The Vuvuzela business in Cape Town
CUE: Anxiety over the 2010 soccer World Cup is rising in South Africa. Not only is it for the love of watching great teams and famous players on African soil—but this is a great business opportunity for astute entrepreneurs. The Vuvuzela, a wind instrument derived from a Zulu meaning of noise and touted as uniquely African, is bringing big business in South Africa. Davison Mudzingwa looks at how this is happening.
FX 1: Vuvuzela sound in stadium-00:15” (Play, dip and fade out under)
LINK 1: This is a sound synonymous with football matches in South Africa. The vuvuzela sound is distinct. The trumpet shaped plastic instrument is popular with supporters here—they blow it non-stop during soccer matches.
CLIP 1: VOXPOP SUPPORTERS-00:20”
LINK 2: The popularity of the vuvuzela comes with controversy. In the 2009 Confederations cup a Spanish player Xabi Alonso led a protest of critics who believe the piercing vuvuzela sound distracts concentration on the field. However for local premeirship side Santos midfielder Tawonga Chimodzi, the vuvuzela sound gives him the urge to play on.
CLIP 2: TAWONGA CHIMODZI–00:15″
It motivates, especially when we string god passes and supporters blow them…it’s good.
LINK 3: And the football supporters agree. To them the same vuvuzela noise is music IN their ears.
FX 2: VUVUZELA MANUFACTURING-00:10”(Play, dip and fade out under)
LINK 4: For entrepreneurs, passion like this was an opportunity they wouldn’t let go. And it’s all about reproducing the sound made from blowing the horn of an African kudu. Neil Van Schalkwyk, a toolmaker by profession tells of how he transformed the vuvuzela opportunity into big business.
CLIP 2: Neil Van Schalkwyk—00:20”
We looked at how to mimic the sound of the kudu horn…we then started to make our first mould, as we know it today.
LINK 5: Van Schalkwyk teamed up with a colleague and incorporated a company Masincedane Vuvuzela almost ten years ago—after realising a ready market. Since then the company has recorded phenomenal growth and is now supplying other African countries such as Ghana, Uganda and Kenya.
CLIP 3: Neil Van Schalkwyk—00:20”
Currently we are producing about 50 000 units per month…what happens is we have trademarked the product in the European union.
LINK 6: Masincedane is the local isiXhosa language translation of “let’s assist each other.” The company is doing just that, van Schalkwyk says. The positive spin off has seen some dozens of lives directly and indirectly changed.
CLIP 4: Neil Van Schalkwyk—00:20”
We still supply about 50 traders around the country…being able to earn a decent living out of the demand that has been created through this product.
FX 3: Sifiso advertising his products—00:15” (Play,dip and fade under)
LINK 7: At a local premiership soccer tie in the coastal city of Cape Town, vuvuzela trader, Sifiso Ndlovu is seen marketing his goods outside the stadium.
FX 4: Sifiso advertising his products—00:05” (Play,dip and fade under)
–and they are flying off the makeshift table Ndlovu has set up — and he also knows how to catch his customers—even those who can’t blow the instrument..
FX 5: Sifiso demonstrating how to play vuvuzela to customer—00:10”
LINK 7: The industrious Ndlovu can now support his family of three through the proceeds of vuvuzela sales—and to consolidate the gains he now follows major soccer matches across the country. The vuvuzela market is always ready, he says with pride.
CLIP 7: Sifisi Ndlovu-00:10”
It’s going, it’s going…everyone likes the vuvuzela..
LINK 8: In the meantime though, a much more advanced vuvuzela is on its way to market. This after Masincedane vuvuzela sealed a deal with a German engineering company that will design a vuvuzela with controlled sound pressure levels. Besides addressing the controversy of the irritating noise, Van Schalkwyk sees more business come 2010 soccer world cup to be hosted right in his country..
FX 5: VUVUZELA HARMONY—Fade out
Davison Mudzingwa—TwentyTen project, Cape Town South Africa
