CAPE TOWN: After hosting a successful cricket World Cup earlier this year in March, South Africa is now trying to host the Football World Cup in 2010.

Its goal is gaining support from South African companies. Africa's largest transport and logistics company Transnet has announced that it will sponsor the South Africa Football Association's (SAFA) bid for the 2010 Soccer World Cup to the tune of R12m cash and some R4m in services. Besides Transnet, the other South African companies which are also official bid supporters include Anglo American, Vodacom, BMW and Telkom.

The event has never taken place in South Africa in the past. Like the Cricket World Cup, the country is looking at the Football World Cup as being important in both business and cultural terms. Transnet CEO Mafika Mkwanazi added that Transnet's business units and subsidiaries would play a significant role in supporting the bid process by providing strategic transport and logistics services to supplement the cash sponsorship of R12m.

He was quoted in an official release saying, "Transnet's sponsorship for the 2010 World Cup bid complements the extensive sport development programmes funded by the Transnet Foundation. These focus on rural development, providing infrastructure and facilities and sponsoring a series of events to advance the development of role models for the youth of our country."