Have you got your dance moves ready for the 2010 World Cup?

Let me guess, some of us are wondering if we’ll gain weight this winter with all of the invites to events during the World Cup. You don’t have to be a recluse and decline the party invitations as there are ways to party it up and keep fit and healthy at the same time. There’ll be no watching the games indoors, all alone, with a cup of soup on the couch. So let the dancing begin!

To get into the mood and get the party started, you can simply listen to the South African Afro-Fusion band, Freshlyground and Shakira’s newly released song “Waka Waka”. It is an official 2010 Football World Cup song which incorporates the element of the band’s unique sound with Shakira. The tone of the song will transform you into the soulful atmosphere of Africa and get your body moving.

The music video is remarkable and builds anticipation for the World Cup. Take a look at the ‘in the making’ video and listen to the song below – the official video is due to be launched soon and is the first ever 3-D music video to be produced.

Our guess is that ‘party central’ will undoubtedly be the Mother City, here you will definitely be accommodated with some of the best hospitality in the world. Cape Town is known for its rich heritage values, affordable accommodation prices, lifestyle and historical elements of South Africa as a whole.

The cheap accommodation in Cape Town offers you the perfect party lifestyle as it’s modern, authentic and only 5 minutes walk from essential places such as banks, restaurants, bars and the Rondebosch train station.  You definitely won’t be late for the games either, as this accommodation is less than 20 minutes away from the Cape Town football stadium and  international airport.

Thanks to Lebogang Mawelela for this guest post.

Get your official FIFA World Cup fan guide

The 2010 FIFA World Cup Organising Committee has released a comprehensive, user-friendly and colourful 92-page guide to the tournament. The official mascot for 2010, Zakumi, talks the reader through useful information on the stadiums, host cities, fan parks and lots more.

The fan guide offers assistance with everyday matters such as banking and food, as well as safety tips. There are maps which indicate how to get to each stadium, where to buy tickets, the nearest airports and transport – including road, rail and air – as well as accommodation and communication.

The rules and safety guide explains to readers which items are prohibited in stadiums and also outlines a code of conduct to promote maximum safety at all times during games and when fans are out and about.
Zakumi also introduces each host city to the reader with a breakdown of interesting facts, history and an entertaining guide to the local SA slang.

You may download your FIFA World Cup fan guide here (PDF 6.4MB) or collect a copy upon arrival to South Africa.

World Cup fan guide

Source: BizCommunity.com

World Cup ticket update

Sadly, there are no more tickets available for 2010 World Cup™ matches at Cape Town Stadium following the fifth and final stage of ticket sales, but those who have reserved and paid for tickets can now collect them from FIFA’s Ticketing Centre in central Cape Town.

But the good news is that even though tickets for all eight World Cup™ games to be played at the city’s new 68 000 seat stadium have been reserved, FIFA said that a few tickets may still be released for sale to the public.
“Tickets for these games might still come back (in small quantities) to the public sales in the future,” FIFA said in a statement.

World Cup 2010 Stadia in South Africa

For updates on the availability of World Cup™ matches, visit https://lmsfwctickets.fifa.com/LMS/MatchAvailability.aspx.

The last phase of ticket sales provoked near stampedes across the country where the public were queueing for miles to get their hands on a World Cup™ ticket. Just over 100 000 tickets were sold in the first day and the last few tickets for Cape Town matched were snapped up within hours.

The opening of the 11 FIFA Ticketing Centres across the country also means that fans can now collect tickets reserved and paid for during previous ticket sales phases.

Fans will need to produce their ID/passport, FIFA Original Ticket Confirmation, and proof of residence (such as telephone/ utility account) for Category four tickets, which are reserved for South Africans only.

Cape Town’s official FIFA Ticketing Centre is at The Spearhead, 42 Hans Strijdom Avenue, Foreshore, and is open from 09:00 to 18:00 seven days a week.

A FIFA Ticket Terminal will also be located at Cape Town International Airport from 7 June to 11 July 2010.
All queries relating to games and tickets must be directed to FIFA.

FIFA hotline number: 083 123 2010

Keep an ear to the ground as there still may be a few more tickets up for grabs according to FIFA. If you do have your tickets and need a place to stay while you are in Cape Town for the game, take a look at this affordable accommodation.

