Pretoria - Free tickets to watch the 2010 FIFA World Cup matches live will be allocated by Coca-Cola to schools across the country that participate and excel in recycling projects.
In partnership with the Department of Education, schools in all nine provinces will participate in an innovative competition to promote recycling and environmental awareness.
The National Schools Recycling Programme will also encourage learners to collect bottles and cans, which will be recycled.
General manager of the 2010 World Cup Unit at Coca-Cola South Africa, Onwell Msomi, said the initiative is intended to make teachers and learners aware of the importance of recycling and the protection of the environment - and to reward innovation and responsible behaviour.
Coca-Cola will give out 20 000 tickets allocated by FIFA to its top sponsors. The tickets come from FIFA's Ticket Fund which was set up to enable South Africans who cannot afford to buy tickets the opportunity to attend matches.
A total of 200 schools in the country will be rewarded with tickets for the world cup matches at the 10 venues that will host the tournament. Tickets will be available for all of the 64 matches played during the month-long tournament.
Mr Msomi said a successful pilot project had already been launched at two schools in Rustenburg.
Coca-Cola's "Soccer Crazy Crew" was used to promote the importance of recycling. Within a month 67 863 plastic bottles were collected for recycling and learners from the schools were rewarded with tickets to watch the Confederations Cup match between South Africa and Spain at the Royal Bafokeng stadium.
"There was great enthusiasm among participating schools, Charora High School and Boikagong Secondary School, and it has given us the confidence to extend this idea across the country," Mr Msomi said.
The competition will be launched in January 2010 and the handing over of the free tickets to the winning schools will take place before the start of the tournament.
"We strongly support this initiative," said Themba Kojana, a Chief Director in the Department of Education.
"Environmental education is very high on our list of priorities and the importance of recycling of products must be emphasised at an early age," he said.
