The People’s Bus is a Brand South Africa initiative, undertaken in partnership with MAN Truck and Bus South Africa. It aims to mobilise the nation through bringing 2010 FIFA World Cup information and excitement to every South African province – sharing the World Cup spirit with as many South Africans as possible from Friday, 19 February up until the tournament kick off on 11 June . The initiative is also intended to extend programmes such as Football Friday, in support of the upcoming World Cup.

As we welcome the world to our country, The People’s Bus’ experience encourages South Africans to be a good host; fly the flag; sing the national anthem with pride; learn and do the diski dance; celebrate Football Fridays; and importantly, support the national football team, Bafana Bafana.

The People’s Bus takes visitors on a thrilling, interactive journey, complete with 2010 FIFA World Cup team facts; foosball table fun; and a mini cinema showing unforgettable moments from previous tournaments. On exiting the bus, visitors will have the opportunity to write a short message of luck to Bafana Bafana, which will be uploaded on both the Brand South Africa and Bafana Bafana websites.

The football experience is enhanced through the interior finishes, which include astro turf football pitch-marked flooring and cinema-style, Bafana Bafana football jersey seats for passengers. The bold exterior and interior artwork is distinctively South African, inspiring excitement and anticipation around South Africa.

The activation programme includes diski dancing; national anthem competitions; and awarding the People’s Trophy following Football Friday matches. All in all, the edutainment People’s Bus aims to entertain through music; dance; competitions; and its digital World Cup experience.

Though the FIFA 2010 World Cup will be hosted by nine South African cities, not all South Africans will be able to watch a live match at a stadium. Recognising this, Brand South Africa has created this mobile, edutainment World Cup experience that brings the fun; excitement; and overall spirit of the tournament to as many communities as possible during the duration of the road show.

The road show will be hosted in every province between 19 February and 11 June, following a launch event that sees it take to the road from the MAN Olifantsfontein factory in Johannesburg. The People’s Bus will reach in excess of 50 locations, nationally. To date, the schedule includes visits to smaller cities and towns, for example Dullstroom; Upington; Bisho; and Ulundi. Attendance at renowned South African sporting and cultural events such as the Comrades Marathon; Rand Easter Show; Schools Rugby Festival; and Cape Town Jazz Festival is currently in the planning stage.

Football Fridays are contributing significantly to the mobilisation of South Africans, in support of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The People’s Bus is a synergistic initiative, able to enhance Football Fridays. Therefore, the activation programme will include mini football matches and/or soccer clinics in various towns, likely hosted at schools. Participating teams will compete for The People’s Trophy. Brand South Africa and the project team seek to inspire and educate all South Africans through the initiative, but particularly the South African youth.

A public-private partnership with the MAN Truck and Bus Company has led to the realisation of the People’s Bus initiative. MAN has not only provided Brand South Africa with the 64-seater vehicle, but a dedicated driver for the full duration of the initiative as well as comprehensive insurance; AV; and sound equipment. In recognition of the partnership with MAN, Brand South Africa has launched the road show at the MAN Olifantsfontein factory together with the factory team of approximately 300 staff, who have played a vital role in the conversion of the bus.

The current schedule sees The People’s Bus travel across South Africa, into every province.

From start to finish, The People’s Bus took six weeks to create. Pre-conversion, The People’s Bus was simply a 64-seater bus shell. Post-conversion, the interior of the bus provides visitors with a 10 to 15 minute tour for 20 guests at a time, while guests outside the bus are entertained with celebratory diski dancing; anthem singing; competitions; and music.

The bus tour includes a mini 10-seater cinema, complete with a 42” plasma screen and DVD player. Two branded foosball tables allow for a game or two for guests. The design needed to accommodate plenty of gaming space within this zone. The educational zone presents guests with short team overviews of each participating national football side, giving visitors a glimpse of the sheer global magnitude of the event, while sharing football facts and trivia.

The interior design also incorporates nine bus seats to transport passengers – all covered with a Bafana Bafana football jersey. On exiting the bus, guests can wish Bafana Bafana the very best in luck by posting messages in the message box.

The People’s Bus is a MAN Lion Explorer bus, the successor to the Explorer range of bodies and the only OE-manufactured bus body in South Africa. This bus is designed for African conditions to exacting European standards. The body styling is in line with the MAN Lion’s family of City and Intercity buses from Germany. Delivering the latest in Trucknology technology, the bus has the following specifications:
• EBS5 braking system, which includes ABS (anti-lock brakes), ASR (traction control) and EPB (electro-pneumatic brake)
• Auxiliary brakes (Retarder or Intarder depending on the chassis model)
• Disc brakes on front axles (all models)
• Disc brakes on drive, tag and trailer axles (all models excluding the HB1 & HB2)
• ECAS (electronically controlled air suspension) on the HB4, HB4BT and A84 chassis

For more information, contact Sophie Masipa on 011 483 0122 or
email [email protected]. Alternatively, contact Zandile Skosana on 011 809 5599 or email [email protected].