Transfrontier Parks and the 2010 FIFA World Cup

The motivation for bidding to host the 2010 Soccer World Cup in South Africa was based on
the understanding that it would not only benefit South Africa but also the SADC region and
Africa as a whole.

Transfrontier Conservation Areas (TFCAs) have been identified as one of six Legacy
Projects of the 2010 FIFA World Cup for their potential to spread the tourism benefits of
hosting the World Cup in Africa through branding and marketing the region as a favourable tourism and investment destination.

The purpose of the “TFCA Development Strategy for 2010 and beyond” is to increase
the tourism potential of Southern Africa by consolidating the marketing, infrastructure
development and investment promotion efforts of existing transfrontier conservation
initiatives and utilise the 2010 FIFA World Cup as a platform to initiate a long-term investment
and marketing strategy for TFCAs.

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“The foundation of this bid lies in our resolve to ensure that the 21st century unfolds as a century of growth and development in Africa. This is not a dream, it is a practical policy. [...] We want on behalf of our continent to
stage an event that will send ripples
of confidence from the Cape to Cairo – an event that will create social and economic opportunities throughout Africa. […] We want to show that
Africa’s time has come.”

South African President Thabo Mbeki in his letter to FIFA President Mr Joseph Blatter, World Cup 2010, Bid Book.