Loss of Africa Open a blow

TODAY’S report that the next instalment of the Africa Open golf tournament, scheduled for March 2016, has been cancelled, is a blow to both Buffalo City Metro’s and the Eastern Cape province’s international marketing initiatives.

The event, which has been hosted at the East London Golf Club for the past seven years, has annually focused the attention of high net worth golfing enthusiasts on the province generally, and on the metro specifically.

The organisers have pointed to the deteriorating rand-euro exchange rate as the key reason for the decision to “temporarily” cancel next year's event.

Both the province, through the Eastern Cape parks and tourism board, and the metro, have been heavily committed to sponsorship of the event, part of golf’s Sunshine Tour.

As spokesman Duncan Cruickshank said yesterday, the tour is a “massive travelling circus” and makes a significant impact on the local economy, with more than 78 players travelling here with their families and caddies, spending on average up to R25 000 on travel and other costs.

The benefits have been plain to see in East London's hospitality sector, especially in respect of hotel and restaurant bookings. An additional 400 people are employed for the tournament in various roles, including as caddies and drivers.

Cruickshank has said that the tour will try to keep the event in East London, because it is good for the area and to ensure that local golf fans are able to enjoy the sport at the highest level.

He has also said that the players enjoy the facilities at the local club.

For all these reasons, it is worth exploring whether further sponsorship can be sourced to ensure that the event stays in the city.

However, it is necessary for the organisers and sponsors to provide detailed figures – subject to the necessary confidentiality considerations – on the costs and benefits of organising the tournament.

Without that, it is impossible for the people of this province, or of the metro, to have a sense that their hard-earned tax contributions are being properly spent.

Border-Kei Chamber of Business executive director Les Holbrook is right when he says that, given the massive outlay on the tournament, it might well be beyond the reach of the city to continue to sponsor the event.

But, without all the facts and figures, it is difficult to appreciate the real loss of the tournament being cancelled.