By Rodney Hartman
Have you ever considered that football is one industry that, even in a global recession, cannot go under? As long as there is television, and people want to use it to get their message across, its economy is not only assured but is likely to grow.
Football is a product that is bought by more consumers than any other. Its global reach is powered by TV. Soccer is such a popular product that TV is prepared to pay huge amounts of money to carry it. Because of this selling power, the big-ticket advertisers queue up with an open chequebook.
Can you think of any better business model?
The above should explain the silly money that goes round in the game. Within the product are by-products and, although we may gasp at the transfer fee of superstar footballers, and most notably the R734-million just paid by Real Madrid to AC Milan for Brazilian playmaker Kaka, these crazy amounts are the value placed on such blue-chip assets by the marketers.
Because football is the opium of the masses, and television its main hypodermic syringe, the earning power and influence of football is immense and, dare one say, unbreakable.
Think of that now as the Confederations Cup prepares to kick off in South Africa and, beyond that, the 2010 World Cup. Money can't buy that kind of exposure, neither for football, nor for the host country.
If ever South Africa had to put on its best face, it is now.
Let's just hope we have done enough to get our house in order because this is a big one. We may see it as a mere dress rehearsal for the World Cup - which, in a sense, it is - but it immediately exposes South Africa to the scrutiny of the world.
Teams from Italy, Spain, Brazil, Egypt and the United States are here, along with Iraq, New Zealand and Outer Mongolia.
Only joking, Outer Mongolia isn't here, but you can bet the Outer Mongolians, not to mention the Inner ones, will be watching this tournament with great interest. The point is that your team doesn't have to be represented at this Confederations Cup to diminish your curiosity.
This is the biggest football tournament yet staged on the African continent and for most football lovers this is an unknown location. We may boast that South Africa is one of the world's best-kept secrets but right now the secret is out. The beauty of the football industry is that it is a global conglomerate that reaches into the farthest corners of the planet.
Crikey, to think that the world will be watching us hosting some of the superstars of international football.
What a sobering thought.