Johannesburg - South Africans have been encouraged to wear a football jersey every Friday, for the next forty weeks leading up to the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
The Football Friday initiative, aimed at spreading the World Cup fever amongst South Africans, was launched on Friday.
There are only forty weeks to go until 11 June 2010 and the next important milestone is the Final Draw, which will decide the group stages of the tournament. This event also falls on a Friday, 4 December.
"We are encouraging everyone to adopt Football Friday and to wear the shirt of their favourite team. Obviously, we'd prefer it if their favourite team were the national team," said Paul Bannister, acting Chief Executive Officer of the International Marketing Council of South Africa (IMC).
He said by wearing a football shirt to work or just socially each Friday, South Africans will be showing their true colours as a supporter of the biggest sporting event in the world.
Meanwhile, Didi Moyle, Chief Operating Officer and acting Chief Executive Officer of Tourism South Africa has encouraged every South African to learn the Diski Dance. "So we can welcome the world and host them with our spirit of celebration and rhythm during the World Cup and beyond."
The Diski Dance is made up of a series of choreographed soccer moves which will be featured in a television advert.
The Football Friday campaign was developed after the Organising Committee (OC) Chairman, Irvin Khoza, encouraged the country to make the most of the forthcoming extravaganza, and to understand the enormity of the project.
"We won't get another marketing opportunity like this in the next 100 years," he said, referring to the chance to promote South Africa in all its diversity to the international community.
"With the FIFA Confederations Cup now behind us we need to feel that the show is in town. This is the real deal," Mr Khoza said.
The launch of the initiative coincides with national Casual Day, where schools allow pupils to wear "civvies" and employees dress down. Casual Day is a fundraising project benefiting persons with disabilities
