Originally posted by the Voice of America. Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America, a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in the public domain. Mexican Fans Add Spice to South Africa's Football Fiesta 25,000 Mexicans expected in South Africa for World Cup Darren Taylor | Midrand, South Africa 28 May 2010 Photo: D.Taylor Raw corn chips roll off a machine at the biggest Mexican food factory in Midrand, near Johannesburg....The Mexican owner are 'big time" football fans A gleaming silver machine clicks and whirrs as it expels row upon row of hot Mexican tostados â or corn chips - at a factory in Midrand, between Johannesburg and Pretoria. The uncooked chips fall into a large bucket, and are hauled away to be deep fried in big vats of boiling oil. Near sacks of flour piled high to the roof, Gaby Agraz points to another piece of equipment. âThis one is specially imported from Mexico. It produces between 15,000 and 18,000 wheat tortillas every day,â she says proudly. âThis has made a real difference to the Mexican community living in South Africa because the average Mexican eats three to four tortillas with every meal.â Her business partner and husband, Hector, adds, âThe tortilla is to Mexicans what bread is to the French, or biltong (dried meat) is to a South African. Wherever a Mexican is, he or she will try to find tortillas and if they find someone whoâs making them, that person will be their star in the world!â The Agrazâs also produce 500kg of nachos â triangular tortilla chips - every day, and 1, 500 corn tortillas every week. Their progress has been phenomenal. D.Taylor Mexico football supporter and factory manager, Gaby Agraz, sorts through a pile of tortilla chips...She's confident Mexico will beat South Africa in the world Cup's opening game on June 11th âWe came here almost 15 years ago with nothing! No factory, no employees, no machinery â nothing!â Hector exclaims. In 1995, fresh from Mexico City, the Agraz couple found themselves in Johannesburg â a metropolis then, as now, labeled the most crime-ridden in the world. They were following a vision â to establish Africaâs first âhomegrownâ Mexican food manufacturing company.  âAll our people back in Mexico thought we were insane, but we saw a gap in Africa and South Africa was the perfect place to allow us to fill that gap,â Gaby tells VOA.  The Agrazâs âinsanityâ has paid off, and they now operate the biggest Mexican food business in Africa, supplying restaurants and supermarkets throughout southern Africa with traditional Mexican fare. âMexico is in our heartsâ In December last year, when the World Cup draw happened and Mexico was pulled from the pot to play South Africa in the World Cupâs opening game, Gaby says her family became very excited. âAll of a sudden we started receiving phone calls and (sending SMS messages) to all our friends around South Africa (saying) âCan you believe it; out of all the countries in the world itâs Mexico!ââ D.Taylor Hector(in forground) and Gaby Agrazi in the reception area of their Mexican food company near Johannesburg The Agraz family has tickets for the tournamentâs historic first match, on June 11th at Johannesburgâs Soccer City Stadium. âWe are guarding them like gold,â says Gaby. âItâs going to be a great experience â being able to wear the green shirt (of the Mexican team) and supporting Mexico - because even though weâve been in South Africa for 14 years, Mexico is in our hearts.â As the months have become days until the big kick-off, Mexican news media have descended upon the Agraz factory, âbecause itâs a little piece of Mexico right in the middle of the host country!â Hector explains. âMexican journalists want to know about how life is in South Africa, and I have had no hesitation in telling them how beautiful it is here and how beautiful the people are,â says Gaby.  Friendly South Africa The Mexican embassy in Pretoria expects about 25,000 Mexicans to travel to South Africa for the World Cup. âItâs going to be a tequila and tortilla tidal wave here soon,â Gaby jests. AFP The Agraz couple are going to be joining an estimated 25,000 Mexican fans at Africa's first football World Cup The Agrazâs plan to give the visitors as much advice as possible to make sure they have a wonderful time in South Africa. Gaby says sheâll take âgreat pleasureâ in describing the country as one of the friendliest places sheâs ever been. âPeople (here) are just so open and so happy and they just greet you so nicely,â she says. But the Agrazâs say some Mexican ticket holders theyâve spoken with are very concerned about South Africaâs high crime rate.  âAs in any other part of the world I would tell them to be very careful (when theyâre here),â Gaby states, and Hector interjects, âIf youâre going to go out wearing a gold Rolex (in some parts of South Africa) â definitely, (criminals are) going to take it away from you.â Gaby adds that sheâs told Mexicans coming to South Africa for the World Cup that they shouldnât be so afraid of crime as to âlock themselves in their hotel roomsâ after matches. âThey should travel in groupsâ to safely experience South Africaâs diverse attractions, she emphasizes. D.Taylor Gaby Agraz (left) with one of her loyal employees, Julia Mafoko....Gaby will support Mexico while Julia is backing South Africa at the World Cup Gaby maintains the World Cup is an opportunity for South Africans âto correct a lot of misperceptionsâ about their country. âItâs amazing that people out there, even in Mexico, think that South Africa is all bush with lions roaming around everywhere, and that there is a criminal on every street corner here,â she says. âItâs the same that happens to us when we tell a South African that we are from Mexico â they think that we are all little Indians with a big hat and pulling a donkey!â  So, she says, the World Cup opening game offers a chance for South Africans and Mexicans to learn more about one another and to âenjoy one another no matter who wins or loses.â     Shosholoza versus chickity boom Hectorâs âa bit worriedâ that the Mexican players and fans arenât prepared for South Africaâs icy winter weather. âIn the middle of June, itâs damn cold down here!â he says, shivering theatrically. But his wifeâs more concerned about the âterribleâ racket that tens of thousands of manic South African fans are going to make with their controversial vuvuzela plastic trumpets. AFP Mexico's football team celebrates qualification for the World Cup in South Africa âI donât like those! Theyâre just so annoying,â she exclaims. âI really hoped (the World Cup organizers) would ban them.â Her husband agrees, adding, âIf South African fans leave those vuvuzelas at home and rather sing âShosholozaâ then the Mexico team will be in serious trouble.â  âShosholozaâ â a Zulu expression meaning âpush forwardâ - is arguably South Africaâs most inspiring sports anthem. It has its roots in the struggle against apartheid, first being sung by black male work gangs engaged in poorly paid hard labor. The song encourages the stimela â a train, representing the people of South Africa - to overcome âhigh mountains,â to âfightâ and to âtriumphâ over adversity. âA few years ago I was at a game between South Africa and Congo and the whole stadium started singing Shosholoza,â Hector tells VOA. âIt was one of the most moving experiences of my life. I was crying. Itâs amazing how well South Africans sing.â But, no matter what kind of noise the South African fans choose to make, Hectorâs confident that their Mexican counterparts will have the âfirepowerâ to overcome their hosts. âWe (Mexicans) have a war cry â (itâs called) âchickity boom!â You South Africans will be hearing it soon enough!â he warns. Tequila! Gaby declares confidently that Mexico will beat South Africa 2 â 0. Hector says, âMy prediction is Mexico will top the group. (Itâll be) 3 - 1 (against South Africa); the second match is France - weâre going to beat (them) 1 â 0 and weâre going to go 1 â 1 with Uruguay.â He jokes that when South Africa loses to Mexico, the Mexican supporters will be âmore than happyâ to supply their hosts with tequila - the most Mexican of alcoholic beverages â to allow them to âdrown their sorrows.â But heâs aware that South Africans will be hoping the reverse comes true, and that itâs the locals whoâll be providing traditional drinks from their homeland to ease the pain of Mexicoâs defeat.  .