This article begins by recognizing the importance of sport in South African history, before turning to South Africa’s vision and strategy, as articulated around and beyond the successful hosting of mega-events, particularly the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the first World Cup to be held on the African continent. The article suggests that mega-events are an important stage and priority of a broader and longer-term strategy of enhancing South Africa’s soft power, prestige and visibility. In this context, sport and mega-events are important foreign policy tools and have greatly benefited South Africa, the African continent and the international relations system. Using South Africa as a case study, this article explores the concept of sports diplomacy — that is, the use of sports as an instrument for furthering foreign policy goals, causes or interests — and argues that it is a significant and a rising source of soft power.
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Institute for Cultural Diplomacy, ‘Sport as Cultural Diplomacy’, in Cultural Diplomacy Outlook Report 2011, available online at http://www.culturaldiplomacy.org/culturaldiplomacynews/content/pdf/Cultural_Diplomacy_Outlook_Report_2011_-_08-03.pdf (accessed 22 March 2013).
K.J. Holsti, International Politics: A Framework for Analysis (Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall International, 1995), p. 84.
South African Government, South Africa Yearbook 2010-2011, pp. 28-30, available online at http://www.gcis.gov.za/sites/default/files/docs/resourcecentre/yearbook/chapter2.pdf (accessed 19 March 2013).
Sifiso Mxolisi Ndlovu, ‘Sports as Cultural Diplomacy: The 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa’s Foreign Policy’, Soccer & Society, vol. 11, nos. 1-2, January-March 2010, p. 144.
This ban continued until 1992, following the end of apartheid in South Africa. For the use of the games as a political tool, see online at http://olympics.pthimon.co.uk/politics.htm (accessed 12 March 2013).
South Africa was suspended from FIFA in 1961, expelled in 1976, and re-entered international football in 1992. For more details, see online at http://www.sahistory.org.za/topic/football-south-africa-timeline-1862-2012 (accessed 12 March 2013).
South African Government, South Africa Yearbook 2010-2011, p. 32.
South African Government, South Africa Yearbook 2010-2011, p. 34.
South African Government, South Africa Yearbook 2011-2012: International Relations, p. 308, available online at http://www.gcis.gov.za/sites/default/files/docs/resourcecentre/yearbook/2011/19_International%20Relations.pdf (accessed 8 March 2013).
South African Government, South Africa Yearbook 2009-2010, p. 478, available online at http://www.gcis.gov.za/sites/default/files/docs/resourcecentre/yearbook/2010/Sport%20and%20Recreation.pdf (accessed 15 March 2013).
South African Government, South Africa Yearbook 2009-2010, pp. 478-479.
South African Government, South Africa Yearbook 2009-2010, p. 322, available online at http://www.gcis.gov.za/sites/default/files/docs/resourcecentre/yearbook/2010/International%20Relations.pdf (accessed 15 March 2013).
Joseph S. Nye, ‘Soft Power and the Beijing Olympics’, Real Clear World, 24 August 2008, available online at http://www.realclearworld.com/articles/2008/08/soft_power_and_beijing_olympic.html (accessed 21 March 2013).
Joseph S. Nye, ‘Get Smart: Combining Hard and Soft Power’, Foreign Affairs, July/August 2009, available online at http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/65163/joseph-s-nye-jr/get-smart?page=show (accessed 21 March 2013).
Joseph S. Nye, ‘Think Again: Soft Power’, Foreign Policy, 23 February 2006, available online at http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2006/02/22/think_again_soft_power (accessed 21 March 2013).
Christopher Hill, The Changing Politics of Foreign Policy (Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2003), p. 155.
Schneider, ‘Cultural Diplomacy, p. 42.
Institute for Cultural Diplomacy (ICD), ‘Nation Branding: Country-Specific Evaluation’, in Cultural Diplomacy Outlook Report 2011 (Berlin: ICD, 2011), available online at http://www.culturaldiplomacy.org/culturaldiplomacynews/index.php?en_cd-outlook-2011_chapter-4 (accessed 22 March 2013).
South African Government, South Africa Yearbook 2010-2011, p. 32.
South African Government, South Africa Yearbook 2010-2011, p. 33.
South African Government, Fact Sheet Government Preparations for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™: 11 June-11 July 2010, p. 2, available online at http://www.info.gov.za/issues/world_cup/2010_preparations.pdf (accessed 12 March 2013).
South African Government, South Africa Yearbook 2010-11, p. 34.
South African Government, Fact Sheet: Government Preparations for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, p. 2.
Ashwin Desai and Goolam Vahed, ‘2010 World Cup: Africa’s Turn or Turning on Africa? A Political Economy of FIFA’s African Adventure’, Soccer & Society, vol. 11, nos. 1 and 2, January 2010; also published in LINKS International Journal of Socialist Renewal, 2010, available online at http://links.org.au/node/1738 (accessed 23 March 2013).
South African Government, South Africa Yearbook 2011-2012: Tourism, p. 487, available online at http://www.gcis.gov.za/sites/default/files/docs/resourcecentre/yearbook/2011/27_Tourism.pdf (accessed 8 March 2013).
South African Government, Fact Sheet: Government Preparations for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, p. 3.
Steven J. Jackson and Stephen Haigh, ‘Between and Beyond Politics: Sport and Foreign Policy in a Globalizing World’, Sport in Society, vol. 11, no. 4, 2008, pp. 349-358.
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This article begins by recognizing the importance of sport in South African history, before turning to South Africa’s vision and strategy, as articulated around and beyond the successful hosting of mega-events, particularly the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the first World Cup to be held on the African continent. The article suggests that mega-events are an important stage and priority of a broader and longer-term strategy of enhancing South Africa’s soft power, prestige and visibility. In this context, sport and mega-events are important foreign policy tools and have greatly benefited South Africa, the African continent and the international relations system. Using South Africa as a case study, this article explores the concept of sports diplomacy — that is, the use of sports as an instrument for furthering foreign policy goals, causes or interests — and argues that it is a significant and a rising source of soft power.
All Time | Past Year | Past 30 Days | |
---|---|---|---|
Abstract Views | 1698 | 264 | 10 |
Full Text Views | 303 | 16 | 0 |
PDF Views & Downloads | 198 | 41 | 0 |