How to get back to normality? After a once-in-a lifetime, SA-changing, racial bonding, monumentally costly – I’ve heard figures from R40-billion to UK sterling 20-billion - event. Only The Minister of Finance and Fifa know and neither are going to come up with the real costs. Suffice it to say that we will be a long time paying it back and that those pristine stadiums will hopefully find varied ongoing use, in order to justify the expense and generate a return.

I will always remember that little Gnome of Zurich – Sepp Blatter – leading our president around by the hand, like a bemused child. Certainly, JZ threw his weight behind the month-long event, and no doubt signed on a few dotted lines for ‘his friend’ Herr Blatter.

Now, the talk is of lasting benefit / keeping the dream alive / flying the flag forever. These are fine sentiments and definitely possible. The well-organised Fifa event has left mostly good impressions of SA for the 300 000 or so tourists, most of which of course came from Africa, after the weighty US contingent. Indeed, we have a great deal to offer in this ‘World in One Country’ and if the post-Fifa marketing does pan out to SA’s advantage, many industries will benefit; property and the ‘shelter’ sector obviously included. Yet, with the US and Europe talking about ‘the debt spiral’ - and no light at the end of that tunnel - cross your fingers.