To support the excitement surrounding the FIFA World Cup and promote further tourism in South Africa, Core Group, Value Added Distributor of Apple products has launched a user-generated content (UGC) contest as an opportunity to celebrate the country’s beauty heading into 2010.

“There are so many reasons to feel good about South Africa! The rainbow nation is a truly hospitable nation, with diverse cultures and great pride in the country. As citizens we have the obligation of being ambassadors for our great nation and a responsibility to share our enthusiasm with the rest of the world,” says RJ van Spaandonk, executive director of the Core Group.

The campaign called A to Z of ZA intends to collectively showcase the best to be seen and done in South Africa by inviting participants to submit existing photos or video of the country. Content can be from a cell phone, camera, iPhone or iPod - as long as it demonstrates the wonders of South Africa to the rest of the world.

Entrants should make use of their original content by arranging it around the letters A to Z. For example A could represent aloe, B for braai, C for Cape Town, etc. Submissions may include all 26 letters of the alphabet or may focus around one specific letter.

Entrants must submit an iPhoto book using Apple software, or by visiting one of the selected retail stores and asking someone there for assistance with their submission. This portion of the contest will run until the end of December, with the entire campaign finishing in June 2010.

Fifty of the best iPhoto books entered into the A to Z of ZA contest will win a new 8GB iPod nano. The top pictures and video will also be published on the contest website.

“One of Core Group’s visions with this project is that ordinary South Africans will use their experiences of their own country as a way of spurring tourism and inspiring the world to pay us (another) visit. Let’s get creating and show the world the best bits of being South African,” says van Spaandonk.