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The African Cup of Nations (AFCON) Organising Committee and the National Lotteries Board (NLB) are pleased to announce that the Sport and Recreation Distributing Agency of the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund has granted R13.5 million to assist with ensuring the smooth running of AFCON 2013.
 
“We will be able to use this money to provide services such as stipends, training, transport and food for five thousand volunteers, which is five hundred confirmed volunteers per region who have given their time to help us make sure that AFCON 2013 is as successful as the World Cup in 2010. We have been overwhelmed by the volunteer response and are delighted that so many South Africans to get involved in  the 2013 Orange AFCON tournament,” says MvusoMbebe, Chief Executive Officer of the AFCON LOC.
 
Volunteers will receive an official uniform, a certificate of appreciation, a daily stipend and travel and catering costs. They will be deployed to assist in the following: accreditation, logistics, hospitality, IT, translation, marketing, legacy meeting, protocol, spectator Service, ticketing, tournament operations, transport, welcome and information service, volunteer management and telecommunications.
 
NLB chairperson, Professor Alfred Nevhutanda, says: “We are committed to encouraging the organizations we fund to support our President’s call for job creation. We also hope that through this experience, the volunteers will also gain valuable skills and experience that they will be able to use after the soccer tournament that will continue to contribute to the South African economy. This is in keeping with the NLB mandate of ensuring that the lottery funds are used to provide opportunities for the more vulnerable in our society, socially and economically. We are looking forward to a well-run event which offers excellent soccer.”
 
AFCON begins on 18 January at 18:00, with the opening match between BafanaBafana and Cape Verde in Johannesburg. AFCON appeals to all South Africans to get behind the tournament and looks forward to the revival of the Diski Dance and Soccer Fridays.
 
“During the World Cup we were all hoping for an African team to win,” said Mbebe. “This time, that’s assured. And we are looking forward to the celebrations of Africa that will take place.”