Johannesburg — The World Cup has for the first time given the South African Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS (Sabcoha) condom distribution programme access to the hospitality sector, which will give 1-million free condoms to guests during the tournament.

Condoms are an important part of the government's HIV- prevention programmes, which include an ambitious campaign to get 15-million South Africans to take an HIV test by June next year. The coalition had been involved in condom distribution in the private sector for the past four years, CEO Brad Mears said yesterday.

Southern Sun, a member of the Federated Hospitality Association of Southern Africa (Fedhasa), has agreed to distribute 500000 condoms to its guests, with the remainder being handed out by other members of the association. Fedhasa members are to distribute one condom per room every day for 45 days.

Cape Town Tourism has also joined the initiative, and has drawn in 30 establishments with 3000 rooms among them.

The condoms had been branded with The Don and Fedhasa logos and safe-sex messages such as "I Am Responsible" or "Play It Safe In Cape Town", said Sabcoha's 2010 project manager Kai Crooks-Chissano.

Sabcoha decided against distributing condoms inside stadiums because of the difficulties of estimating demand and ensuring condom containers in toilets were stocked, she said.

Sabcoha has also lent its support to a programme meant to keep school children from deprived communities safely occupied during the five-week holiday that coincides with the World Cup. Business has contributed R900 000 to the Camp I Am initiative, which will cater to 1500 children aged six to 13 at sites in the Eastern Cape, Western Cape, North West, KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.