South African cricket is proudly South African

The United Cricket Board of South Africa and the South African Cricket team have joined the Proudly South African campaign as a positive contribution to building a better South Africa.

In announcing the UCB's part in the campaign, UCB CEO Gerald Majola said it was appropriate that the UCB was the first sports body to become Proudly South African and that this happened just before South Africa's hosting and participating in the 2003 ICC Cricket World Cup.

"We are all proud to be South African and proud of everything this country has to offer, which will be on show in the next two months," Majola said. "It is good to have the badge of the Proudly South African campaign to show our pride and our commitment to building a better life for all South Africans."

Proudly South African was established to create new jobs and protect existing jobs in South Africa by increasing demand for South African goods and services and promoting consumer awareness of SA products. Members contribute a portion of their earnings to the campaign.

"The Proudly South African campaign, through contributions from its members like us, aims to create new employment opportunities and to protect existing jobs. We support them fully in their endeavours," said UCB President Percy Sonn. "South Africa is a nation that stands proud, with a standard of dignity and respect which the world can look up to. We as a nation have earned that standing through years of hard work, negotiating, tolerance and an unbelievable determination to succeed. Those are the characteristics of South African cricket and our teams," he added.

South African cricket captain Shaun Pollock said he and the national team were thrilled to be officially Proudly South African. "We represent every South African with pride every time we take to the field and we hope every South African is proud of us," Pollock said.