the World Cup 2010 started in South- Africa, the international media posted a lot of horror stories. South-Africa was not ready to host a World Cup because of their high crime rates. But is this the true story? How come no major crimes happened during the World Cup? We are trying to find out why the international media posted this messages and how citizens of Johannesburg feel about safety in their city. We are interviewing students, journalists and policemen to help us understand this puzzle.
Gerco Liefhebber and Karin Lagendijk – Nike football center
We investigate the impact of the Nike Center in Klipspruit, Soweto on de surrounding neighbourhoud Klipspruit. Do the people of Klipspruit benefit from this centrum renovated by Nike? Is there a difference in benefits for Klipspruit between the old Huyndai Center and this new Nike center? What is the opinion of professionals about the impact of the Nike Center? Does this differ from the opinion of the local people living close to the center?
Lambert Wassink, Marjolein van den Bergh and Sarah de Bakker – projects in Alexandra
In the first place we had a focus on FIFA as organizer of the World Cup and the project of Football for Hope FIFA has started in Alexandra township. We have shifted to a broader focus which includes other projects: streetsoccer from KIA and young journalist project from Sony, as partners from FIFA. All of these organizations chose Alexandra township. We found it interesting because it is one of the oldest townships of Johannesburg and because it was not yet in the picture before. Our question is what the projects meant for the participants of the projects and the inhabitants of Alexandra. Besides this we focus on the implementation process of these projects and what caused a success or failure. Futhermore we try to give a broader outline of the legacy of the World Cup for Alexandra in terms of security, social order and social cohesion.
Rosanne Meulenbeld and Paula van Haaren – changes in Doornfontein
Our research concerns the influence of the World Cup on the development of businesses in Doornfontein, the area around Ellis Park.
At Ellis Park Stadium, six of the World Cup matches were held.
During these matches FIFA and the local Johannesburg’ government posed different demands at entrepreneurs in the area of Ellis Park.
One year later, what sustainable investments have been made? What are the results of the demands posed one year later?
Within our research we will try to find answers to these questions.