ENGLAND football fans were fuming last night after being told they face a minimum charge of £85 for World Cup tickets while locals will pay only £11.20. Organisers are preparing to offer the cheapest World Cup tickets in history to ensure a decent turnout for all games when the tournament kicks off next June. Announcing the incredible deal, South Africa 2010 boss Danny Jordaan, 58, urged locals to snap up the bargains. He said: “This will be the cheapest World Cup ticket ever. Don’t wait, go ... Read Full Story

The first hosts and winners of the Fifa World Cup, Uruguay, this morning became the last of the 32 countries to qualify for the 2010 Fifa World Cup, completing one of the strongest line-ups in the tournament’s history. The final six places for the 2010 spectacular were decided last night in matches in Europe, Africa and South America. In a symbolic flag-raising ceremony at its SAFA House headquarters in Johannesburg today, the flags of all 32 participating teams were raised in celebrati... Read Full Story

A newly confident South Africa is polishing up for the global spotlight during the World Cup draw in two weeks, eager to show it’s ready for the games that on Sunday will be 200 days away. Iconic: the Cape Town Stadium at night Many of the doubts that once confronted the nation have long since quieted, dispelled by the successful hosting of the warm-up Confederations Cup in June. Gleaming new stadiums have stilled fears of construction delays, with debate already turning on how the na... Read Full Story

THE draw for next year’s Soccer World Cup — taking place on December 4 in Cape Town — is likely to give hoteliers in the inner city a boost after the Mother City’s gloomiest winter season in many years. All of the big hotels in the city centre and the V&A Waterfront are expected to be packed early next month, with bookings promising occupancies of well above 80%. “When I speak to my colleagues in the industry, it is clear there will not be a spare room in the city,” said Theo Cromhout, s... Read Full Story

Cape Town has earned a stamp of approval from the well known travel company Lonely Planet as one of the world’s top 10 party cities. This list is part of Lonely Planet’s new guide, the “1000 Ultimate Experiences”. According to Lonely Planet, with the 2010 World Cup bringing a global audience to South Africa the partying will only get harder as travellers converge on a city that is already well known for nightlife. “Luxuriate on some of the world’s best beaches by day and kick back under... Read Full Story

As of today, ComeToCapeTown.com is one of the few Cape Town accommodation providers that still has accommodation available for the upcoming Summer Season. As specialists in Camps Bay apartments, Waterfront Hotels & apartments, Clifton apartments, Camps Bay villas and Holiday Homes and other beach & waterfront accommodation in Cape Town, we are fortunate to have a wide pool of stock from which to draw. Contact us today, and we will do our utmost to source accommodation for you, accord... Read Full Story

Twenty-nine South African beaches have been awarded Blue Flag status this year, Tourism Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk announced last week. This was ten more than last year and extremely good news for tourism, he said in a statement issued after a ceremony to mark the announcement at Muizenberg beach in Cape Town. “South Africa’s Blue Flag beaches increase our desirability and reputation as a world class destination.” “With the exception of Morocco, South Africa is t... Read Full Story

Owners are keeping their investment properties empty until the World Cup soccer tournament in 2010, said Seef Properties on Wednesday. “I am increasingly being asked by owners to withhold their investment property to ensure availability during the World Cup,” Jules Arnott said in a statement. Arnott said that Match, the Fifa-endorsed ticketing and accommodation booking agents for VIPs, sponsors and media to the World Cup, did not cater for the marketing of non-graded residential a... Read Full Story

Nine years ago, the sports editor of The Star newspaper in Johannesburg sent two of his young reporters, Jermaine Craig and Matshelane Mamabolo, to intercept me when I arrived at the airport. He suspected, correctly, that I had come with the intention of writing about how South Africa’s crime rate ought to sabotage its chances of beating England to the honour of hosting the 2006 World Cup. Jermaine and Matshelane showed me around. For a start, they introduced me to one of their colleagu... Read Full Story

The city of Cape Town and the Bulungula Lodge on the Eastern Cape’s Wild Coast were among the favourites of British travellers in 2009. The Guardian, Observer and guardian.co.uk announced the winners of their annual Travel Awards this week. Their readers voted Cape Town their second favourite overseas city, five places up from last year. The CEO of Cape Town Tourism, Mariette Du Toit-Helmbold, said they were thrilled at the news and see it as a sign that Cape Town is now widely recognised and... Read Full Story