The Johannesburg Bid to stage the eighth Gay Games Sports and Cultural Festival will be lodged with the Federation of Gay Games on Tuesday 15 March.  If successful, the Games will be held in Johannesburg in 2010 two to three months after the Soccer World Cup.

The economic impact in Johannesburg of holding the Gay Games is estimated at R3 billion, an amount based on the Chicago Gay Games to be held in 2006, with multi-million Rand spin-offs in tourism elsewhere in Gauteng and other provinces.  Media coverage will place Johannesburg, and South Africa, firmly in the world spotlight.

James Mathias, co-chair of the Bid Committee says that the bid is based on hosting 11 000 competitors and artists from more than 60 countries to participate in the Games.  The Games, which will stretch over 8 days and ten multiple sport venues, involves considerable logistical coordination.  Johannesburg will create the “Ubuntu” Village in Newtown as a sport, cultural and administrative hub for the Games. 

A key strategy of the Johannesburg bid is to base ticket sales in dollars, base expenses on Rands, leverage City of Johannesburg support and expand the opportunity to 3 000 Africans that otherwise might find the dollar fee prohibitive. “We have been conservative both in estimating the number of participants and our budget projection,” says Mathias.  “If our Bid is successful, we will have five years to plan the Games, fundraise, and leverage World Cup investments that will fine-tune our Budget and support more South African participation and economic advantage.”

“While primarily a gay event that will support our sisters and brothers throughout the country and continent, the Games will be an enormous economic boost to the City in the lull that will occur after the World Cup.  People will be asking ‘what’s next’.  What’s next is the Gay Games,” says Mathias. 

The Bid Book has to provide detailed information specified by the International governing body, the Federation of Gay Games.  In its selection process the Federation places a value of 25% on the soundness of the budget.  With the support of the City, the Bid Committee was able to appoint KPMG, an internationally respected financial institution, to do budget preparation and presentation.  

Other key areas considered in the selection process include stadia and other venues, community input, transport infrastructure, security, hospitality facilities such as hotels and restaurants, leisure, entertainment, tourism standards, logistics capacity and organisational and administrative competence.

 “We are confident that we can convince the Federation that in all these areas Johannesburg can offer world-class standards,” says bid co-chair Tanya Harford.  “We will, of course, be advantaged by the multi-million Rand upgrading of venues and infrastructural development that will be necessary for the preparation of the staging of the Soccer World Cup.”

Johannesburg would be the first country in Africa and the second in the southern hemisphere, following Sydney that hosted the Games in 2002, to host this big international event.  Core sports are included in the Games, including track and field events, aquatics, cycling, golf, tennis, soccer, wrestling, martial arts and figure skating.  Johannesburg will add rugby, field hockey and billiards.

A cultural festival will be held alongside the Games featuring the performing arts, visual arts and the humanities.  “The Cultural Festival is a key part of the bid that will draw international and domestic participants,” says Perdita Bokeer a member of the bid Working Group.

The Johannesburg Tourism Company, a private sector company supported financially by the Johannesburg City Council, was an early supporter of the bid and has provided extensive experience and expertise that is imperative for a successful Bid.

“We are thrilled to have such a diligent and passionate bid team in place to undertake the responsibility of presenting the bid. Hosting the Gay Games 2010 would be an absolute win as it is another platform from which to promote Johannesburg as a vibrant and diverse city, offering experience, infrastructure and hospitality,” says Eddy Khosa, Acting CEO of the Johannesburg Tourism Company.

The importance of this is also stressed by Brendan Cunningham of Gayway 2 Africa, part of the giant Tourvest group, which is backing the Gay Games, along with other stakeholders in the tourism and hospitality industry, notably the Southern Sun Hotel Group.  “South Africa has come such a long way that it’s phenomenal and to be able to host something like this opens our doors to so many people around the world,” says Cunningham.  “This is for South Africa and Africa.”

Full support for the Games also comes from the Forum for the Empowerment of Women, a black lesbian organisation.  The Forum’s Donna Smith, who is on the Outreach Committee, one of several that are part of the broader Games working committee, says sport is important in the promotion of empowerment.  “Soccer is the most popular sport among black lesbian women and the basis of social and cultural interaction between them,” says Smith.  “The Games will provide a big platform for black lesbian women.”

According to Phumla Masuku, Ladies Soccer League co-chair at the Forum for the Empowerment of Women: “All of Soweto is buzzing over Johannesburg’s bid to host the Games.” 

Cape Town, regarded as the gay capital of South Africa, is supporting the Johannesburg bid and has formed a support committee.  CEO of Cape Town Tourism, Noki Dube has submitted a letter of support for the Johannesburg bid – a sign of how communities are coming together to support the bid that will change Africa. “The programme for the Games will be an intensive one for participants and Cape Town is offering to be the relaxation part when the Sports and Cultural Festival comes to an end,” says Ian McMahon, Chairman of Cape Town Pride.

Johannesburg will be competing against Cologne and Paris.  Official site inspections are to be held in August and the Federation of Gay Games will announce the successful bidder on 13 November 2005.