British media representations of South Africa and the 2010 FIFA World Cup

According to government estimates 500,000 foreign tourists were expected to visit South Africa to participate in the 2010 FIFA World Cup. During the course of 2010 these estimates were systematically and significantly downgraded. The global economic downturn, overpricing of tickets and hospitality packages and increased costs within South Africa's tourist industry have all been identified as contributors to the lower than anticipated international take-up of tickets. Obscured within these developments are dynamic processes by which South Africa is represented as a tourist destination. This paper presents a discourse analysis of representations of South Africa within four British print media outlets - The Guardian, The Times, The Daily Mail and The Daily Star - between January and July 2010. Themes of Afro-pessimism, African essentialism and (neo-)colonialism are identified as contributing to problematic and colonial representations of South Africa in the build-up to the tournament.