All of this is an effort by the tourism body to excite Africans about 2010 FIFA World Cup and prepare them to give visitors coming to the continent next year, a truly African welcome. The Diski Dance takes its inspiration from African soccer and is a combination of football moves used by African players.
The dance off will be the culmination of Soccer Week, which kicked-off in the Big Brother House on Monday, 5 October 2009. At the end of this week, two SA Tourism appointed choreographers will teach the housemates the full version of the different Diski Dance steps in preparation for the dance off competition on Sunday, 11 October. Zakumi, the official 2010 FIFA World Cup Mascot, will be on hand to select the best diski-dancing housemate who will win an all expense paid holiday at the luxury resort, Sun City and the majestic Magaliesberg in the North West Province inclusive of spa treatments, a hot air balloon ride, a sunset boat cruise and quad biking courtesy of the North West Parks and Tourism Board.
“South Africa won the right to stage the 2010 FIFA World Cup tournament but as we have consistently maintained, Africa is the host. As such, we want to excite the rest of the continent about the 2010 FIFA World Cup which is now less than a year away and invite them to celebrate the victory of this event and give tourists and spectators a truly African welcome and experience,” says Phumi Dhlomo, regional director: Africa at South African Tourism.
“It is for this reason that the partnership with M-NET and Big Brother Africa is so perfectly suited. Our attempt to unify the continent and entrench the message of welcoming tourists to the continent is being given a greater platform through this sponsorship,” he further states.
The 60 second Diski Dance TV commercial will be aired on different programmes that have popular appeal in pay-as-you-watch channels such as M-NET, Africa Magic Plus, Channel O Africa, Africa Magic, M-NET Series Africa.
Viewers will need to vote for their favourite Diski Dance move during Sunday's dance off, and in so doing, they may win the opportunity to join the Diski Dance housemate winner on a holiday and indulge in African opulence in one of South Africa's renowned provinces, the North West.
“We want this dance to infiltrate the whole of Africa. It should be to 2010 what the Mexican wave is to football: a display of unity and celebration by people from all over the world,” concluded Dhlomo.
For more information, go to www.southafrica.net/2010 for competition details.
