New Jobs In South Africa

Count me as someone who hopes that the World Cup in South Africa is a spectacular success. I really don't see how it can't be, FIFA just won't allow it to be anything but an African showpiece. That being said, there's been plenty of talk about South Africa government's obligation to the country's poor, mostly concerning the amount of money going into the staging of the tournament.

Today, South Africa's government point man for the World Cup stated that new stadium construction "will create about 107,000 jobs." While it might only make a small dent in the country's 25.6% unemployment rate, it's a start. We'll surely be hearing plenty about delays, cost overruns, and shady business deals between now and 2010. But no matter how cynical you are about all of it, just think about those new jobs and the food it's putting on all of those tables.

Let S. Africans Eat Soccer in 2010? [PostGlobal]
S. African World Cup Stadiums to Create 107,000 Jobs [Bloomberg]

-ac