Source: Cape Town Government

Last chance to buy 2010 FIFA World Cup tickets

This news should make you smile, especially those of you who have missed out on the first four 2010 World Cup ticket sales phases. Here is your last opportunity to say ‘I was there’ and attend a 2010 World Cup Game.
FIFA have simplified the process of applying for 2010 World Cup tickets in this last minute over-the-counter 2010 World Cup ticket sales phase. This is your last chance, so read these easy steps on how to apply carefully.
From the 15th April 2010 all South Africans can purchase 2010 FIFA World Cup tickets in real time online or over the counter.

4 ways to buy 2010 FIFA World Cup tickets:
•    Complete an application form on fifa.com/2010
•    Walk into an FNB branch and complete an application form
•    Apply in person at one of the FIFA Ticketing Centres
•    Call the FIFA Ticketing Call Centre (083 123 2010)

With a mere 62 days to go until kick-off, be sure to buy your tickets and get ready to say ‘I was there’.

And lastly, one more reason to smile – If you are traveling from far and near to be at a game have a look out for great accommodation deals; including these gourmet backpackers in Cape Town.

Source: Shine2010.co.za

Tourism Radio for World Cup fans

Aerial view of Cape Town, Table Mountain and the new stadium

Visitors who will be travelling around the Western Cape during the 2010 FIFA World Cup in rental cars will be able to tune in to Tourism Radio, a station designed to inform and entertain them while en route.

After a full year of research 54 areas were identified as tourist hot spots, such as Cape Town’s City Bowl. Other surprising results included the towns of Riebeek Kasteel and Worcester.

The Victoria and Alfred Waterfront and Table Mountain are just a couple of the popular attractions found in and around the City Bowl. With highlights such as these, it’s not surprising that Tourism Radio’s users spend 8,42% of their time there.

The Atlantic Seaboard wasn’t far behind and bagged three of the top five positions. According to Tourism Radio’s statistics, tourists spent a lot of their time in Sea Point, Camps Bay and Hout Bay.Once a visitor opts to include Tourism Radio in their hired car – starting from R59 a day – they can tune into Tourism Radio on 91.4 FM to get cultural, historical and anecdotal information, as well as updates on nearby attractions and shows.

The station also airs entertaining and informative radio shows on topics like South African slang, local music and 20 questions a tourist would like to ask a South African.

This is a great way for visitors who have limited time to find the most interesting spots and get a real feel for Cape Town City and its surrounding attractions. Even those who are here to work during the World Cup such as the FIFA volunteers,  will be able to hire a car for a day or two and get to see the sites (with a virtual tour guide on board).

To find out more or to book your Tourism Radio device for the World Cup visit www.tourismradio.co.za

Accommodation for FIFA 2010 World Cup Volunteers

Volunteers from all over the country (and world) will be moving to the host cities to proudly support and promote South Africa to the visitors during the tournament. These volunteers have to make their own way to the host city as well as find accommodation for the duration of their stay. Highstead Houses offers ideal accommodation (that won’t break the bank) for volunteers coming to work in Cape Town. They offer discounted rates for volunteers so make sure that you check out their accommodation offers before you book anywhere else.

More about the FIFA 2010 World Cup Volunteer Programme:

After a successful FIFA Confederations Cup 2009, the 2010 FIFA World Cup Organising Committee South Africa (OC) started the drive to recruit 15 000 volunteers for the 2010 showpiece tournament in July 2009. Applications closed in August and the interviewing process took place over January and February 2010.

With 32 teams participating, an expected influx of 450 000 visitors and 64 matches across nine host cities in ten stadiums, the volunteers will play a vital role in assisting the OC to deliver a successful 2010 FIFA World Cup.

“The volunteer programme is an excellent way to get involved in South Africa and Africa’s once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of hosting the world’s biggest sporting event,” said 2010 World Cup organising committee chief executive Dr Danny Jordaan.

“From ushering people to their seats, to assisting the media and foreign language speakers, welcoming people at the airport and driving guests around, it is the volunteers that actually make the tournament happen,” said Jordaan.

In total volunteers are required in 16 functional areas – accreditation, marketing, media, protocol services, spectator services, transportation, administration, environmental services, welcome and information services, information technology and telecommunication, language support, rights protection programme, logistic services, hospitality and ushering services and volunteer management.

