Johannesburg or the City of Gold, as the city is known in South Africa, is the business hub of South Africa, contributing a substantial part of the country's GDP approximately 12%. The City is home to two of the country's most popular football teams and historical arch-rivals, Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates. Johannesburg is also known as the economic engine of Southern Africa and the trendsetter of South Africa. It is a melting pot laced with all the flavours of African cultures and beyond

Despite the hustle and bustle of the big city, Jo'burg is unexpectedly green and orientated towards outdoor living. It has a wealth of trees creating an 'urban forest', and many of the trees are located in the 2328 parks.

Cultural wealth is also in abundance, with a host of interesting museums including the Apartheid Museum, Constitution Hill and the living memory of the South Western Townships, which include the world acclaimed Soweto. The Mai Mai Market is the oldest market in Johannesburg and is a great place to discover traditional remedies. But more than that, Johannesburg has become a truly African city, melding disparate people from across the continent with the descendents of the original Tswana and Ndebele inhabitants and the European, Indian and Chinese settlers.

Today descendents of immigrants from around the world call themselves Joburgers and they are added to daily by a continual stream of migrants, keen to have some of the city's shine rub off on them.

History
The Tswana name for Johannesburg is eGoli, a place of gold. The San and Stone Age people were the first inhabitants of the area. The face of the area changed when an Australian gold prospector generated interest in the mineral wealth beneath the surface. Johannesburg became a city in 1886, during the beginning of the Witwatersrand Gold Rush.

The city also became a political hotspot during the apartheid years. Soweto was an important instrument in the liberation of South Africa. In 1955, many anti-apartheid movements met in Kliptown, Soweto to sign the Freedom Charter. The Charter enshrined the belief in equality for all. It also became the working document for the current Constitution of South Africa.

Football
A heartland of South African football, Johannesburg is the backbone of the professional game. The majority of professional clubs come from the city and its surrounds. The professional football outfits from the city are: Kaizer Chiefs, Orlando Pirates, Jomo Cosmos, BidVest Wits and one of the oldest clubs in the country, Moroka Swallows.

The city centre has been at the core of football development in South Africa. Professional football was formed in the offices of the old Rand Daily Mail newspaper in 1958. In later years, football unity talks took place at the old Rand International Hotel. Kaizer Chiefs, Orlando Pirates, Jomo Cosmos and the now defunct Highlands Park, Rangers and Lusitano have all been championship-winning clubs.

A match between Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates, which is dubbed as the ‘Soweto Derby' in South Africa, is the biggest drawcard in the country. Everytime the two meet, they attract a capacity crowd and their rivarly has been well documented throughout the decades.

Jo'burg is home to some of the country's most prized talent that include, Jomo Sono,Kaizer Motaung, Ace Ntsoelengoe, Doctor Khumalo, Lucas Radebe and many others. Sono played with Pele and Franz Beckenbauer at New York Cosmos.

Ntsoelengoe is revered as one of the greatest football players ever to be produced in South African football. He enjoyed immense success in the NASL.

The Premier League-based Wits University (now called BidVest Wit) are a team based at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg . Due to their location, the team is affectionately known as the 'Clever Boys' or the ‘Students'..

Johanesburg has hosted major games before including the CAF Africa Cup of Nations, which was won by South Africa beating Tunisia 2-0 at Soccer City. The Ellis Park Stadium, situated in the heart of Johannesburg, hosted the historic 1995 Rugby World Cup where South Africa were crowned as the rugby world champions.

Named after one of the world's renowned statesman and South African icon, Nelson Mandela Bay/Port Elizabeth is one of the most sought-after destinations in South Africa. It will host the third and fourth place play-off.

Known as ‘the Friendly City', Nelson Mandela Bay/ Port Elizabeth is surrounded by immaculate beaches and is one of South Africa's port cities .It is located in the Eastern Cape Province, which has been home to some of the country's most iconic figures including Mandela, former president Thabo Mbeki, Steve Biko, Chris Hani, Walter Sisulu, Oliver Tambo and other heroes of the struggle against apartheid.

The city's buildings are a physical timeline of the architectural changes dating as far back as the 19th century. The Opera House is a good example of Victorian architecture and is still in use and the city also has the richest collection of Art Nouveau buildings in South Africa. Nelson Mandela Bay/Port Elizabeth is an exceptionally busy port city and is regarded as the motor industry capital of South Africa.

The city is a good place from which to discover the enchantments of the Eastern Cape. Five Biomes converge in the province, making it a must for eco-tourism and an opportunity to enjoy South Africa's diverse geography and the city is a mere 30 minute drive from five-star game lodges.

The sunshine coast, with its rugged unspoiled beaches and Hogsback, which is rumored to be the inspiration for the Lord of the Rings books, are all within a few hours drive from the city.

