Read On
Wildly Creative Winners
The winners of the Get Wildly Creative About South Africa contest have been announced. Here are the top entries.
Smitten
Welcome a new blogger to BSA Blog. Marieke Smits, from Holland and staying on after the World Cup, says her Dutch friends, once skeptical about her decision to move to SA, are now clamouring to get here.
Chilz of joy
Banele Lukhele heads home after a couple of months in the US at part of the South Africa Washington Internship Programme. Absence, as they say, makes the heart grow fonder.
I am going to hold on tight to the jubilant feeling in my heart
…writes Nadine Khan, surveying the wonders of a month that told the world: it’s time to believe in South Africa.
Joburg to Japan
Mongezi vlogs a Japanese perspective on South Africa and the World Cup: happy to be here, not so happy about the loss to Paraguay.
Orange in a free state
A pair of Dutchmen has Mongezi quietly rooting for the Netherlands to win on Sunday.
A Goosebump Moment
A glimpse into the true heart of South Africa as a wrongly accused taxi driver meets the man who threatened to turn his life upside down.
Play on!
Mongezi Mtati muses on keeping the World Cup spirit alive. When the final whistle blows on Sunday, it will be time to play on, South Africa.
Blow on this…
Well, guess what? We got to Pretoria from Johannesburg in record time, without speeding, on the lovely widened highway. We parked within a kilometer of the stadium. The weather was perfect, as it is in South Africa in midwinter (18 degrees Celsius and not a breath of wind).
Other than jobs and skills and hope…
Boris Johnson, mayor of London, considers the World Cup legacy for South Africa, and, with a nod to Monty Python, likes what he sees.
Fans
Our intrepid cameraman, Mongezi Mtati, meet encounters a fan from Denmark and a Canadian soccer writer.
A ripple in the ocean of hope
As a proud member of the youth of South Africa in 2010, writes Banele Lukhele, I stand and shout to all around the world that I am a ripple in the ocean of hope, I am a young South African and I stand for the development of my generation and those to follow.
Put your game face on! We face France on Tuesday
Mark Fish: “Our team needs our support, now more than ever. So, I am urging you to wear your yellow Bafana Bafana shirts and to wave your flags on Tuesday. We’re a proud nation – let’s show the world our true character!”
London taxis grow South African ears
The flag warms the wing mirrors of a Nedbank-branded London cab, and Brand South Africa is tatooed on its hips.
Cry the beloved vuvuzela!
On the vuvuzela, Alan Paton, and how he might respond to the nation’s trumpet.
Marketing SA on Chicago buses
The World Cup final is to be broadcast live in Chicago’s hallowed sporting arena, Soldier Field. Brand South Africa has created ads for the South African consulate-general to run in city buses with support from local sponsors.
And how was the evening otherwise? A real treat!
For the indomitable Nadine Khan, the agony of Bafana’s defeat did nothing to dull the excitement of the occasion.
In support of Mexico
Not, we think, a traitor but welcoming the Mexican team in true South African style — with a custom makarapa.
I Was There: 2010 World Cup Kick-Off Concert
The historic concert marked a crossing of times. From the depths of apartheid to an emerging rainbow nation, the birth place of the struggle opened its doors to the world for a harmonious celebration of the beautiful game.
