The World

My latest column is on South Africa:

There are still five days to go before the last ball is kicked at the World Cup, but the sense of relief in South Africa is already palpable. Over the past month, the country has put itself on trial by hosting the world’s biggest sporting event. South Africans were desperate to show to foreigners that their country was safe, welcoming and sophisticated. But they also wanted to prove a point to themselves: that their nation, which is still deeply divided on racial grounds, could unite around a successful tournament.