Not only are 2010 World Cup soccer fans, enjoying the skills of unfamiliar soccer teams from nations like Serbia, Slovenia and Slovakia, they are also getting a taste of South African culture – albeit in an annoying way.

For the first three days of the World Cup in South Africa, viewers watching games on television were confounded by a constant buzzing sound, as if drones of bees were humming in the broadcasters’ microphones. Some viewers speculated it was from the collective cheering of thousands of soccer fans in the stadiums from which respective games were being broadcast.

However, they soon learned that the annoying buzzing was made by fans collectively blowing South African horns called vuvuzelas. The vuvuzela, a narrow horn, about three feet long, that widens at its end, emits a distinct buzzing sound when it’s blown. It is also known as a stadium horn, customarily blown by fans at soccer games in South Africa.

The South African organizers of the 2010 World Cup allowed the use of the vuvuzela by soccer fans during games. Fans can be seen with their lips locked to the horns, which come in a variety of colors, blowing away incessantly throughout the 90-plus-minute games.

Non-African soccer teams, fans and broadcasters, have expressed annoyance with the constant buzz, which inside the stadiums has arisen to over 130 decibels making it impossible for one to hear oneself. Argentinean star player, Lionel Messi has complained about the noise, and the highly rated French team said the noise from the vuvuzelas was part of the reason for that team’s surprising goal-less draw with Uruguay.

The buzzing is not only an annoyance in the stadiums, but to millions of TV viewers. The BBC, in soccer-crazed England has received complaints from thousands of listeners, and the Associated Press, emails from readers across the globe, complaining that they are “being driven crazy” by the constant buzz during the broadcasts. The BBC responded that it cannot edit the buzzing sound, as it is interwoven in the commentary.

The protest from World Cup players, team officials, broadcasters, some fans in South Africa and international viewers, made to the soccer federation FIFA, the primary organizers of the global soccer tournament every four years, was unsuccessful. FIFA countered that the vuvuzela is a part of South African culture, and it will not ban them from the games.

Stefan Boulea, South African graduate student in Miami, said that the vuvuzela is “an integral part” part of South Africa’s soccer culture. “They are heard at every soccer game. As a South African, I am accustomed to the buzzing sound. I never even recognized it while watching the games. However, if viewers are annoyed by the sound, they could just turn down the volume or put their sets on mute.”

Despite the annoyance caused by the vuvuzela, the sound could be growing on fans, like the sounds of bagpipes at Scottish soccer games.

There was a report out of Toronto, Canada on Tuesday that Toronto cable-TV giant, Roger Communication, was bombarded with calls during the telecast of the Portugal-Cote d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) game, when the sound was lost for about 15 minutes. Perhaps as the games continue until July 11, and the vuvuzela buzz continues, South Africa would have comprehensively influenced the soccer world with the culture of its horns.