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Cities and Stadiums
07/05/2004 12:52 - (SA)
Click on the links below to go directly to information about the city and its stadiums.
JOHANNESBURG
City Profile
To understand the spirit of Johannesburg, it is necessary
to realise that, scarcely a hundred years ago, the largest, richest city in South Africa was a huddle of tents pitched on
a mining ridge. Hard-nosed, unkempt settlers discovered gold
on this ridge in 1886, prompting a mad surge as prospectors
sought their fortune.
The ruthless spirit of that gold rush remains fixed in the
mindset of the city known today as Egoli, "City of Gold", or
just Jozi. It is a tough city, an uncompromising city,
characterised by often bewildering extremes of wealth and
poverty; yet, it is also a city of opportunity and lively
characters.
Today, Johannesburg is the capital of the Gauteng province,
a thriving city of business, generating 40% of the country's
GDP. It is also a place of cultural diversity where mine dumps
stand beside Indian bazaars, where skyscrapers neighbour
African "muti" (traditional medicine) shops, where the
landscape is punctuated by shopping malls, divided by highways
and striped with golf courses.
South-west of Jo'burg, Soweto was developed for black
people by the former National Party government. Inhabited by
more than two million people, with homes ranging from grand
mansions to fragile shacks, a place of enterprise and energy,
this city became a focal point in the struggle against
apartheid. Soweto boasts many famous places, notably Vilakazi
Street, unique in the world for the fact that it was once home
to not one but two Nobel Peace Prize winners, the former
Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Nelson Mandela, the revered former
President.
Sporting Heritage
The city of Johannesburg has played host to the four
largest single sporting events staged in South Africa.
The Rugby World Cup final was played at Ellis Park in 1995,
the final of the 1996 African Cup of Nations took place at
Soccer City, the athletics events during the 1999 All Africa
Games were contested at Johannesburg stadium and the 2003
Cricket World Cup final was held at the Wanderers.
This city with big, raucous and demanding crowds sustains
the three largest professional soccer clubs in the country,
namely Orlando Pirates, Kaizer Chiefs and Moroko Swallows.
Wits University makes up a quartet of leading Premier League
clubs.
Rugby's Golden Lions and cricket's Highveld Strikers carry
the city's flag in their respective sports, and the city
offers world-class facilities for horse racing, swimming,
motor racing, tennis, boxing and more than 25 golf clubs.
Furthermore, the National Olympic Committee of South Africa
has its offices in the great sporting city of Johannesburg.
Soccer City
As venue for the opening match and the 2010 Fifa World Cup
final, Soccer City will be the focal point of the tournament.
The Stadium, a classic, two-tiered bowl set on a spacious site
south-west of the Johannesburg city centre, will stand as the
cherished symbol of South African football's boom in recent
years.
It was constructed in 1987, becoming the country's first
world class stadium solely dedicated to soccer. Soccer City
accommodates the Safa offices and hosts most of the country's
major soccer occasions: prime internationals featuring
Bafana Bafana, impassioned derby matches between the giants,
Chiefs and Pirates, and most Cup finals.
For 2010, the upper tier will be extended around the
stadium, an encircling roof will be constructed, a new
changing room complex will be developed, and new floodlights
will be installed. It can seat 94 700.
Ellis Park Stadium
Ellis Park was constructed in 1982 as a modern, integrated
stadium offering outstanding sight lines from every seat. The
Stadium stands within a world class sporting precinct, barely
15 minutes' walk from the Johannesburg City Centre, and offers
outstanding office, security and medical features.
Ellis Park was conceived as a rugby stadium, and is fondly
known to all South Africans as the venue of the 1995 Rugby
World Cup final when South Africa defeated New Zealand, but it
has also become recognised as a premier venue for soccer.
Manchester United and Arsenal are two major clubs to have
graced the turf, and the Stadium has hosted South Africa's
national team on many celebrated occasions.
