The flag of the Republic of South Africa:

The South African national flag was designed by Mr Fred Brownell, the South African State Herald, in 1994. The national flag was adopted by the Republic of South Africa on 26 April 1994 and flown for the first time on 27 April 1994. Our new national flag was initially only an interim flag and was selected and used at the last minute before the 1994 presidential elections. Having the flag redesigned was put into motion after Nelson Mandela was released from Robben Island in 1990, as a part of the negotiation process. 

The South African national flag is one of the most colourful flags in the world, with each colour representing something different:

• Black represents the black population and determination of the state.
• Yellow represents a symbol of generosity as well as the abundance of gold for which South Africa is well known.
• White represents honesty and peace.
• Green represents love, hope and joy for the land.
• Blue represents vigilance, truth, loyalty, justice and perseverance of the people.
• Red represents bravery, hardiness and strength.

Soccer World Cup:

• The Soccer World Cup has been held every four years since 1930, excluding 1942 and 1946 because of World War 2. In the 18 tournaments that have been held Brazil is the only team to have played in every single World Cup event and set a record number of five victories, with Italy trailing at four wins, followed by Germany at three. Uruguay hosted the inaugural World Cup tournament and went on to win that year. The World Cup event was the previous time held in Germany in 2006, and is this year being held in South Africa – a first for the African continent. In 2014 it will be held in Brazil.
   
• The original World Cup trophy or World Cup was renamed the Jules Rimet Trophy in 1946 after the first FIFA president. Traditionally the trophy is kept by the winning team for the four years they are the champions; however, in 1970, with Brazil's third victory, the winners were allowed to keep the trophy permanently – that is until it was stolen in 1983 and never recovered, said to have been melted down by the thieves. The current FIFA World Cup trophy was designed by Silvio Gazzanina, weighing just over six kilograms and made of solid 18-carat gold.

The History of Bafana Bafana:

• The name Bafana Bafana means 'the boys' in Zulu and is said to have been coined by journalists from the Sowetan newspaper. It is believed that this term of endearment came from the owners of the previously discriminated against township teams, mainly elders, who, when asked by the journalists on how their teams were performing, would answer with 'abafana bam ba dlala kahle', which translates to 'my boys are playing well'. After South Africa's readmission to FIFA, the Sowetan journalists referred to the national team as Bafana Bafana, which was later adopted as their official title.

• Bafana Bafana have had a number of highlights over the years, most noticeably in 1996 when they won the CAF African Cup of Nations as well as being awarded the FIFA Best Mover of the Year Award. They represented the first Southern African nation to qualify for the FIFA World Cup Final in 1997. In 1998 they were the runners-up in the African Cup of Nations and in 1999 they were the winners of the Afro-Asian trophy and came third in the African Cup of Nations that same year. They competed in the Reunification Cup in 2005 and won the tournament, that same year advancing to the quarter finals of the Concaf Gold Cup.

Soccer history in South Africa:

• South Africa has had a tenuous relationship with FIFA following the 1961 suspension of the then whites-only Football Association of South Africa (FASA), because they didn't comply with the non-discriminatory regulations set by FIFA. Officially expelled from FIFA in 1976 after the Soweto uprising, FASA was only reinstated again in 1991 under the new multiracial South African Football Association (SAFA).

• Soccer in South Africa started out as segregated as the nation was at that time, with four different soccer associations representing Whites, Blacks, Indians and Coloureds – all established between 1892 and 1936. In 1991 the multiracial South African Football Association was created from the four groups to represent South Africa in a game that has become the country's number-one national sport, boasting 1,8 million registered players, the highest number of spectators at matches and the widest television coverage.

Stadiums and practice grounds around South Africa:

• New stadiums and practice grounds around South Africa have been erected for this year's FIFA World Cup™. In preparation for the event five of the national stadiums underwent major renovations, namely Green Point Stadium in Cape Town, Ellis Park and Soccer City in Johannesburg, Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenburg, Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria and Vodacom Park in the Free State. You can join a tour of the stadium in your area to see what it looks like inside, to marvel at its unique architectural design and to revel in the grandeur of a structure that in the near future will hold thousands and thousands of screaming fans.
   
• The construction of Green Point Stadium took 2 300 people 32 months of hard work to finish at a cost of around R4,5 billion. The Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium cost approximately R2,1 billion to construct. Located two kilometres from the coast, this stadium has an eye-catching roof to withstand the strong winds Port Elizabeth is famous for. The largest stadium in the country is the Soccer City Stadium, which will host the opening and closing matches of the tournament. This stadium is located in the heart of Johannesburg and cost R3,2 billion to redesign and build.