Soccer fans from around the world descended on South Africa in droves for the World Cup and offered some interesting insights into South African life.

Jan de Wilde, from Amsterdam, the Netherlands, said: "The country is more developed than I thought it would be. The roads are good, the hotels are good ... it's not that different to the Netherlands."

He was amazed by how friendly South Africans are.

"They are so open and friendly; they come up to us and ask where are we from and where have we been. They're very interested," he said.

Bernardo Fernandez, from Mexico City, said that seeing the country's wildlife up close was a high point for him. While driving on the N1, near Cape Town, he stopped repeatedly to photograph baboons beside the road.

"We saw baboons in the zoo in Mexico, yes, but never in the wild."

Kind locals, he said, always helped with directions whenever he got lost.

"The people here are so kind. We've had a wonderful experience," he said.

Korey Donahoo, from the US state of Nebraska, said the country was "awesome". And, after attending Germany 2006, said that South Africa was far more "united" in its support of the tournament.

"It seems that everyone had a flag and was behind their team," he said.