For 2010, new upper tiers will be constructed behind each
of the goals, at the north and south ends of the venue,
increasing the net capacity by 10 149 seats to a total 60 000.
Ellis Park will then meet every requirement to be accepted
as a venue for one of the semi-final matches.
DURBAN
City Profile
This balmy city on the east coast of South Africa is
blessed with 6km of breathtaking, golden beaches, an array of
world-class hotels and modern conference facilities, and the
ideal climate, has one of the perfect city profiles.
The warm Mozambique current flows down the east coast of
Africa, keeping the Indian Ocean warm enough for swimming
every day of the year and providing Durban with temperatures
that reach 30°C in summer and rarely dip below 15°C.
Also offering superb golf courses, busy entertainment
centres, gleaming shopping malls and excellent sporting
facilities, this resort city attracts millions of tourists
around the year.
Durban's business sector is also strong and the safe
harbour has become one of the continent's busiest ports. Its
people represent one of the most vibrant, invigorating
cultural melting pots to be found anywhere on the planet.
Sporting Heritage
Durban's sub-tropical climate offers conditions for
spectators and participants alike, and the city has
traditionally been a popular centre for international
soccer, rugby and cricket.
The King's Park Stadium sports precinct also features a
large soccer stadium, an athletics stadium, a cricket
stadium and a modern swimming venue.
Durban rallies to support three Premier League professional
soccer clubs (Manning Rangers, African Wanderers and Golden
Arrows), the Sharks rugby team and the Natal Dolphins cricket
side.
The city is home to the Comrades, an 89km ultra-marathon,
and the Durban July, arguably the continent's most prestigious
premier horse racing event, and to the world's largest beach
festival.
King's Park Stadium
King's Park stands less then a kilometre from the Indian
Ocean and is recognised as the prime sporting venue in the
holiday city of Durban.
Set in expansive grounds ten minutes' drive from the
primary hotel hub, the Stadium has been regularly renovated
and improved in recent years and now stands as a mighty,
towering structure.
King's Park hosted the international friendly played
between South Africa and England in May 2003 to celebrate the
international launch of South Africa's 2010 World Cup bid and
the Stadium won unreserved praise from visiting officials and
media.
Originally built as a rugby Stadium and used as a
semi-final venue in the 1995 Rugby World Cup, King's Park has
now become a dual-code venue, and indeed staged Bafana
Bafana's first ever match, a famous 1-0 victory over Cameroon
in July 1992.
For 2010, new roofed upper tiers will be constructed at the
north and south ends of the ground, behind each of the goals,
to create a fully encircled oval with a new net capacity of 60
000 seats.
King's Park will be nominated as a semi-final venue, ready
to host memorable Fifa World Cup matches on warm evenings,
cooled by the balmy breeze wafting in from the Indian Ocean.
CAPE TOWN
City Profile
With her iconic Table Mountain, pristine beaches, rugged
coastline, unmatched flora and calmly relaxed mood, and her
global status as a prime tourist destination and world class
conference venue, Cape Town is the most glamorous of South
Africa's cities.
Through the 17th century Portuguese and Dutch sailing ships
were grateful for Cape Town's port as a secure haven in
storms.
Steamers and mail ships followed in due course, and the
small town started to develop into what is now widely
recognised as a fully equipped, modern, ambitious and vibrant
city.
Europe's rich and famous flock to first rate hotels at the
Victoria and Alfred Waterfront. The city's famed attractions
include Table Mountain, the Gardens at Kirstenbosch, Chapman's
Peak, the Winelands, Cape Point, Kirstenbosch Botanical
Gardens and Robben Island - home of the prison where Nelson
Mandela and others were held for so long.
Indeed, in her diversity, culture and her boundless
tolerance, the Mother City continues to nurture and inspire
all her people.
Sporting Heritage
Cape Town is an outstanding sporting city.
The city is home to three Premiership soccer clubs:
Hellenic, Santos and Ajax Cape Town, and has regularly
celebrated provincial victories on both the rugby and cricket
fields as well.
