I have been living in Hong Kong long enough to have become accustomed to the “No Photo” rule at some establishments.  It is not unheard of to see folks flip out a camera at a restaurant and take several pictures of their meal.  Just yesterday I saw a guy take several snapshots of various pages of a newspaper in 7-11, putting it back on the shelf and leaving.  I have sympathy for the businesses who have this rule because they don’t want their products duplicated across the border, because that’s how products get pirated.

If you’re a regular reader of the website, you will know that I’ve been keenly following the amount of exposure given locally to the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup that starts in South Africa in June.  For this reason, when I passed the Adidas store in Tsim Sha Tsui this afternoon, I decided to have a look at what they are doing as official supplier to FIFA.

Keeping in mind that they may have a “No Photo rule” I politely asked a salesman if I may take some pictures of Jabulani (the name of the official 2010 ball) and Zakumi (the official mascot of the 2010 SWC).  I explained why I wanted to do so and offered my name-card.  He rushed off to consult his manager who bluntly refused, never even looking up from his keyboard (or game console).  “No pictures of the ball, only the mascot.” came the response.

I left and took a picture of the store instead.  So rest assured Adidas; while I took a picture of your store, I have no intention of setting up a rival “Adibas” outlet.   

The official mascot for the FIFA 2010 Soccer World Cup in South Africa, Zakumi will make his appearance at Times Square during the biggest SA 2010 Expo in Hong Kong between 10-13 December 2009.  If you cannot wait until then, just pop in at the South African Consulate in the Great Eagle Building, Wan Chai and you’ll find him in the lobby!

Zakumi can be found at the SA Consulate in Hong Kong (Pic: Mike Jansen)

This is what the GCIS (SA Govt. Information Service) had to say about the fluffy “little” mascot:

So what can we say about him? One thing is for sure, Zakumi will be first on the dance-floor and last off it at the biggest party in the world – the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™. He wants to dance and entertain as many people as he can. He is an animator for fans, players and officials, for schoolchildren, teenagers and big kids alike!

Needless to say, he is extremely proud to be the Official Mascot and determined to be the best host for everyone visiting his beloved country. He symbolizes South Africa and the rest of the African continent through his self-confidence, pride, hospitality, social skills and warm-heartedness.

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. You will often find him 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. At one time he decided to dye his hair green as he felt it would be the perfect camouflage against the green of the football pitch; a bit like his rosette spots are when hunting in the wilderness!

He does have one striking weakness. With all his energy, he needs frequent rests. Occasionally, in-between performances on stage, he may suddenly fall asleep on the spot at the most random times! But rest assured, these are only short breaks that a leopard of his calibre needs to recharge his batteries.

Over the last years he has travelled the whole of Africa where the leopard habitat is good (pretty much everywhere from open savannahs, forests, jungles to mountainous areas, even deserts). He has therefore learned to adapt to new environments; enjoying the diversity in nature and people across the African continent

The name ‘Zakumi‘ is a composition of ‘ZA’ standing for South Africa and ‘kumi’, which translates translates into ‘10′ in various languages across Africa.

Zakumi‘s main priority is to turn the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa into one huge, joyful and unforgettable party and show the thousands of international guests the warmth and spirit of the African continent.

“He wants to create a good mood for the fans and raise the excitement for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the first on African soil. He is a proud South African and wants to ensure that the world will come together in South Africa,” explained Lucas Radebe, South Africa’s football icon and close friend of Zakumi.