FIFA Fan Park zones during the 2010 World Cup

[berni23]

Launched in Johannesburg yesterday, the Fan Fests are set up as mini-festivals catering for football fans across the country and the world to be part of the World Cup festivities.

All 9 host cities in South Africa as well as 7 other cities across the globe - Rio De Janeiro, Mexico City, Sydney, London, Paris, Berlin and Rome - have been unveiled as locations for the FIFA Fan Fest, the official public viewing venues where football fans can watch all the matches on the big screen TV facilities.

"The Fan Fests will provide an opportunity for millions of people to watch the matches in a festival environment and will also provide an opportunity for small businesses to benefit," said CEO of the 2010 FIFA World Cup Organising Committee South Africa, Danny Jordaan.

The Fan Fests will provide an opportunity for the promotion of local artisans and SMME’s but these are, however, restricted to vending of traditional African handcraft, traditional food and beverages as well as non-competitive companies within the venues.

They will also provide a platform for local musicians, dancers and artists.

Danny Jordaan said: "The question has been raised - ’what about SMME’s, what about opportunities for this mama who sells pap and wors’. Well there are opportunities for those at the fan parks."

"We hope that they will make sufficient revenue, that they are happy with their reward in the end," Jordaan added.

"We always wanted the 2010 FIFA World Cup to touch the lives of as many South Africans as possible."

During the 2006 World Cup in Germany, more than 18 million fans gathered at the 12 official events and according to FIFA transformed Germany into one of the greatest fan parties of all time.

FIFA president Joseph Blatter said: "The FIFA Fan Fest was an important part of the success of the 2006 FIFA World Cup and we believe that the 2010 FIFA Fan Fests, both in South Africa and in the other seven international venues, will bring an unprecedented experience to millions of football fans in South Africa and around the world".

FIFA explains that all the FIFA Fan Fests will be fenced and are incorporated into the wider Host City security plans which will encompass both private security and SAPS. Full disaster management and medical representation will also be on-site for the duration of the events.

There was also the controversy that South Africa is only country on the African continent that has been earmarked for the FIFA Fan Fest experience, but Jordaan explained that FIFA is planning on introducing other African cities.

It was because of the late qualification of African teams into the World Cup, that FIFA had to wait longer to finalise their plans.

He said: "Africa finalised their qualification just the other day. This takes a process of engagement where we meet the city officials and we identify the sites. And if we had gone to Egypt instead of Algeria, we’d be accused of something, so it is a dangerous choice to make.

"So that is why we decided to let them qualify then we engage."

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