A South African man has been arrested for making a bomb threat at Cape Town's World Cup fan park, police say.

The man, 32-year-old Simphiwe Mshweshwe, refused to be searched at the entrance to the Grand Parade fan fest on Monday, telling police he had a bomb in his bag, said local police spokesman Billy Jones.

"He repeated this threat three times that he had a bomb in his bag," Jones told AFP.

Police determined the man did not have a bomb after taking him to a secluded area and searching him with bomb unit dogs, Jones said.

He was charged with violating the country's explosives act and released on bail, Jones said.

The arrest happened shortly before the kick-off to the match between Japan and Cameroon which was held in Bloemfontein.

The fan park is in the centre of Cape Town, across from city hall.

Football governing body FIFA says 18,000 people watched the tournament's opening match at the park.

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