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Rural community perceptions of the 2010 FIFA World Cup: The Makhowe community in KwaZulu-Natal

More developing countries are now bidding for and hosting mega-events. However, it is unclear whether the legacies of a sport mega-event will benefit the host country's rural citizens. This is a particularly neglected area of research on mega-events. Rural communities in South Africa remain marginalised and often impoverished. This study assesses rural community members' perceptions of the costs and benefits of South Africa's hosting of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. It looks at the impacts they anticipated and how they would like to have participated in and benefited from the event. The responses of 100 households in Makhowe in rural KwaZulu-Natal show that this community generally supported South Africa's hosting of the event and expected direct benefits. Both negative and positive experiences and legacies were anticipated. It is recommended that partnerships be leveraged with game parks to enhance opportunities for rural communities and that further research should be conducted.