Planning

South Africa has pledged to be Africa's stage for the hosting of the best FIFA World CupTM ever. It’s a promise the country has guaranteed will be kept – and it means the Government will provide all the support that is needed for a successful tournament.

There is confidence across the continent and the world, not least from leading football officials, that South Africa will meet the standards set by FIFA to host a memorable, world-class event.

Preparations are well under way, with the bulk of the work taking place in the nine host cities. The Government is tackling this work in three phases that correspond with the timeline for 2010.

Timeline

Crucial milestones in the preparations timeline are:

• December 2006: Stadiums and transport infrastructure planning complete
• January 2007: New stadium and supporting infrastructure construction commences
• September 2008: FIFA inspection team reviews state of readiness
• December 2008: Construction work on selected stadiums complete
• June 2009: South Africa hosts Confederations Cup
• October 2009 - Handover of all stadiums to FIFA; supporting infrastructure complete
• June 2010: FIFA World Cup

Three-phase preparations

The Government is tackling preparations for the tournament in three phases:

• phase one (compliance: 2005 – 2006)
• phase 2 (project implementation: 2007 – 2009)
• phase 3 – (World Cup operations: 2010)

1. Compliance (2005 – 2006)

The first phase was completed in December 2006. It put in place the framework and resources South Africa needed to fully comply with FIFA requirements.

This phase involved the selection of host cities and stadiums . Host city agreements were signed; these are contracts between host cities and FIFA to govern cities’ obligations and rights in hosting the World Cup. Legislation was also adopted to deliver the guarantees required.

Across the Government, extensive strategic and project planning culminated in the submission of project plans to the National Treasury. On the basis of business cases from cities and national departments, funding was allocated. Projects were integrated in a 24-point project plan, and capacity and structures for management and coordination were put in place.

Next, funding was disbursed to the nine host cities from the National Treasury. Grants for key transport infrastructure projects were made available from the Department of Transport.

Then the development of stadiums and transport infrastructure began – as well as host city projects, the revamping of the major airports and the development of sections of the road network.

For more on the financing of these projects see funding .

2. Project implementation (2007 – 2009)

The second phase began in January 2007. It involves the implementation of all the 2010 FIFA World Cup projects.

It is during this phase - in 2009, to be precise - that South Africa will host the Confederations Cup, the test-run for 2010. Between 2007 and 2009, all the infrastructure and services needed for the Confederations Cup and then the World Cup will be delivered. Operational plans, such as those for safety and security, will be tested.

A key milestone will be reached in 2008, when FIFA inspects South Africa for readiness.

3. World Cup operations (2010)

The third phase, the culmination of work done in the first two phases, runs from 1 January 2010 until 30 July 2010. This is the phase in which the World Cup operations take place.

In the post-tournament phase, the government will review the tournament and its impact.