Despite being in the grip of a prevailing drought, towns along the Cape's Garden Route have not given up hope of hosting the world in 2010. Sandwiched between two World Cup host cities, towns in the Southern Cape are anxiously preparing for next year's tourist rush.
The Garden Route is expected to be home to thousands of fans and four World Cup soccer teams, two of which have already confirmed.
George, the biggest town along the luscious route, is set to host one of the country's six "Matchville" locations. Matchvilles are Fifa accommodation nodes, similar to fan camps, set up to ensure that supporters are able to follow their teams wherever they go during the event.
The concept was launched by Fifa's licensed hospitality promoter Match, and will assist foreign spectators by making transport available from the fan camps to all World Cup matches played by their teams. The innovation will be introduced for the first time in the history of the World Cup next year - and will be a much-needed injection for small businesses in George.
The only obstacle is the water crisis, says Andy Lamont, 2010 coordinator for the Eden District Municipality which includes the Kannaland, Langeberg, Mossel Bay, George, Oudtshoorn, Plettenberg Bay and Knysna local municipalities.
After some relief in the form of a few millilitres of rain recently, Lamont said: "If we don't get more rain soon, there could be a big problem next year."
"The Eden District Municipality has appointed a team to look at the options and to evaluate the situation, but if it doesn't rain, there is very little we can do."
The Knysna municipality and the Department of Water and Environment Affairs recently signed a deal with a private contractor to build a R16 million seawater desalination plant at Sedgefield, which will come into operation by mid-December.
The plant, the largest in South Africa, was to be installed as an "emergency measure".
The drought is said to be the worst in 100 years with the George Dam only 30 percent full. Water restrictions have already been imposed.
Lamont said four teams were expected to make the Garden Route their base for the World Cup.
Japan and Paraguay have already decided on George and Mossel Bay respectively, he said.
"The other two teams that are still considering, which I cannot name, have their eyes set on Oudtshoorn and Knysna."
Vernon Seymour, the Safa's national executive member in charge of the Western Cape's team base camps for the World Cup, earlier said France would base itself in Knysna for the tournament. On Wednesday France secured its place but had not yet confirmed Knysna as its base camp.
George municipality is in the process of upgrading all roads and walkways in the town, while Mossel Bay - just 40km away, recently launched its own 2010 strategy.
The town is expected to boast a state-of-the-art Fifa-approved soccer pitch and sports centre for the tournament. The pitch is also set to be used as a training venue for the Paraguayan soccer team.
Louis Harris, the town's 2010 coordinator, said between 8 000 and 10 000 fans are expected to be based in Mossel Bay during the World Cup.
During a Cape Argus tour of the new soccer field last month, he said the local municipality was building a new R2-million soccer pitch and upgrading the adjacent soccer fields as part of the town's World Cup legacy project.
"The pitch, which has been designed and built to Fifa standards, will be complete and ready by November 11," said Harris.
The Paraguayan soccer team is expected to stay at The Point Hotel and practise on the new Extension 23 soccer pitch, while the Eden District Municipality's media hub is to be set up at the town's other beach-side establishment, the Diaz Beach Hotel and Resort.
Harris said they were also training a broad cross-section of the community - from hospitality staff to police and traffic officers and paramedics - to speak Spanish so they could "serve them in their home language".
Although many soccer federations had visited the Eden region over the last few months, Mossel Bay was among the first to have entered into a formal agreement with a team, he said.
Knysna Tourism's chief executive, Shaun van Eck, said Knysna had made the hosting of a World Cup team a priority, and that he would be thrilled if France based its team there.
"The town provides the perfect balance for a team to rejuvenate and focus on their next challenge. The Knysna vibe will complement the French culture. They will feel very at home and welcome here," he said.