South Africa's premier sporting charity event, the Nelson Mandela Invitational, received a significant boost with the confirmation this week that Hollywood superstar, Denzel Washington, will be joining the celebrity field at this year's event, running from November 24-26 at the Arabella Country Estate just outside Cape Town.

Washington, an established supporter of the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund, will team-up with a stellar cast of stars already confirmed in the line-up, including South Africa's top golfers Retief Goosen, Tim Clark, Trevor Immelman and Charl Schwartzel, as well as Olympic gold medallist swimmer Roland Schoeman, Carte Blanche TV host Derek Watts, and former Bafana Bafana (South Africa) football captain Lucas Radebe.

Indications are that American actor Chuck Norris may also join the event headlined by host and nine-time Major winner Gary Player.

Washington, who made his big screen debut in 1981, has become one of the biggest names in the movie industry, winning a Best Supporting Actor award for his role in the Civil War drama 'Glory', and a Best Actor for 'Training Day'.

His other starring roles include big budget pictures such as 'The Pelican Brief', 'Courage Under Fire', 'Philadelphia', 'Crimson Tide', 'Hurricane', 'Man on Fire' and 'The Manchurian Candidate'.

The Los Angeles resident-star is not without South African roles in his movies, having playing Steve Biko in 'Cry Freedom.

The Nelson Mandela Invitational offers eight businessmen the opportunity to play two rounds of tournament golf with a professional golfer, a senior professional golfer and a celebrity, with the money raised from the event being split by the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund, and the Gary Player Foundation.

This year's event will be preceded for the first time by the Coca Cola Charity Championship, a new limited field event on the Sunshine Tour circuit.

The tournament forms part of the title sponsor's new five-year commitment to the Nelson Mandela Invitational and will feature the leading 30 available players on the Winter Swing Order of Merit following the season-finale Platinum Classic.

Players will compete over 54-holes for the R500,000 prize money on offer and the winner's place in the Nelson Mandela Invitational field.

With a touch of Hollywood class to the field, the Nelson Mandela Invitational promises yet another a great weekend of golf and glamour for a great cause.