By Karen E. Thuermer, AJOTFor the past five years, South Africa has been gearing up for the biggest sports event of its history, the 2010 Soccer World Cup. The World Cup has also already had a major impact on trade. Despite the downward economy, this event has offered companies worldwide opportunities to expand their export sales in all segments of the country’s public infrastructure – energy, transportation, communications, public safety, water and sanitation. Already South Africa’s infrastructure investment has resulted in increased American exports. In 2006, US exports of “stone, plaster and cement” rose 385% and exports of “iron and steel” increased 213%. In addition, US exports of transportation machinery, communications and mining equipment continue to expand rapidly in South Africa. Meanwhile, further investments of at least $50 billion are expected to be made in mining, metals, chemicals, petrochemicals, tourism and the automotive sectors. This year Ford Motor Co. commenced its investment of $210 million to expand the production of its next generation pickup truck and Puma diesel engine. The expansion is split between its engine facility in Port Elizabeth and its assembly plant in Pretoria, South Africa’s capital. Ford has traditionally enjoyed a strong presence in South Africa. It’s from here that it exports its vehicles to other African countries. Ford first entered the South African market by exporting kits from Canada to be assembled at its Port Elizabeth facility. Ford later sourced its models from the UK and Australia. Ford now sells a local sedan version of the Fiesta, which is built in India and Mexico, and the Focus and Mondeo Europe. Chrysler SA also has a significant presence in South Africa and is that country’s second-highest car importer by volume. Most of its fully built cars, such as Jeep and Doge vehicles destined for the local market and other African countries are exported from the United States. They enter South Africa via the Port of East London. Despite the global recession, Chrysler reports that as of May 2009 sales have been impressive, although down 16% compared to the same period last year. Still, this represents a 50% better than market performance. INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS Significant infrastructure improvements to South Africa’s airports and seaports will especially impact this country’s economy, particularly with the World Cup next year and with the world’s economy improving status in trade. Durban, for example, is involved in a $355 million project encompassing a new airport terminal and a complex of supporting facilities such as a cargo terminal. Dubbed the King Shaka International Airport (KSIA) after the famous Zulu warrior king, the new airport will increase passenger capacity to Durban from the current four million to 7.5 million when it opens in 2010. Improvements at Cape Town increased its passenger capacity of 6.5 million passengers per year to 12 million this year. A number of improvements are also ongoing at South Africa’s seaports. PORT OF DURBAN Upgrades continue to be made at the Port of Durban to provide additional container handling capacity and consolidate general cargo handling facilities. Transnet Port Terminals (TPT) Chief Executive Tau Morwe says he expects Durban to experience container traffic growth of about three percent a year until 2014. Although that’s less than a third of the growth experienced before the financial turmoil, such growth puts pressure on the existing facilities. Offering one of the few natural harbors between Port Elizabeth and Maputo, the Port of Durban is already the busiest port in South Africa, as well as the busiest container port in the Southern Hemisphere. Helping to turn containers are 30 new straddle carriers delivered to Durban Container Terminal (DCT) between July 2008 and January 2009. Due to rapid growth of cargo volumes at the Port of Durban during 2007 and 2008, the Kalmar machines have enabled Transnet Port Ter