Culture and Arts Sports Events 2010 World Cup SA

Although South Africans come from many cultural traditions, they belong to one nation, a dynamic blend of old-age customs and modern ways, building a new South African society to create a better life for all.

The people of SA though diverse have all embraced the concept of "ubuntu" which means literally "I am because we are".

The country's cultural wealth includes a new heritage of music, dance and art, storytelling and writing. The present is vibrant and dynamic and the spirit of the rainbow nation is alive and reflected in culture.

There are seasons that are important for arts and culture in South Africa. For arts and culture lovers in South Africa, the month of July has become synonymous with the Natural Arts Festival, the biggest festival of arts in the country, which is staged in Grahamstown, in the Eastern Cape. The programme covers drama, dance, opera, music, cabaret, exhibition and lectures.

South African theatre is internationally acclaimed as a unique top-class aesthetic form.

South African music is characterised by its fusion of diverse musical forms. Township jazz and blues, especially kwela, music of the forties and early jybes, are also being redefined.

The North Sea Jazz Festival, which is held 26-27 March 2005 in Cape Town, seems to be an important musical annual event.

South African dance is unique in its vitality, energy and integrity. Dance companies, individual dancers and choreographers are invited more and more to perform in Europe, Australia and USA.

The San people left a priceless and unique artistic inheritance and South Africa houses the largest collection of Stone Age paintings and engravings in the world. The San people are found mostly in the Northern Cape.

South Africa earns justifiably to be called a museum country of Africa. Museums range from geology, natural history, archaeology, history and art to mining, agriculture and many other disciplines.

Various projects around the country offer insight into aspects that range from traditional dances and rituals in the rural areas, to the urban township milieu that gives South Africa its defining features.

Sport & Recreation

In giving effect to the theme of sports and recreation in South Africa, namely Getting the Nation to Play, there is a huge responsibility on stakeholders (including all spheres of government) to actively contribute towards raising the levels of participation in organised sport and recreation, which are currently estimated at between 7 % and 20 %.

In this regard emphasis is directed at increasing the levels of participation of historically disadvantaged and marginalized groups, including black South Africans, women, the youth, people living with disabilities and the rural communities.

To give effect to the stated government policy of better life for all and Batho Pele (People First) Sports and Recreation South Africa (SRSA) and the South African Sports Commission (SASC) have set themselves the following objects: - to increase participation in sports and recreational activities, raise the profile of sports and recreation, particularly among decision makers, and place sports and recreation at the forefront of efforts to address issues of national importance such as unemployment, poverty, economic development and individual and community health.

The provincial governments play a very important role and are responsible making sports and recreation accessible to all people in their respective provinces, making sure that those facilities are used and better managed. The local government creates facilities and the provincial and national governments are responsible for upgrading them.

Sports play an important role in economic development as evidenced by the success of the Cricket World Cup hosted in South Africa in February and March 2003, which attracted some 20 000 foreign spectators. This led to creation of 3500 jobs during the World Cup.

The promotion of "home grown" events, such as Comrades Marathon, Dusi Canoe Marathon, Argus Cycle Tour, Midman Mile (swimming), Two Oceans Marathon, which attracts a large number of international participants and spectators, is being done through the Sports Tourism Project.

South Africa is proud of its Indigenous Games Project, which was launched on 24 February 2001 to promote and popularise those activities that have a particular appeal to vast sectors of the South African community, especially in rural areas. The eight games are: morabaraba, intonga, diketo, kgate, dibeke, jukskei, ncuva and kho-kho.

South Africa launched Sports Information and Science Agency (SISA) in November 1995. This agency is committed to the establishment, co-ordination and application of world-class information, scientific and technological, resource base, with skills, capabilities, facilities and equipment to provide services to athletes, coaches, technical officials and administrators. This has been very beneficial to the sports people in the areas of sports nutrition, sports psychology, sports vision, sports medicine and exercise science. The High Performance Programme (HPP) is one of many successful SISA initiatives. Between 600 to 800 athletes benefit from HPP each year.

Sports plays a significant role in promoting friendship and cooperation. In general, sports has played a very crucial role in uniting the diverse people of South Africa.