SOUTH AFRICA: University rooms for World Cup visitors

07 September 2008

South Africa's universities, colleges and boarding schools will play a key role in providing alternatives to more traditional forms of accommodation such as hotels and guesthouses during the 2010 World Cup, reports The Times. Major universities, including Wits, the University of Cape Town and the University of Johannesburg will provide thousands of beds, with UCT alone likely to provide between 2,000 to 3,000 beds.

"We have 5,700 beds available, but we wouldn't be able to release all of those for the World Cup," said Cape Town's deputy vice-chancellor, Professor Thandabantu Nhlapo. "Some might not be suitable and some we might reserve for our own needs. We have received a contract from Match (Fifa's accommodation agent) and we're busy scrutinising it. This coming week we're taking a full inventory of what we have available at our residences."

It will be university holidays at World Cup time and their rooms will be vital because of a significant shortfall between rooms needed and what is available in hotels, guesthouses and lodges. Match, Fifa's accommodation and ticketing partner, estimates that 55,000 rooms are needed for 2010.
Full report on The Times site

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