Zakumi

Lore & Background

His name comes from "ZA", the ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 code for South Africa, and Kumi, a word that means "ten" in several African languages, signifying "South Africa 2010". Andries Odendaal, from Cape Town, created the original character design and the promotional costume was produced by Cora Simpson. The green and yellow (gold) colours of the character match the colours used in South African sport uniforms and can also be seen on the South Africa national football team's kit.

In Their Own Story

The stadium lights hummed against the warm Johannesburg night as Zakumi bounded onto the pitch, his green mane glowing under the floodlights. The roar of the crowd was not just noise but a rhythmic pulse, amplified by the shrill wail of thousands of vuvuzelas that turned the air into a vibrating ocean of sound. He paused at the center circle, pointing to the sky and then to the fans, embodying the spirit of a nation that had waited decades for this moment. In that instant, he was not just a cartoon lion in a jersey, but the living heartbeat of Africa's first World Cup.

Reader's Guide

The official motto of Zakumi is "Zakumi's game is Fair Play", first seen in the digital advertisement boards during the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, before appearing again in the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Following the World Cup, a 20-episode animated series aired called "Zakumi" also known as "Zakumi The Animated Series". The series was created by Hong Kongese group Jidou Studios, whose YouTube page contains 8 of the first 10 episodes.

Did You Know?

• A contract for the manufacture of Zakumi figurines was awarded to a company owned by Dr. Shiaan-Bin Huang, who is an ANC representative member in the South African Parliament.
• The manufacture of the figurines was outsourced to Shanghai Fashion Plastic Products in China, with a contract value in excess of US$112 million.
• Due to concerns over the loss of jobs in the South African manufacturing sector, the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) suggested that more merchandise be sourced locally.
• The allegation of sweatshop conditions at the Shanghai Fashion Plastic Products factory led to an audit by Global Brands Group, which revealed a number of non-compliance issues with policies of GBC.