Durban - Eleven days into the 2010 FIFA World Cup and the Durban Fan Fest at New Beach is leading South Africa and the world with their high spectator attendance figures.
The 'warmest' city in the country boasts an estimate of 234 532 visitors to date, with Cape Town and Brazil's Rio trailing in second and third place respectively.
From the official opening ceremony on June 11, Durban residents and visitors have taken advantage of the city's warm winter weather to support the matches televised live on the big screen.
The ongoing entertainment provided at the FIFA Fan Fest is another factor that played a role in the attendance figures.
The best attendance to date was on 16 June, Youth Day.
"Months of planning and preparation by the city to ensure that Durban offers locals and visitors alike a unique 2010 World Cup experience has paid off and we're delighted to be topping the global Fan Fest spectator chart," said Julie-May Ellingson, Head of Durban's Strategic Projects Unit and 2010 Programme.
Now, Durban residents and fans are being urged to help stay at the top of the global Fan Fest charts, ahead of the other nine South African and six international Fan Fests in Sydney, Rome, Rio, Paris, Berlin and Mexico.
