Jacob Zuma told the team his hands were itching to touch the golden trophy at the end of the tournament, setting a tough target for a team previously written off as no-hopers.
Zuma said he was confident the team would win the tournament, which kicks off at Soccer City on Friday when South Africa meet Mexico.
"I've come here to encourage you that South Africa is a 100 percent plus behind you," he told the players, according to a team spokesman.
Zuma later read a statement from former president Nelson Mandela which said the FIFA World Cup "is more than just a game: it symbolises the power of football to bring people together from all over the world, regardless of language, the colour of one's skin, political or religious persuasion."
Mandela's family has said the globally revered former leader, who turns 92 next month, is increasingly frail and rarely appears in public, could could make a brief appearance at Friday's opening match.
"South Africa has come alive and will never be the same again after this World Cup," Zuma said earlier in the week.
The team also met former president Nelson Mandela, still an iconic symbol in the country, last week. "Just to be in his presence is a big motivation for the team," striker Bernard Parker told a news conference on Tuesday.
