Some are preparing to move out of their homes in the hope of renting them to well-heeled visitors for a one-month flood of foreign cash.
Prices for some private apartments in Johannesburg and elsewhere have rocketed recently to three, four and even six times normal, even before most fans have decided where to stay.
In Cape Town's "golden mile" along the beach, some owners of luxurious mansions overlooking the sea and Table Mountain were looking for rents of 90,000 rand ($12,100) or more per day, said Samuel Seeff, one of South Africa's top estate agents.
The spectacular houses are also protected from South Africa's frighteningly violent criminals with state-of-the-art security measures that are routine among the wealthy here.
"I don't have World Cup rates," said Dolly Hlophe, who runs a neat bed and breakfast from her home, shaded by a beautifully tended garden on a street in Soweto near Archbishop Desmond Tutu's home.
Like everything else about the World Cup, including plans for where to deploy a fleet of planes, trains and buses, everything is hanging on the tournament draw on December 4, when the location of each team's first-round matches will be decided.
South Africa's World Cup boss, Danny Jordaan, told Reuters while in London this week to promote 2010 tourism that spiralling prices could backfire in the long run.
"I think it does not make good sense for a sustainable business. If people think they did not get a fair deal, they will think twice about coming back," he said.
Seeff has gone into partnership with former Manchester United goalkeeper, now television commentator, Gary Bailey to market private properties for World Cup visitors, but he said some people's expectations were unrealistic.
While three to four times normal monthly rentals could be expected, "Nobody is going to ret
