Nelson Mandela will celebrate his 92nd birthday on Sunday, one week after the end of the 2010 World Cup.

There's no surprise at what will be at the top of his present list this year - vuvuzelas.

The "gift" office at the Nelson Mandela Foundation is packed with presents that have not yet been opened, and they cannot even begin to count how many vuvuzelas have already been delivered.

While they were hesitant to reveal what gifts have already arrived, they said "a lot" of presents arrived after the World Cup ended. Among them, a basket of books from Peru's ambassador, a woollen hat from a non-profit organisation called Gogo Magic and a wooden boat from the Cameroonian soccer team.

Lebogang Mapota of Thabantshu wrote Mandela a poem, and Shelly Ostroffkey drew a pencil sketch of Mandela for his birthday. The Rev Gerrit Kritzinger, chief executive of the Bible Society of South Africa, sent Mandela a Bible in Xhosa.

The foundation is due to receive "a lot of cake" today ahead of tomorrow's party.

On Sunday, "he will spend the day as he always does, with the family", said his grandson, Chief Zwelivelile Mandela, formerly known as Mandla Mandela.

Early on Sunday, before family celebrations kick off, the former president's wife, Graca Machel, will visit Orlando Children's Home in Soweto for an event planned by the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund.

There she will help plant a food garden as workers volunteer time to fix broken windows, doors and tiles at the children's home.

Tomorrow, Mandela will celebrate his birthday at home with President Jacob Zuma and other ANC dignitaries.

His grandson told The Times yesterday that he had arranged for 67 children from Umvezo, Madiba's birthplace, and 25 children from the village where he grew up, to fly to Johannesburg for the celebration.

"They are all looking forward to going out of the village," he said.

"They will spend the day on Saturday with my grandfather, and will sing for him and have a party."

South African Airways has sponsored the flights for the children, who Mandela said "will be flying for the first time".

The children, between the ages of six and 12, would also receive school uniforms and tracksuits from South African Airways.

On Sunday, Zuma will return with Mandela's grandson to Mvezo, where they "will be engaging in several projects".

Among their plans, Mandela said, they would plant trees, begin building a clinic, paint and fix up two schools in Mvezo and put up a fence around his grandfather's original homestead in Qunu.

Yesterday, he was building a dipping tank for cattle with about 100 men from the community.

Nelson Mandela Foundation spokesman Sahm Venter said all birthday preparations were private and would not be announced: "We don't talk about what he is doing ahead of time."

"We never reveal in advance his programme," she said, "so its enough to say what has already been said by his grandson."