Psychic income and social capital among host nation residents: A pre–post analysis of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa

•Analysis of hosts' perceptions of mega-events focusing on data collection timing and social impact measurement.•Pre and post event psychic income and social capital levels assessed in South African context.•Psychic income increased among South African residents eight months after the FIFA 2010 World Cup.•Little change in social capital among host nation residents eight months after the FIFA 2010 World Cup.•Social utility of mega-events discussed in context of event leveraging and legacy literature.

Following a growing focus on the social impacts of mega-sport events over the past decade, this study examined perceptions of psychic income and social capital among South African residents prior to, and following, the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Psychic income is a measure of event-related pride/euphoria and social capital is a proxy for social cohesion. Using a quasi-experimental trend design, residents of five host cities were surveyed three months pre-event (n = 1749), and eight months post-event (n = 2020). ANOVA, MANOVA and MANCOVA were used to evaluate the data over time. Psychic income significantly increased from pre to post-event; males and Black South Africans rated psychic income significantly higher. Three social capital dimensions decreased and two exhibited no change post-event; Black and younger South Africans perceived higher social capital levels. The social utility of mega-events, the concept of event-related legacy, and the operationalization of social impact and data collection time-frames for future studies are discussed.