South Africa will be hosting the football World Cup in 2010! We call it soccer, but whatever you call it; it is undoubtedly one of the greatest sporting events in the world.
All eyes will turn to South Africa in the build up to the World Cup.
This is a fantastic opportunity for the whole of Southern Africa as tourism will be given a huge boost from the publicity surrounding the event.
Start planning now! 2010 is not far away
Football fans around the world should already be thinking about planning their travel to the World Cup to ensure they make the most out of the event and the region. South Africa has so much to offer as a travel destination and it is sure to be sold out during the World Cup. Our focus is on providing the best safari experience for those attending the event. There are only a limited number of game reserves, lodges, camps and safaris and these are guaranteed to be popular for a large number of fans that will see this as a once in a lifetime opportunity to visit Africa and experience an African safari.
Non-Football fans - visit before the World Cup fans arrive
For non-football fans, we think this sporting event should also be considered in making your decision on when to travel to Southern Africa. Large parts of Southern Africa are still relatively unknown and are not on the global tourist map. This is sure to change by the time the World Cup arrives in town and the follow on tourism that will inevitably result. So travel there before the rest discover these amazing remote and beautiful places.
Things to consider when planning your trip for the FIFA World Cup 2010
Date: 11 June -11 July 2010
Host Cities: There are 10 venues in 9 host cities:
- Cape Town
- Durban
- Johannesburg (2 venues)
- Bloemfontein
- Nelspruit
- Polokwane
- Port Elizabeth
- Pretoria
- Rustenburg
World Cup 2010 City Chart - June/July
Weather
The months of June and July are considered to be winter in South Africa. Fortunately, it is an African winter so temperatures are mild in most parts of the country.
Cape Town, Eastern Cape and Port Elizabeth: The weather can be changeable and there is a fair amount of rain at this time of year.
Durban: June and July are an ideal time to visit Durban as the weather is mild and dry. KwaZulu Natal can be quite tropical and humid other times of the year, but June/July are very comfortable.
Johannesburg, Bloemfontein, Nelspruit, Polokwane, Pretoria and Rustenburg: These cities have are dry and sunny during the day. They experience a drop in temperature at night. They seldom have rain during this time as they are summer rainfall regions (November-March)
Safaris
Most Southern African safari destinations are within easy reach (by scheduled flight or charter) from all World Cup venues. All safari destinations in South Africa can also be reached by self-drive options. Self-drive safaris are also possible in most other Southern African destination. We are recommending that our clients avoid driving across South Africa borders during the World Cup as there are likely to be frustrating delays at almost all the border crossings.
Botswana, Zimbabwe and Namibia are all well established safari destinations. For the more adventurous: Zambia and Mozambique are fast becoming popular.
If time permits, we are also recommending that our clients consider East Africa - either en route or on the way back - as an alternative to a safari in Southern Africa. The main reason for this is that the demand for safaris in Southern Africa is likely to be very high and availability may be better in East Africa. It also gives you an alternative route for your flight into South Africa.
Sun Safaris can assist in planning your safari while attending the World Cup tournament. Whether you prefer to packaged safaris, fly-in safaris, self-drive safaris, or any other safari option, we can provide advice. Our offices are only 1km from Greenpoint Stadium, the World Cup stadium in Cape Town. Being based in Cape Town allows us to be close to all the action and support our visitors.
World Cup Travel
Travelling around South Africa is particularly easy, with a superb road infrastructure and good air travel connections. Due to the distances, it is more practical to fly between some of the World Cup host cities. Train travel will probably improve coming up to the World Cup, but at the moment the train network is fairly clumsy and impractical.
World Cup Stadiums
Matches are scheduled to take place in 10 stadia throughout South Africa:
Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg
King's Park Stadium, Durban
Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein
Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit
Peter Mokaba Stadium, Polokwane
Nelson Mandela Stadium, Port Elizabeth
Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace, Rustenburg
Green Point Stadium (Cape Town).
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