David Shapiro: Danny Jordaan told a wonderful joke at a leadership conference I attended at Oubaai, near George, the weekend before last.

He said that when the South African World Cup 2010 bid committee was planning its promotion to the various country representatives of Fifa way back in 2004, Desmond Tutu, a key member of the team, warned that he would not tolerate bribery, corruption or any other form of inducement to attract votes. Yet, Danny confessed, as soon as the presentations began in earnest, the eminent Archbishop was the first to break ranks, readily offering the various voting members a place in heaven if they supported South Africa.

Danny, whose outstanding organising and management skills ensured that the country was well prepared to host the event in June 2010, explained that when you plan a project of that magnitude, naturally, there are times when you fear failure. But, he stressed to a large audience of business people, young leaders and corporate sponsors, a good manager never shares his doubts with his subordinates, and instead keeps those reservations confined to the four walls of his office.

He hoped that the international recognition the country received for successfully hosting the tournament, and the unity it brought to the people of the country, would be carried forward by other local businesses and organisations as a model for future prosperity.

The Fifa World Cup final was a little over three months ago, yet it seems like a dream from the distant past. It's difficult to determine whether there has been or will be any economic rub-off. Circumstances have certainly conspired against us. The global economy remains under pressure; still, in spite of that, our currency continues to strengthen, a consequence of huge portfolio flows from foreign money managers attempting to escape a plunging US dollar.

Dr Andrew Golding, whose property company is renowned for transacting some of the largest residential deals in South Africa, admitted that a combination of the improving rand and slow international growth had hurt foreign interest in the domestic real estate market. I would imagine that tourism would be similarly affected.

In the lovely surrounds of Oubaai it was not easy to focus entirely on business and in conversation with Andrew and the affable sports scientist, Dr Tim Noakes, I soon learnt that Andrew's son was a highly competent young cricketer whose aspirations extended far beyond representing the school's first eleven.

Once we turned to cricket, Tim was in his element, revealing details of an article he was researching on the legendary Australian cricketer, Sir Donald Bradman.

What I gathered from Tim was that Bradman's genius lay in the skill of lifting his bat only after the ball had left the bowler's arm, when he was able to judge its flight and select the correct stroke. This technique allowed him more time to play off his back-foot and execute his celebrated pull shot. Technical but fascinating! If you lift your bat before a delivery, as many batsmen do, Tim observed, your weight immediately shifts to your front foot, restricting your options.

The purpose of the weekend was to allow a selection of bright, motivated young leaders an opportunity to engage and mingle with journeymen and women - people who had travelled the road in business and community service.

The youths were selected by an organisation called Bright Young Minds, an initiative designed to attract young people to discuss ideas and solutions to a multitude of problems facing modern society.

It's always a joy to meet highly intelligent young achievers, although in the various deliberations and debates arranged over the course of the seminar, I was disappointed at their detachment from real issues dominating the domestic and international headlines - like Obama's sagging popularity, the currency wars or South Africa's unacceptably high levels of unemployment. Possibly a consequence of too much time devoted to tweeting and updating their social networking sites.

Of course, when you confer with noble young idealists the elimination of global poverty is always a hot agenda item. Few, though, saw the irony of our discussions. Solutions to aid the plight of the poor were offered liberally while sipping Jameson Select Reserve out of crystal glasses and eating Karoo lamb on the finest china in the surrounds of one of the country's most lavish and expensive golfing estates.

A suggestion to donate next year's sponsorship to the needy and hold the conference at a B&B in Khayelitsha hardly found favour.