With the much anticipated 2010 Soccer World Cup less than a month away, merchandise is flying off the shelves, so you should make sure you get the best items available to support your favorite team and as memorabilia of your trip to South Africa for this historic event.
With the vast number of options you have, it will be rather hard to just pick a few items, so you should find out more about the ultimate keepsakes.
First of all, a huge accessory that people are buying in support of the soccer, are mirror socks for their cars. This is great to be seen out and about with your country’s flag proudly sticking out the sides of your car. They are also small and convenient to take home with you, as well as being very useful, not like other items which will just get thrown at the back of your closet.
When you go to the shops in South Africa, you can be sure that each aisle, and in fact, most products are decorated with soccer images, and supporting the World Cup in some way or another. You can purchase huge soccer ball toys, soccer ball chocolates, soccer ball inspired braais (enclosed barbeque grills), soccer ball shaped drinking glasses, hats, flags, fold up chairs, cooler bags, and clothing galore, all “soccerised.”
It’s a lot to take in, so what you have to be aware of is where to buy the merchandise and which are the best items to choose. Now, of course you will want to get a piece of clothing to remind you of the World Cup and it is great because you can wear it over and over. Hoodies, jerseys, scarves, and t-shirts are all popular options. Stores in South Africa like Sportsman’s Warehouse, a nationwide chain store, will stock tons of great World Cup gear, but a lot of the most affordable merchandise will be sold by street vendors. You can find them on just about every street and intersection in each town.
You can also find some great merchandise including keyrings, balls, hats, and much more at the local markets. Every day of the week, in Cape Town, you can find just what you are looking for at Greenmarket Square. On Sundays, you can take a drive down to Muizenberg to the Muizenberg Market at Sunrise Beach.
In Johannesburg you can visit the Bruma Lake Flea Market, which is the largest market in the area, with others including the Rooftop Market every Sunday, and the Newtown Market Africa across from the Market Theatre.
Durban offers an array of markets that you can choose to purchase your Soccer World Cup merchandise from. The Umkhumbane Flea Market is relatively new, but a big hit, while the Amphitheater Flea Market still being the most popular situated along the Durban Beachfront each Sunday.
Find the Best World Cup Gear
These three cities also boast the international airports in South Africa and when arriving, you can be sure that World Cup 2010 fever will greet you – and perhaps a Diski dancer or two! You could probably get all your World Cup attire and memorabilia just at the airport, but what fun would that be, right? Visiting the heart of each city and getting to know the people is what will make your trip much more interesting.
Don’t forget that the fan parks will also sell tons of merchandise, as well as at the stadiums on each match day. If you are a bit strapped for cash, you can always bargain with the vendors at the intersections who are all selling World Cup merchandise already. You just have to watch out for the fake merchandise which has already started appearing, with Johannesburg police seizing $1.7 million worth of fake t-shirts, thought to have come from China.
Once you are all set with your official World Cup 2010 t-shirts, jerseys, car mirror socks, keyrings, scarves, gloves, and of course the legendary vuvuzelas, you will be ready to have the time of your life and get some great mementos to take back home with you.
