heid ▁government ▁( although ▁un recogn ized ▁as ▁such ▁by ▁any ▁other ▁country ), ▁it ▁could ▁provide ▁entertain ment ▁such ▁as ▁g amb ling ▁and ▁to pl ess ▁rev ue ▁shows , ▁which ▁were ▁b anned ▁in ▁South ▁Africa . ▁Those ▁factors , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁its ▁relatively - close ▁location ▁to ▁the ▁large ▁metropol itan ▁areas ▁of ▁P ret oria ▁and ▁Johannes burg , ▁ens ured ▁that ▁Sun ▁City ▁soon ▁became ▁a ▁popular ▁hol iday ▁and ▁week end ▁destination . ▁ ▁The ▁United ▁Nations ▁had ▁im posed ▁a ▁cultural ▁boy c ott ▁on ▁South ▁Africa ▁in ▁condem n ation ▁of ▁apart heid . ▁To ▁overcome ▁this , ▁Ker z ner ▁offered ▁substantial ▁financial ▁in cent ives ▁to ▁performing ▁artists ▁to ▁use ▁Sun ▁City ▁as ▁a ▁ven ue . ▁Several ▁acts ▁dis reg arded ▁the ▁boy c ott ▁and ▁performed ▁at ▁the ▁ven ue , ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁Beach ▁Boys , ▁L inda ▁Ron stadt , ▁Cher , ▁Mill ie ▁Jackson , ▁L iza ▁Minn elli , ▁Frank ▁Sin atra ▁( 1 9 8 1 ), ▁Paul ▁An ka , ▁Status ▁Qu o , ▁Rod ▁Stewart ▁( J uly ▁ 1 9 8 3 ), ▁and ▁El ton ▁John ▁( Oct ober ▁ 1 9 8 3 ). ▁▁ ▁British ▁rock ▁band ▁Queen ' s ▁series ▁of ▁performances ▁at ▁the ▁ven ue ▁in ▁October ▁ 1 9 8 4 — in ▁trans gression ▁of ▁the ▁boy c ott — ca used ▁considerable ▁controvers y , ▁prompt ing ▁criticism ▁in ▁the ▁British ▁music ▁press