ZAKUMI

THE WORLD CUP MASCOT

Zakumi was the Official Mascot for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. His name comes from "ZA"(that means South Africa), and "kumi", (a word that means ten in several African languages, referencing the year 2010.)

Zakumi the leopard's birth date coincides with a day known and celebrated as Youth Day in South Africa. The group A match played between South Africa and Uruguay (Match 17) also coincides with Zakumi's birthday. He turned sixteen on 16 June 2010.

The green and yellow (gold) colours of the character match the used in South African sport uniforms and can also be seen in the South Africa national football team's kit.

Zakumi is a jolly, self-confident, adventurous, spontaneous, and actually quite shrewd little fellow. He loves to perform and always follows his instinct and intuition, yet sometimes has the tendency to exaggerate a bit. He is often found fooling about and teasing people but not in a mean way. He is warm-hearted and caring, and wants to make as many friends as possible. He loves to play football as it is a great way to connect with others and break down language barriers. He always carries his football around which he will use to invite people to play with him. Zakumi loves football.