In other codes, Cape Town is renowned for hosting the Two
Oceans marathon and the Argus Cycle Tour, when more than 30
000 eager cyclists set off around the peninsula. The Met is
one of the country's premier horse races, run at Kenilworth.
Newlands
Sport was first played on the "new lands" just around the
mountain from the Cape Town city bowl in the mid-1880s and the
cherished Newlands has been modified and improved ever since.
Today, it stands as a Stadium that combines the gentle
charm of enduring tradition with modern, up-to-date
facilities.
Set in an attractive, leafy residential area, across the
railway from the cricket ground of the same name, Newlands
successfully staged both the opening ceremony and opening
match, as well as the first semi-final, of the 1995 Rugby
World Cup.
Its security, parking, administration and access systems
have regularly been proven at a succession of major sporting
events.
However, in advance of 2010, Newlands will be provided with
a modern electronic scoreboard, upgraded floodlights, an
improved sound system and a new surveillance security system.
The two standing areas, located both in front of the main
stand on the western side of the ground, and in the lower
level at the south end of the Stadium, will both be converted
into seating areas, providing spectators with correctly
specified bucket seats.
Newlands has seen a great deal in more than a hundred years
of sporting history, perfect preparation for the challenge of
hosting first and second round matches in the 2010 Fifa World
Cup.
BLOEMFONTEIN
City Profile
Bloemfontein stands at the centre of South Africa.
Renowned for its hospitality, diligence and order, the
city's name is derived from the large number of flowers that
reputedly grew around an old fountain on a farm belonging to
Johannes Nicolaas Brits, one of the Voortrekkers, the 19th
century Afrikaner pioneers who headed north in search of land.
Bloemfontein was named as capital at the declaration of the
Republic of the Orange Free State in 1854, and the city's
status was enhanced in 1919 when it was named as the judicial
capital of the Union of South Africa.
Originally an agricultural settlement, founded in the midst
of vast, fertile plains, it was the discovery of gold in the
northern Free State that transformed the city into the
steadily thriving commercial and industrial city that "Bloem"
has become today.
Once reputed as stern and rigid, where any kind of sport
was expressly forbidden on Sundays, the tone of the place has
softened over the past decade. Bloemfontein, Botshabelo and
Thaba Nchu have merged to form Greater Mangaung, translated as
the place of the leopard, and civic society has united to
develop prosperity for all - low levels of crime, an absence of
road rage, a strong sense of community and a broad readiness
to smile.
Sporting Heritage
"Vrystaat!" (Free State!). The call resounds through the
history of South African sport, where Bloemfontein Celtic, the
local Premier League soccer club, and Free State's rugby and
cricket teams have regularly punched above their weight in
domestic competition.
Compensating small resources with simple guts and courage,
the people of Bloemfontein have developed a strong, proud
sporting heritage.
Indeed, the city hosted matches during the 1995 Rugby World
Cup, the 1996 African Cup of Nations and at the 2003 Cricket
World Cup, impressing visitors with hospitality and
enthusiasm.
The main sporting precinct is one of the best appointed in
the country with a world class soccer stadium standing cheek
by jowl with first rate venues for cricket, hockey, athletics,
swimming and tennis, all within a radius of just one
kilometre.
Free State Stadium
The Free State Stadium was substantially upgraded in
advance of the 1995 Rugby World Cup, and the structure now
stands as a fully functioning venue for international sports
events.
Situated within the city's sports precinct, the Stadium is
only a few minutes' drive from proposed Fifa and team hotels.
This dedicated sporting environment, which includes in
close proximity independent stadiums for cricket, hockey,
athletics and swimming, as well as several secondary fields,
has been repeatedly proven ideal for the application of safety
and security, the provision of ample parking and the
presentation of excellent corporate hospitality.
