Zakumi

Zakumi, a green-haired anthropomorphic leopard, served as the official mascot for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. His name combines "ZA," the ISO code for South Africa, with "Kumi," meaning "ten" in several African languages, together signifying "South Africa 2010." Announced on September 22, 2008, the character was originally designed by Cape Town's Andries Odendaal, with the promotional costume produced by Cora Simpson. Zakumi's birth date coincides with South Africa's Youth Day.

His green and gold colors match those of South African sports uniforms, including the national football team's kit. The mascot's official motto, "Zakumi's game is Fair Play," first appeared on digital advertisement boards during the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup and again at the 2010 World Cup. After the tournament, a 20-episode animated series titled "Zakumi" (also known as "Zakumi The Animated Series") aired, created by Hong Kong-based Jidou Studios; eight of the first ten episodes are available on their YouTube page.

Controversy arose over the contract for manufacturing Zakumi figurines, awarded to a company owned by Dr. Shiaan-Bin Huang, an ANC representative in the South African Parliament. The figurines were outsourced to Shanghai Fashion Plastic Products in China under a contract valued at over US$112 million. The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) urged more local sourcing due to concerns about job losses in South Africa's manufacturing sector.

Allegations of sweatshop conditions at the Shanghai factory led to an audit by Global Brands Group, FIFA's master licensee, which found several non-compliance issues with its policies. The manufacturer denied the allegations, claiming working conditions were "very good."