Province: KwaZulu-Natal
Population: 3.7 million
Altitude: 0m
Geography: The city is located on a huge natural lagoon that forms its harbour with a range of hills inland that are the remains of fossilized sand-dunes.
Climate: Sub-tropical, mild and sunny winters, hot and humid summers. Average temperatures are around 16 to 25° C year round.
Key Economic Sectors: Tourism, transport, agriculture, manufacturing

Durban is the host for the Preliminary Draw for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ on Sunday 25 November 2007. It is probably apt that the first FIFA event in the run up to the 2010 event is held in the city, given its long and rich association with the beautiful game. The city has been the scene for many football milestones.

The first football league had its roots in the KwaZulu-Natal Province. The Natal Football Association was formed in 1882 and with a league comprising four clubs - Pietermaritzburg County, Natal Wasps, Durban Alpha and Umgeni Stars. By the following year, the league had grown to include of ten clubs.

The city of Durban has an extremely good track record in South Africa as a venue for hosting major events which include local and international football. In fact, Durban was the scene for South Africa's return to international football after the end of apartheid. The match between South Africa and Cameroon on 07 July 1992 celebrated the country's re-admittance into CAF and FIFA.

Football is returning to the city once again; this time to make the draw for the preliminary competition which will eventually give 31 countries a ticket to join South Africa in 2010. A record 200 countries have entered, highlighting the increased competition for the coveted spots in the FIFA World Cup.

The city
Durban is a city that is a vibrant and eclectic mix of architectural design, tradition and cuisine. Durban is one of South Africa's fastest growing urban areas with a population of 3.7 million. In 1998, it won the United Nations Award for Best Managed City in Africa.

The city is located on the eastern seaboard of South Africa and has a wonderful climate with warm winters, tropical summers and more than 300 sunny days a year. At the heart of this, is Durban's Golden Mile. It is a stretch of golden sand, partitioned by piers and lapped by warm water from the Indian Ocean. The Golden Mile is also home to uShaka Marine World, the fifth biggest aquarium in the world and incorporating a water park.

The Port of Durban is the biggest and busiest in Africa, handling more than 5,000 commercial vessels per year. Two-thirds of the country's container trade is shipped to or from Durban harbour, providing employment for 100,000 people.