The third largest city in the host nation is often considered a poor cousin to Cape Town and Johannesburg and Durban’s marketing slogan gets straight to the point: The Warmest Place to be for 2010.
After three days of rain, the skies cleared in Durban on Friday for the start of the World Cup letting the coastal South African city finally flaunt its virtues: sun, sea, sand and surf.
The third largest city in the host nation is often considered a poor cousin to Cape Town and Johannesburg and Durban’s marketing slogan gets straight to the point: The Warmest Place to be for 2010.
Durban’s fan park is on the beach, of course. It is sandwiched between the Indian Ocean breakers loved by surfers and the slightly shabby sea front hotels on the fringes of the central business district.
"It’s all Cape Town, all the time. It’s an injustice to this beautiful city," said Jane Pillay of the Durban Chamber of Commerce. "This city is not marketed enough by SA Tourism”.
The official fan-zone has a capacity of 25,000, but Durban’s annual beach festival coincides with the World Cup and the police are bracing for up to 140,000 people on sand that was reserved for whites during the Apartheid era.
With a few hours to go before the opening game between South Africa and Mexico, a truck offloaded the colourful litter bins which dot the beach front and gardeners were still laying sods of grass to spruce up the roadside.
Stall holders set out their wares and a somewhat bemused surfer trudged past the thousands of vuvuzelas-trumpeting fans massed on the beach in front of a towering screen.
Fast tracked
The World Cup fast-tracked a gleaming new international airport north of the city named after King Shaka, the man who transformed the Zulus from a small clan into the main force in the southeast of what is now South Africa.
The grand arch of the new 70,000-seater Moses Mabhidha stadium rises up behind the beach, an arch which is modelled on the South African flag and is meant to represent the unity of a sports loving nation.
A cable car will take visitors to the top of the 350 meter arch, 106 meters above the pitch. The first game in Durban is Australia against Germany on Sunday. Brazil takes on Portugal here on June 25 and the city will also host the second semi-final on July 7.
Steven Edwards, Regional Commander of Durban’s Metropolitan Police Force, said security should not be an issue as long as people remained within guidelines.
"What we suggest to people is remain on the beach front and remain in lit-up areas and you should experience no problems," he said.
"But if you want to go down streets and start looking for bits and pieces on the back we can't guarantee your safety."
On a sunny Friday, fans were strolling round the city in shorts and flip-flops, making their way to the beach party.
But with thousands of people close to the sea, lifeguards will also be there to save fans from themselves. “Obviously alcohol and water don’t mix," said local lifeguard Thando Thusi.
"We’ve got the guards patrolling on foot as well so we definitely don’t want any hiccups."
For the thousands of Australian fans in Durban, the city is a home away from home and some troop down to the breakers each morning for a refreshing dip after a night of heavy drinking.
"The country is remarkably similar to Australia," said 24-year-old Jarrad Haynes.
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