As I climb the dirt road high above Green Point I feel like I am back on the edge of the African bush. Cape Town is fabulous but I desperately miss the vast rich freedom of spirit I feel when I am in the bush, or 'veld' as we say here in South Africa.
Green Point is the site of one of the most significant economic opportunities for South Africa's future. Not because of all the soccer fans that are headed here next year, but because of what will happen after the 2010 World Cup; when the vision and memory of this beautiful place travels at the speed of light around the world for years to come. I think of Shoeless Joe and the idea 'if you build it they will come'. Nothing could be more true for this country.
Behind me rises the famous Signal Hill, the slightly less well-known icon than Table Mountain towering high above Table and False Bays. It's called Signal Hill for its historical maritime use - the broadcasting and reception of ships signals coming into port. I love living in a port city. It's real. It works all the time. It's noisy and big and impressive. So much from so far away seems possible. Porcelain from China. Lumber from Indonesia. Cars from Japan. Ideas that begin halfway around the world and through innovation, technology and profit are able to come here and build South Africa. But there is a price for this continental edge as well. South Africa used to manufacture many of the things it now imports. With the textile workers striking for higher wages, even the remaining mills may have to close. The economic opportunity has gone elsewhere to the cheaper shores of China.
I think this is fine because what we really want South Africa to become is a knowledge economy, not a cheap labour one. Valued-added, exportable, trademarked, leveraged and expanded.
Tomorrow we meet with a TV production company called HOMEBREW that produces what I believe is the best series on air in the country; SHORELINE. I am hoping to buy its DVD box set and send it to my folks for Christmas. What a great tool to promote African investment. It's all there in 17 gorgeous episodes profiling the beautiful history of South Africa's coastline. Hopefully the owner Jaco will be excited about documenting our first youth employment product as it launches into the South African market. From that we can edit the footage into a pilot to present to broadcasters who hopefully...will recognize its innovation and potential to harness the energy of youth enterprise. I will focus on selling the show to America. I want Americans to see what I see here in Africa. It's strength. It's imagination. It's ability to overcome some of the biggest odds the global economy has created.
What a big dream. What a beautiful day. What a gift to live in Africa.
SHINDA = to win
Photos; Green Point & the Cape Town 2010 World Cup Stadium, Signal Hill rising
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