History
The area was initially home to the hunter-gatherers, the Khoi and the San. The Xhosa then settled in the area, predominantly along the nearby Sundays River. The first British settlers arrived in Port Elizabeth in 1820. The port city would quickly become the gateway for British settlers into the frontier of South Africa, but not without resistance from the Xhosa. Before the gold rush in 1896, PE was a hub for wool, mohair and the ostrich feather trade.

On 6 June 1820, Sir Rufane named the city Port Elizabeth in honour of his wife Elizabeth, who had died in India. He was the acting governor of the Cape Colony at the time. Uitenhage was established by J.A. de Mist, a Dutch government official in 1804 and has many old buildings such as the Drostdy (1815) and the Town Hall (1882).

Nelson Mandela Bay/Port Elizabeth was a core centre of resistance to the oppressive apartheid regime. In 2000, Port Elizabeth became part of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality. It was named in honour of Nelson Mandela and includes the cities of Dispatch and Uitenhage in its jurisdictional area.

Football
Football, rugby and cricket are the most popular sports in this part of the world and it is therefore not surprising that some of the country's top cricketers, rugby and footballershave emerged from the Eastern Cape Province.

The now-relegated Bay United were the city's only top flight outfit. And with the team failing to preserve their spot in top flight football, it means the city once again finds itself without a professional club. Before Bay United, the city's last professional team was Michau Warriors, which was relegated in 1997. PE Blackpool played in the top flight in 1991 after the unification of the segregated football leagues. Among other players who from the area are former Bafana Bafana defender Frank Schoeman, Patrick Mayo and Blackburn Rovers forward Elrio van Heerden.

The city was a host for the group and quarter-final stages of the 1996 CAF Africa Cup of Nations. Most football games have been hosted at the Eastern Province Rugby Football Union stadium. South Africa beat Trinidad and Tobago in the 2003 edition of the Nelson Mandela. The city also hosted Senegal for the 2005 Nelson Mandela Challenge. South Africa lost 2-3 to Senegal.

An inspection tour, including members of the Local Organising Committee and over 50 operational experts from FIFA have just completed a tour of South Africa.

During the tour, thee visited the five newly built 2010 stadiums in Cape Town's Green Point Stadium, Durban's Moses Mabhida Stadium, Nelson Mandela Bay/Port Elizabeth's Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Nelspruit's Mbombela Stadium, Polokwane's Peter Mokaba Stadium and Johannesburg's Soccer City Stadium. If you didn't know, all the news is positive.

The stadiums are now over 90% complete with the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium already holding a rugby match featuring the British Lions and a derby between local sides Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates.

The other stadiums should be complete in plenty of time with most of the work now focusing on laying grass, stadium precincts and getting all those seats in.

For further information on the stadiums click here - the page will be getting updated with more local information soon.

Eight more countries are now confirmed to attend the World Cup finals in South Africa next year after two more nights of World Cup qualifying football all over the world.

The new teams to confirm their attendance in South Africa are: USA, Mexico, Chile, Italy, Serbia, Denmark, Germany and Ivory Coast. This brings the total number of confirmed countries to nineteen and there will be more added to this list later this week.

Mexico and the USA secured qualification thanks to wins over El Salvador and Honduras respectively, in the penultimate round of North American qualifying and they are the first two teams to qualify from that group. Ivory Coast are the third African team after hosts South Africa and Ghana qualified but the bulk on new teams confirmed for the event next year came through the European group.

Cape Town is a diverse city and is regarded as the melting point for various different cultures in Southern Africa. One would be hard pressed to find a reason not to fall in love with one of South Africa's most iconic city, Cape Town. It has one of the most idyllic settings - nestled between the ocean and breath-taking mountains. The iconic Table Mountain rises 1,086 above the city and has served as a mariner's landmark. On a clear day, the flat-topped mountain is visible 200km out to sea.

The "Mother city", as Cape Town is known in South Africa, has an abundance of contrasting activities from lounging on the Atlantic seaboard's popular beaches to exploring the vividly painted area of the Bo-Kaap. Hout Bay is a hub for fishing, especially tuna and crayfish, and the historical naval base at Simon's Town has a fascinating past.

The Victoria and Alfred (V&A) Waterfront is a great location for shopping, and is also host to the Two Oceans Aquarium, depicting sea life from the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. Long Street has long been a place of bustling nightlife and there is a wealth of museums in the city to discover. The Western Cape area is renowned as a wine-producing area, and there are tours available along the 'wine route'.

Cape Town has distinct Malay influences, reminiscent of days when the spice route traveled via its shores. There are also many foreign people who have made Cape Town their home, and the result is a hybrid of cultures in a cosmopolitan city.

History
It is said that Cape Town had its first inhabitants as early as 100,000 BC, when hunter-gatherers roamed the Cape Peninsula. After the arrival of European sailors in 1652, it became a haven for sailors who traveled along the African coast on the spice route to India.

