Power Play: International Politics, Germany, South Africa and the FIFA World Cup™

The document examines the political motivations behind hosting mega sport events (MSEs), contrasting the experiences of Germany (2006) and South Africa (2010). It argues that while MSEs are often promoted for economic gain, these expectations are rarely met. Instead, states use them for 'soft power'—using attraction and positive attributes to achieve policy goals. Germany focused on rebranding itself as a modern, welcoming nation to move past its Nazi history. South Africa used the event to project regional leadership, championing an 'Africa first' narrative to combat 'afro-pessimism' and position itself as the continent's representative. The author concludes that developing nations may rely more heavily on MSEs for soft power due to a lack of traditional international influence, though they face higher resource strains and opportunity costs.

• There is a consistent gap between the projected economic dividends of hosting mega sport events and the actual outcomes, with post-event studies often showing limited macroeconomic effects.
• Germany used the 2006 World Cup as a comprehensive nation-branding strategy to replace international perceptions of 'cold, efficient authoritarianism' and associations with the Nazi past with an image of being a 'modern and innovative location'.
• South Africa framed the 2010 World Cup through pan-African narratives, positioning the event as a means to restore Africa's global standing and establish South Africa as the 'voice of African interests'.
• Hosting mega sport events imposes higher resource burdens on developing nations, which may lack existing infrastructure and a stable financial base, leading to the diversion of funds from essential public services.
• While the 2010 World Cup provided South Africa with 'social capital' and informal diplomatic opportunities in Africa and with BRIC nations, it failed to deliver significant practical economic benefits to the wider African continent due to resource constraints.
• Developing states that lack traditional international power may perceive mega sport events as more critical tools for mobilising soft power than developed states.

APA

Dowse, S. (2011). Power Play: International Politics, Germany, South Africa and the FIFA World Cup™. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Occasional-Paper-82.pdf

Chicago

Dowse, Suzanne. Power Play: International Politics, Germany, South Africa and the FIFA World Cup™. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2011. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Occasional-Paper-82.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Dowse |first1=Suzanne |title=Power Play: International Politics, Germany, South Africa and the FIFA World Cup™ |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=May 2011 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Occasional-Paper-82.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{dowse2011power, author = {Dowse, Suzanne}, title = {{Power Play: International Politics, Germany, South Africa and the FIFA World Cup™}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2011}, month = may, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Occasional-Paper-82.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }