POSTED: Tuesday September 8th 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Poll finds South African confidence at record high ahead of FIFA World Cupâ„¢

South Africa has been given a big thumbs-up by its own citizens

The     FIFA Confederations Cup is seen by some as the ultimate test of the host     country’s aptitude to stage the FIFA World Cup™ the following year. By     this measure then, South Africa has been given a     big thumbs-up by its own citizens according to the latest market research     conducted on FIFA’s behalf in the host country of the 2010 FIFA World     Cup™.

In     the third instalment of a six-wave public opinion tracking study carried     out by international research company SPORT+MARKT soon after the final     whistle at the FIFA Confederations Cup in June, 87% of South Africans     stated that they were convinced their country would be ready to host the     competition. This level has steadily risen since the first wave of this     study in December 2008, when 73% declared their confidence, followed by     83% in March 2009.     

Not     only are the South Africans confident about their country being prepared     to host the world’s most-watched sports event, but 89% are also convinced     it will be a resounding success (Wave I: 80%, Wave II 86%). What is more,     the findings suggest that respondents are keenly aware of the benefits the     FIFA World Cup™ can have on some of South     Africa’s key public sectors – such as     boosting the economy and job creation (90%), improving public     infrastructure (91%) and strengthening the tourism industry     (97%).

Despite     the pride and eager anticipation felt in advance of the tournament     arriving on the African continent for the first time, they also     acknowledge the challenges posed by crime and the country’s developing     infrastructure. The study indicated that 66% of residents believe crime     will be an issue for visitors to the tournament (up from 58% in the last     wave), 77% are concerned that local businesses will exploit the tournament     to inflate their prices (up from 59%), while one in every two respondents     fears the transport infrastructure is below par (up from 42%).    

These     higher scores can in part be attributed to an increased awareness of the     upcoming 2010 FIFA World Cup™     following the widespread coverage in the media of the FIFA Confederations     Cup, where the South African national team defied expectations to reach     the semi-finals. The scores reflect a higher sensitivity to all aspects of     hosting the FIFA World Cup™ and an     anxious enthusiasm to put on a good show for the watching world.    

N.B.: This     urban representative survey was conducted amongst 1,004 South African     respondents in all major cities and 2010 FIFA World Cup™ Host Cities, with     quotas for ethnic origin, age and gender. Interviewing was conducted     face-to-face in calendar weeks 28-29. To request the charts or for further     information, please contact marketingcomm@fifa.org. 

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Keywords · FIFA World Cup · South Africa 2010 · SPORT+MARKT

Name: Nicolas Maingot
Organization: FIFA
Email:
Phone: +41-43/222 7272
URL: http://www.fifa.com/index.html

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