The Southern African Development Community (SADC) will be exhibiting at the Global Village in Johannesburg, South Africa, during the FIFA World Cup. The Global Village is an initiative aimed at using the FIFA World Cup to show the world what will remain in Africa after the last whistle is blown, namely, sustainable partnerships in business, culture and sports

APDS Blogger: Miles Knowles

Ever since the announcement of South Africa being the host for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, critics have argued that the world cup will lead to “limited benefits that will probably not extend far beyond the final whistle”. However, what the 2010 critics omit to acknowledge are the significant benefits South Africa may reap by leveraging the nation branding dimensions of the FIFA World Cup.

South African Pavilion Director for Shanghai Expo 2010, Schoemen du Plesiss, depicted the design for South Africa's pavilion in Shanghai Expo 2010 as magnificent with numerously glamorous African culture, red wine, dancing and advanced technological products by corporations from South Africa.

USC Ph.D candidate Jade Miller explores soccer’s ability to unify and divide nations, and draws upon examples from this year’s World Cup tournament.

As a new member of the blog team, I'd like to note this report I recently published regarding the public diplomacy implications and opportunities surrounding the 2006 FIFA World Cup. A summary follows.