The city has also played an important role in contemporary South African history. One of the most iconic sites in Cape Town is Robben Island, a place that was used as a prison for political prisoners as early as 1898. Robben Island became famous as the place of incarceration for the Rivonia Trial accused, which included Nelson Mandela, Oliver Tambo, Walter Sisulu and many others.

Cape Town has been the legislative capital of South Africa since 1910. The Houses of Parliament, still in use today, were built in 1885.

Football
Cape Town has produced many of South Africa's top recent internationals such as Shaun Bartlett, Benni McCarthy, Andre Arendse and former legends such as Albert Johannensen and David Julius, who played top football in Europe.

The City has also produced many other top footballers that went on to play for some of the top clubs in Europe. Former Manchester United player, Quinton Fortune is one such example. Fortune signed for United in 1999. .

South Africa's all-time top goalscorer, Benni McCarthy has enjoyed international success, winning the UEFA Champions League with FC Porto under the leadership of Jose Mourinho. He also won a Portuguese top flight Golden Boot. McCarthy has been one of the country's most celebrated players in the last 10 years.

Bartlett played for FC Zurich in 1998 and then made the move to Charlton Athletic in 2000. During his tenure at Charlton, he helped the club consolidate their position in the English top flight..

The now defunct Hellenic FC was the first Cape Town side to win a championship in 1971, soon followed by Cape Town City. In 1995, Cape Town Spurs swept the board and did the double, claiming the league and knockout cup crowns. All three clubs have since folded.

Ajax Cape Town and Santos, champions in 2002, continue to keep professional football alive in the city. Ajax Cape Town is a satellite club of Dutch giants, Ajax Amsterdam and the partnership between the two clubs has seen many players launching their careers in Europe. Those include current Everton star, Steven Pienaar, Bafana Bafana captain, Aaron Mokoena, McCarthy and many others.

Cape Town has a number of clubs that compete in the country;s First Division. They are Ikapa Sporting, FC Cape Town, Hanover Park and Vasco da Gama.

South Africa appoint Parreira coach. World Cup hosts South Africa appointed Brazilian Carlos Alberto Parreira as coach for a second time Friday, national football association president Kirsten Nematandani said.

Parreira returns to a post he relinquished in April last year when his wife became seriously ill in Rio de Janeiro, and he was succeeded by compatriot Joel Santana.

International novice Santana, 60, lost his first match in charge away to Nigeria, struggled to improve the team, and was fired after suffering eight losses in nine matches.

Parreira, 66, guided Brazil to the 1994 World Cup title when they defeated Italy after a penalty shootout in the United States, but fared less well three years ago with the South Americans making a quarter-finals exit to France.

That defeat cost him his job and he took over Bafana Bafana (The Boys) for the first time in January 2007, but battled to convert the African also-rans into a formidable force on the world stage.

His greatest achievement came in his final match, a 3-0 defeat of Paraguay in a Pretoria friendly, soon after a poor 2008 African Nations Cup showing that led to a first round exit.

South Africa snatched a late draw against Angola in Ghana, were outplayed by Tunisia, and managed to take only one point off a Senegal team demoralised by the resignation of their coach.

Nematandani told a media conference that Parreira would be assisted by compatriot Jairo Leal and South African Pitso Mosimane.

Parreira and Santana worked with the pair and another, unnamed South African would be added to the coaching staff for an eight-month race to lift a team that has slumped to a 16-year low of 85 on the FIFA world rankings.

Nemantandani, who met Parreira in Brazil this week, refused to disclose his salary, saying only that it would be "less" than the 1.8 million rand (241,000 dollars) a month received during his previous stint.

The official said Parreira would be replaced by a South African coach after the World Cup, which runs from June 11 to July 11 2010 and will be the first edition staged in Africa.

Parreira's first game in charge will be a friendly against fellow World Cup qualifiers Japan on November 14 at Orlando Stadium in Soweto.

Zakumi (born June 16, 1994) is the Official Mascot for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He is a leopard with green hair, presented September 22, 2008. His name comes from "ZA", the ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 code for South Africa, and "kumi", a word that means ten in various African languages.

Zakumi's birthdate coincides with a day known and celebrated as Youth Day in South Africa and their second group match. The year 1994 marks the birth of democracy in South Africa, meaning that he joins the ranks of South Africa's born-free generation. He will turn 16 in 2010.

The green and yellow (gold) colours of the character match the colours used in South African sport uniforms and can also be seen in the South Africa national football team's kit.

Andries Odendaal, from Cape Town, created the original character design. His costume is provided by Rainbow Productions, based in London, United Kingdom.

The official motto of Zakumi is: "Zakumi's game is Fair Play," which was seen in the digital advertisement boards during the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup and will also appear in next year's FIFA World Cup.