Team South Africa is joining in the spirit of Casual Friday today by launching Football Friday, a national initiative to build local support and enthusiasm ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

There are forty Fridays to go until Friday, 11 June 2010, the kick-off of Africa's first FIFA World Cup. The next important milestone, the Final Draw, which will decide the group stages of the tournament, also falls on Friday, 4 December 2009. South Africans are being urged to mark each Friday by “dressing down� in a way that will come naturally to a sports-crazy population – by wearing a football shirt to work.

A joint initiative of the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS), the International Marketing Council (IMC), South African Tourism (SAT), the South African Broadcasting Corporation and the 2010 FIFA World Cup Organising Committee South Africa (OC), Football Fridays is part of the Fly the Flag for Football campaign, launched earlier this year and is open to everyone to join in.

“We are encouraging everyone to adopt Football Friday and to wear the shirt of their favourite team. Obviously, we'd prefer it if their favourite team were the national team,� says Paul Bannister, acting CEO of the International Marketing Council of South Africa (IMC).

“By wearing a football shirt to work or just socially each Friday, you'll be showing your true colours as a supporter of South Africa proudly hosting the biggest sporting event in the world,� Bannister added.

"We encourage every South African to learn the Diski Dance so we can welcome the world and host them with our spirit of celebration and rhythm during he World Cup and beyond." Didi Moyle, COO and acting CEO SAT

At the recent 2010 National Communications Partnership Conference attended by over 600 delegates, Organising Committee (OC) Chairman, Irvin Khoza encouraged the country to make the most of the forthcoming extravaganza, and to understand the enormity of the project.

“We won't get another marketing opportunity like in this in the next 100 years,� he said, referring to the chance to promote South Africa in all its diversity to the international community. “With the FIFA Confederations Cup now behind us we need to feel that the show is in town. This is the real deal,� Khoza said.

It is hoped that the launch of Football Fridays will act as an “ignition point� for a national mobilisation campaign, which aims to get citizens to show their unique “South African-ness�, to support the national football team, and to be good hosts when the footballing world arrives on the southern tip of Africa in June 2010. South Africans are encouraged to also use these Fridays to learn our national anthem and sing it at our moments of pride; to let the world hear us in one voice and see our colours in harmony.