GAME ON
The Fédération Internationale de Football
Association World Cup is no small affair. One of the
world’s biggest and most anticipated events, the
World Cup promises to bring millions of people to
South Africa and Johannesburg. To give all those
zealous fans a nice place to watch “the beautiful
game,” Johannesburg has been working to construct
and upgrade its stadiums.
labor disputes arising from the high cost of living—and
we have a lot of subcontractors.”
Staking its claim as the largest stadium on the
continent, Soccer City will have capacity for 94,700
people.
SOCCER CITY
Consider this the crown jewel of World Cup sites. Set
to be complete by July 2009, the project was originally estimated to cost ZAR1.2 billion, but by August
2008, inflation and exchange rates pushed it up to
ZAR2.6 billion.
But cost overruns aren’t the only things that are of
concern.
ELLIS PARK STADIUM
Completed in February 2008, this project came
with all the usual stadium upgrades—increased
capacity, new lighting, a new entrance façade and
a new parking garage.
The precinct surrounding the venue is also in for
a ZAR2 billion makeover. Plans call for projects to
pave roads, improve street lighting and install mosaic art on street pillars. A recycling program will
involve door-to-door residential education initiatives
and the establishment of a recycling center.
“What is keeping me awake at night is the fact that
we are building a stadium that is bigger than Wembley”
and at one-third the cost and in half the time, Mike
Moody, project director, told Engineering News in late
2008. “Other challenges include power shortages and
Soccer City
ORLANDO STADIUM
Orlando Stadium first opened 50 years ago—but
today it’s looking younger than ever. That might have
something to do with the fact that the structure was
actually demolished and then rebuilt.
Construction began in May 2006 and by
November 2008, the stadium itself was
complete—on schedule and within its ZAR280
million budget. The revamp increased seating
capacity from about 24,000 to 40,000.
RAND STADIUM
Built in 1951, Rand Stadium has hosted top
soccer teams from around the world. Now
it’s set to continue that tradition, following a
ZAR76 million overhaul. The stadium was
demolished in 2006, and construction on the
replacement was completed by January
2009. The new incarnation can hold 24,000
spectators—an increase over the older
structure’s 15,000.
PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIPEDIA
optimization projects,” Mr. Meyer says. “The challenge
for project managers is to develop their understanding
of how businesses work.”
And they’ll need the credentials to prove they’re up to
the task.
“Many companies are setting up project management
offices, and there is a big need for suitably qualified project
managers and consultants,” Mr. Meyer says.
Training had lagged, but Mr. Kruger says it’s getting an
upgrade, thanks to the country’s 2001 Skills Development
Act. That legistlation provided incentives to train employees and mandated all qualifications to undergo a third-party verification.
But even sound training and preparation may not be
enough for the next generation of project managers, given
the scale of the economic turmoil permeating every corner of the world.
“On the mining and minerals front, the short-term
picture is critically bleak,” says Mr. Kruger. “Major
mining houses summarily cancel projects halfway
through, and retrenchments at large international project
management and engineering companies run very
high, flooding the job markets with project-related
personnel. Project managers still in charge of projects
find themselves with severely tightened purses, and I
am not sure they all know how to handle that, considering the fat years we come from.”
To make matters worse, organizations want projects to
generate revenue as early as possible, putting enormous
strain on their project schedules.
“Most new projects will feel severe pressure from
shareholders, clients and execution contractors who, in a
tough and very competitive market, have cut their margins
and made promises difficult to keep,” Mr. Kruger says. PM