Click for more info on the FIFA 2010 World Cup Volunteer Programme

Sources: FIFA.com and SA Good News

Is Cape Town ready for the FIFA 2010 Football World Cup?

With less than a week to go until the official ‘100 days countdown to the FIFA World Cup’ kicks off on 2 March 2010, let’s take a look at how Cape Town is doing in terms of preparing for the major influx of fans.

The excitement is definitely mounting right across the country, but as most Capetonians will agree, the intense energy in Cape Town is a clear indication that we are ready for 2010 and beyond.

In preparation for the big event, South Africa has been in overdrive for the last 4 years. South Africans have seen extensive road works, massive stadium upgrades, new stadiums built, and an overhauling of public transport systems in the lead up to the tournament.

The World Cup will be staged at ten venues in nine South African cities: Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth, Nelspruit, Polokwane, Bloemfontein, Rustenburg and Pretoria. Johannesburg will be home to two World Cup stadiums, Soccer City and Ellis Park.

Judging from the successful Final Draw on 4 December 2009, the Mother City is raring to go for the FIFA 2010 Soccer World Cup. With eight matches being played in Cape Town, the Mother City plans to be the best hostess the Cup has ever seen. Matches in the city include England vs. Algeria, Italy vs. Paraguay, and Quarter-Final and Semi-Final matches.

The brand new Cape Town stadium was officially opened to the public on Saturday, 23 January 2010 when it held an inaugural soccer festival. Built to host the Cape Town leg of the FIFA 2010 World Cup, feedback seems to show that the stadium in Green Point had past its first test run. A total of 20,000 spectators attended the Cape Town derby between two top local teams Santos and Ajax Cape Town, which ended goalless at the end of regulation time, with Santos winning 6-5 in a penalty shootout.

The Sunday Argus reports that gates opened at 2pm and fans swarmed in, posing for photos with characters in African costume and blowing vuvuzelas. At the designated parking areas, police carried out security checks, conducted vehicle searches and used sniffer dogs. The queues moved quickly, with the large crowd outside thinning out within half-an-hour as people went inside.

Speaking before the game, Cape Town Mayor Dan Plato said: “What a wonderful moment. What a beautiful stadium.” He also thanked Premier Helen Zille and the public for their support in making the stadium, and the day, a reality. Zille said: “Ke Nako. Our time has come. “This is the most beautiful stadium, in the most beautiful city, with the most beautiful people in the world.” By kick-off most of the seats on the first deck of the stadium were full and a roar of excitement went up as the first game on the stadium’s new pitch got under way. This game was the first of three “dry runs” at Cape Town Stadium ahead of the World Cup.

There are numerous exciting campaigns kicking off next week with only 100 days to go until kick-off so keep an eye out to make sure you get in the spirit for the 2010 FIFA Football World Cup in South Africa.

Sources:
Cape Town Magazine
The Voice of the Cape

FIFA World Cup tickets selling out fast!

Soccer City Stadium in Soweto, where the World Cup Final will be played.

If you haven’t booked your tickets for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa yet, then you had better get cracking!

FIFA announced on Friday, 5 February that tickets for the World Cup semi-finals and final, as well as two of England’s first round matches in South Africa, have sold out.

If you are one of the lucky ones who has your football tickets booked already, but are still contemplating where to book your accommodation you’ll be pleased to know that there are places available. But be sure to book soon as it won’t be any fun camped outside the football grounds waiting for the game – or even worse, paying over the odds for accommodation.

If hotels are out of your price range there is plenty more to choose from, such as gourmet backpackers to self catering apartments from Cape Town to Johannesburg and everywhere in between.

For those of you who still need to book tickets, the final phase of World Cup tickets sales opened on Tuesday, 9 February 2010 with approximately 400,000 seats still available.

Fans have until April 7 to bid for tickets for 53 of the 64 matches at the tournament, which runs from June 11-July 11 2010.

The fourth phase of sales is again to be conducted over the internet, and also for South African residents at bank branches, but this time will be on a first-come, first-served basis.

World football’s governing body said it had sold 585,175 tickets, some 70 percent, to local residents, in its third sales phase, which closed last month and which was drawn on a lottery basis and allocated this week.

Sources:

SA Good News, Reuters