World Cup boosts South African pride

The prospect of playing host in 2010 to the most-watched sports event on earth - the FIFA World Cup™ - is giving South African pride and confidence a solid boost according to the latest market research conducted on FIFA's behalf.


These findings are from the second instalment of a six-wave public opinion survey and show a pronounced upward trend in South Africans' anticipation of the event as well as a deeper understanding of the benefits it can bring to the host nation.

The results of the survey, which was carried out by international research agency SPORT+MARKET, come just one month before South Africa prepares to host the FIFA Confederations Cup. Given that this tournament is regarded by many as the "championship of champions" and is a major international sporting event, the survey suggests that South Africa is more than ready to embrace world-class football and recognise the legacy such tournaments can leave behind.

The following are key extracts from the findings (percentage point change from the first-wave scores in January 2009 in brackets):



* Big leap in confidence - 83 per cent feel their country will be ready to host the 2010 FIFA World Cup (+10)
* An overwhelming 94 per cent (+6) are proud that South Africa is hosting the competition, with 89 per cent (+8) saying the event will bring long-term benefits to the country
* 92 per cent (+5) believe that hosting the competition will lead to an upgrade in infrastructure, notably public transport, roads and telecommunications
* 90 per cent (+7) believe the FIFA World Cup will improve South Africa's image abroad
* 96 per cent (+5) expect the competition to be a fillip for the country's tourism industry
* South Africans are determined to enjoy the FIFA World Cup irrespective of Bafana Bafana's performance. 86 per cent say their interest is unaffected by the performance of the national team (no comparison as this question was not asked in the first wave).

Lingering doubts do remain, however: 58 per cent of respondents believe that crime will be a concern for visitors to the FIFA World Cup, with the same amount anticipating increased congestion problems in South African cities. Furthermore, 59 per cent have concerns about the possibility of inflated prices in South Africa as a result of the tournament.

Source: FIFA.com