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Durban – South Africa's shebeens, once underground bars hidden in black townships, have spruced up for the World Cup in hopes foreign fans will join locals in some of the country's most distinctive venues.

Most shebeens remain informal affairs, originally created in private homes to sidestep the oppressive rules of the fallen apartheid government.

Owners have gotten a boost from the country's biggest beer-maker, South African Breweries, part of the global giant SABMiller, which has poured R40m into renovating shebeens that now operate as legal taverns.

"We believe that less than one million South Africans will be afforded the opportunity to watch a live game," said SAB spokesperson Benedict Maaga, meaning township bars will be among the most popular places to watch the games that kick off on Friday.

The company has helped about 40 bars in the sprawling township of Umlazi outside Durban, host of seven World Cup matches, hoping to lure foreigners off the well-trod tourist trail.

"We believe that the tavern environment is a wonderful experience for visitors to enjoy our true hospitality and cuisine," Maaga said.

Proving a point

Bar owners are keen to prove the point.

"You are welcome! Oh, you are so welcome!" one barkeep enthused as a group of foreign fans walked in.

Twenty years ago, whites would never have ventured into shebeens, which under apartheid operated as illegal speakeasies, serving as social outlets but also as venues for political meetings among black workers.

After the first all-race elections in 1994, shebeens were legalised and began operating openly, turning into anchors of the township social scene with weekend crowds that last through the night.

While shebeen owners used to brew local beers in clay pots behind their homes, now they form part of a lucrative market where big alcohol brands take sponsorships on giant fridges.

The clientele has also changed with the emergence of a new "black diamond" middle class, which often lives in formerly white suburbs but still socialises in the townships.

"Where I live, it is just to sleep. They speak English and I speak Zulu. They like rugby and I like soccer," said Zwile Mchize, who works in finance but comes to the Metro Tavern in Umlazi to drink with friends.

High unemployment rate

Every Friday night, he leaves the steep walls and empty roads of his new neighbourhood, piles into his 4x4 and heads into the biggest township in KwaZulu-Natal province.

Shacks still line the township's winding roads, where unemployment is estimated at 50%.

"Alcohol is going to kill our country," said one man in his 40s, complaining that people in the township were spending too much money on drinking, even as he joined the crowd for a sip.

The owner of one bar had no qualms about his business, as his parking lot filled with cars blasting "made in township" music while sheep heads roasted on homemade grills.

"I won't lie to you. I make a lot of money with this business," he said, adding that he hopes to add a billiards room and a patio.

But he has no illusions about foreign fans walking in. He says it only takes one hand to count the number of white customers who have come over the last 20 years.