Dr Daniel “Danny” Jordaan was born on 3 September 1951 in Port Elizabeth.  He is a renowned sports administrator and a former lecturer, politician and anti-apartheid activist.

He became involved in anti-apartheid activities by joining the South African Students’ Organisation (SASO) in the early 1970s, an organisation founded by the late Steve Biko to defend the rights of black people in South Africa. Later, Jordaan became a member of the United Democratic Front (UDF) and the African National Congress (ANC).

In 1990 he was elected chairperson of the ANC branch in Port Elizabeth. In 1993, he was appointed as a director of the Cape Town Olympic Bid Company. After the first democratic South African elections in 1994, Jordaan became a Member of Parliament for the ANC. He held this position until 1997.

In 1997, Jordaan was elected Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the South African Football Association (SAFA). He was instrumental in transforming the economy of South African football, increasing revenue from the sport from US$3,2-million to US$35-million.

Jordaan led South Africa’s bid to host the 2006 FIFA (International Federation of Football Associations) World Cup, which the country narrowly lost to Germany; but Jordaan gained great respect internationally for his work.

He has since served FIFA in numerous capacities, including as a general coordinator for the Youth World Cup (now known as FIFA U-20 World Cup), 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup and the 2002 FIFA World Cup in Korea/Japan. He was also a match commissioner for the 2006 FIFA World Cup and a member of the 2006 FIFA World Cup Local Organising Committee.

Having led South Africa to a successful bid in 2004 for the right to host the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Jordaan was then elected CEO of the South Africa 2010 Organising Committee for the 2010 soccer showpiece.

Jordaan has served on the Marketing and Television Board of FIFA since 1998. He is also a member of the International Marketing Council. In 2000, he won South Africa’s Marketing Person of the Year award, while in 2001 he was given the Presidential Sport Achievement Award by then President Thabo Mbeki. In 2004, Jordaan was voted 44th in the Top 100 Great South Africans and Newsmaker of the Year.

He received a mayoral award from the Mayor of Los Angeles, California, on 24 October 2004. Jordaan has been given the freedom of the city of Maracaibo, Venezuela. He has also received numerous awards from other South African cities.

In addition, Jordaan holds various academic qualifications. He holds a BA Degree from the University of the Western Cape and an Honours Degree from the University of South Africa (Unisa). He received three honorary doctorates, namely a Doctorate in Philosophy from Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, a Doctorate in Administration from Unisa, as well as a doctorate in Philosophy from his alma mater, the University of the Western Cape.

On 27 April 2011, the State President, Jacob G Zuma, conferred Daniel “Danny” Jordaan with the Order of Ikhamanga in Gold for his excellent work and dedication in helping South Africa secure the right to host the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and also for playing a significant role in the success of the tournament itself.

References

• Anon, Dr Danny Jordaan from BrandSouthAfrica.com,  [online] Available at www.imc.org.za [Accessed on 19 May 2011]
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