Fifa needs to secure 55 000 rooms in South Africa

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Fifa books 4 500 hotel rooms in Cape Town already. More space is sought for World Cup 2010. Fifa has already booked more than 4 500 hotel rooms in Cape Town for the 2010 World Cup.

Match, an organization mandated by world football's governing body to contract rooms for thousands of Fifa dignitaries and guests, has secured 4 500 hotel rooms in Cape Town.

Fifa looks to secure a total of 55 000 rooms in South Africa by the time the huge event kicks off. Fifa has already booked rooms in the Southern Sun, Sheraton, Don Suites, Sun International and Protea hotels in the Mother city.
In Joburg Fifa has booked 5 800, while 2 700 rooms have been secured so far in Durban.

Match has said that at least 19000 hotel rooms had been contracted in South African at host cities so far. More rooms would be found at lodges, guest houses, nation-al park accommodation and bed-and-breakfasts.

Some host cities do not have sufficient accommodation to contract. The non-hotel ac-commodation would therefore supplement contracted hotel accommodation.

The country's flourishing non-hotel holiday accommodation industry is set to benefit from the Match contracts. Match said it would support a South African government objective to encourage the use of non-hotel accommodation by contracting this type of accommodation for visitors.
Due to the limited accommodation in host cities, Match will also have to contract accommodation in what it calls "satellite accommodation areas". Like the Garden Route town of George.

Match is satisfied with the availability of accommodation. "The numbers of rooms that are currently contracted are similar in number to those contracted in Germany 2006," the organization said.