At FIFA's Executive Committee meeting halfway March 2006, the host cities and stadiums proposed by the South African Local Organizing Committee were formally approved.

In total there will be nine host cities: Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, Durban, Nelspruit, Johannesburg, Pretoria, Rustenburg, Bloemfontein, and Polokwane.

A total of 10 stadiums will be used in these nine host cities. Four new stadiums will be built: Cape Town (Greenpoint Stadium), Port Elizabeth (Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium), Durban (King's Park Stadium) and Nelspruit (Mbombela Stadium). The remaining six will be upgraded - Rustenburg (Royal Bafokeng Stadium), Bloemfontein (Free State Stadium), Pretoria (Loftus Versfeld Stadium) Polokwane (Peter Mokaba Stadium) and Johannesburg (Soccer City and Ellis Park Stadiums).

In his State of the Nation address in February 2006, President Thabo Mbeki announced: "In return for the irreplaceable benefits of hosting a World Cup, we owe it to FIFA and the rest of the soccer world to prepare properly for 2010."

The momentum for this preparation started on Friday 17 March when FIFA's Executive Committee met at FIFA House in Zurich. One of the topics on the agenda was the decision on host cities and stadiums to be used at the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The Committee ratified the host cities and stadiums proposed by the South African Local Organizing Committee.

At the press conference held after the Executive meeting, FIFA President Joseph Blatter said: "The FIFA Executive Committee have confirmed the nine cities and 10 stadiums available for the FIFA World Cup South Africa 2010. You can see that even though Germany 2006 has not started yet, 2010 is already in full operation!"

The CEO of the South African Local Organizing Committee, Danny Jordaan, said: "The announcement of the host cities in South Africa is the first concrete step taken in the delivery of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The cities' co-operation and enthusiasm is unparalleled and signals the determination of the host cities to be wonderful hosts and deliver world class infrastructure with African sensation."

The early announcement is a positive move for the South African host cities as they can go to the 2006 FIFA World Cup and learn from their German counterparts. The cities will now start dealing with infrastructural challenges such as airport upgrades, building or upgrading their stadiums, and improving transportation networks to handle the football fans that will flock into South Africa.

South Africa won the right to host the 2010 FIFA World Cup after narrowly missing out to Germany for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. South Africa have hosted the IRB Rugby World Cup, the ICC Cricket World Cup and the CAF Africa Cup of Nations but this will be the first time the beautiful game's showpiece event will be held on African soil.

Source: FIFA.com / March 2006

The German state of Bavaria is encouraging South African companies to attend a real estate trade fair in October 2006, saying it will attract investors in the 2010 Soccer World Cup.

Hans Spitzner, Bavaria's deputy minister for economic affairs said that SA could benefit from experience Germany was gaining in staging the 2006 Football World Cup.

Specific areas of opportunity that could be triggered by the event included the development of shopping malls, entertainment venues and residential developments, he said. The 2010 Football World Cup is expected to generate billions of rands.

Australia is keen as well to share the experience gained in hosting the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.

(source: Business Day / Chris Van Gass / 17 February 2005)

The 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup should boost tourism in Southern Africa, which is currently handicapped by its image as a war zone and the difficulties of travel within the region.

Shepherd Nyaruwata, the executive director of the Regional Tourism Organisation for Southern Africa, said: "There is a need to spruce up the image of the region."

Nyaruwata expected tourist numbers to peak from 14 million last year to 20 million during 2010, with some World Cup soccer fans going on from the soccer tournament in South Africa to visit neighbouring states such as Mozambique and Namibia.

(source: Business Report / Alfonce Mbizwo / 17 March 2005)