SA's newly-built and revamped stadiums are ranked as some of the most sophisticated in the world, says local technology business Dimension Data.
“People used to use the German stadiums as a benchmark for international development; now people are coming to look at ours,” says DiData's GM for special projects in Africa and the Middle East, KC van Straaten.
The company has been part of the development of technologies in six of the 11 stadiums that SA will have completed by the start of next year's soccer spectacular. “Some of which are among the most sophisticated in the world,” he adds.
According to Van Straaten, getting the engineers and technology specialists to work together in the development of the stadiums is a first for SA. “Bringing IT and construction together is a concept we can now take into other building projects globally,” he adds.
DiData worked with several technology partners to bring together several aspects of each of the stadiums, including safety, security and emergency services. “With many technologies and systems moving towards IP-based systems, we could integrate them into a single network.”
While the company has worked on six of the grounds, Van Straaten says Green Point and Nelson Mandela Bay Stadiums fully embraced a single system that links everything from watering the grass, to fire safety systems and sign-writing.
He says the new IT in the stadiums fall into five categories of systems. The first is basic IT, which looks at cabling, voice and data services. Second is the audio visual aspect of the stadium, which covers big screens, LED scoreboards, signage and TV transmissions.
Physical security and life safety systems are the next two categories, which control CCTV cameras, fire safety, securing the lifts and escalators for emergency evacuations and several other systems.
Finally, the Nelson Mandela Bay and Greenpoint stadiums are both fully automated; from the right ventilation according to the heat or time of day, to the irrigation of the fields if the temperatures are high.
While DiData doesn't have ownership of the stadiums, Van Straaten says these technologies provide new business propositions for the sports grounds after the World Cup next year. He says they can be easily transformed into conference venues, or concert stages.
“The owners will need to find new sources of revenue and these technologies will help them to do that,” he adds. Van Straaten says, with many people more comfortable in front of their new LCD TV's and high-definition, stadiums have to add something extra to bring them to the seats.
He says there needs to be a mind shift from the traditional concrete flooring and plastic chair stadium, to hi-tech. “There are talks about bringing small TVs to the backs of folding seats, just like in the airplanes. Here, viewers can pick up replays and statistics on the match they are watching.”
Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium and Greenpoint Stadium have been considered landmark constructions by industry watchers.