Six thousand VIP guests can be entertained, some in
uniquely converted luxury train carriages placed conveniently
behind the main stand. In advance of the 2010 Fifa World Cup,
a second tier will be added to the main grandstand on the
western side of the ground, increasing the net capacity beyond
the 40 000-mark required for venues to stage first and second
round matches.
Additionally, new turnstiles will be erected, the
floodlights will be upgraded, electronic scoreboards will be
installed and the sound system will be revamped to the
required standards. By then, the Free State Stadium will be
ready to welcome both participating teams and visiting
supporters to a world class venue.
KIMBERLEY
City Profile
Kimberley is the diamond capital of the world. A small,
shining pebble was unearthed in 1866 at Hopetown, 125km south
of the city.
This discovery prompted the most frenzied diamond rush in
history and the frantic digging of what is the largest
man-made excavation on our planet. The "Big Hole" has now
become a major tourist attraction and it remains the trademark
of this celebrated city.
That first pebble was identified as a 21.25 carat diamond
and was named "Eureka"; the 83.50 carat "Star of South Africa"
followed and so did thousands of people seeking their fortune.
In 1871, a major deposit of diamonds was discovered on the
"Vooruitzicht" farm, owned by two brothers named De Beer, and
one of South Africa's most famous dynasties was created.
At that time, the town was a basic settlement, swarming
with more than 55 000 desperate diamond diggers, a tented
shantytown plagued by flies, poor sanitation and foul water.
The Big Hole was officially "mined out" by 1914 but,
partially filled with turquoise water, it remains a remarkable
spectacle. Over 22.6 million tons of "blue ground" kimberlite,
yielding no fewer than 15 504 566 carats, has been excavated
from the hole.
Today, Kimberley is a well-organised and forward-looking
city, yet still with a diamond heart. Its older diggings are
all worked out, but the mines at Dutoitspan, Bultfontein and
Wesselton still produce more than half a million carats of
stones each year.
Friendly people and new facilities will combine to make the
diamond city an ideal Fifa World Cup venue in 2010.
Sporting Heritage
Sporting teams from Kimberley have traditionally been cast
as the plucky underdogs who just occasionally upset the city
slickers from Cape Town Johannesburg or, most satisfying,
defeat their near neighbours and great rivals from
Bloemfontein.
This fighting spirit is still reflected in the enthusiasm
of crowds who flock to see soccer, rugby and cricket in the
town.
On and off the field, there is an identity and pride that
inspires. Kimberley hosted matches during the ICC Cricket
World Cup in 2003 and proved itself capable of staging major
sports events. In this town, beyond doubt, the people will
rise to the occasion.
Kimberley Stadium
The 2010 Fifa World Cup will bring a brand new, long
overdue top class sports stadium to the diamond city of
Kimberley.
The new Stadium will entirely replace an existing venue
used for soccer and athletics and will become a symbol of
pride for the communities of the Northern Cape.
Cast as a fully functioning international soccer venue to
host first and second round games during the 2010 Fifa World
Cup, the Stadium will be designed to continue thereafter as a
fully adaptable, multi-sports, entertainment and exhibition
venue.
Safa is determined that a 2010 Fifa World Cup held in South
Africa will leave a legacy of relevant, first rate facilities.
The site has been selected because of its potentially
excellent transport links. A disused siding will be
transformed into the specific stadium railway station and a
new off-ramp from the N12 highway will be constructed just
north of the stadium precinct.
NELSPRUIT
City Profile
For many years, Nelspruit was known as a far-flung
north-eastern outpost of South Africa, offering not much more
than easy access for visitors to the world-famous Kruger
National Park.
In those days, it was a frontier town. Times have changed.
Political change and economic development of the N4 Maputo
Corridor have transformed the city into a gateway for
neighbouring markets, a business centre and a provincial
capital.
The town was essentially created on 28 August 1884, when
the Republican Volksraad approved plans to build a railway
from the newly discovered Lowveld goldfields to Johannesburg.
The line was finally opened in 1895 and growth followed as
people quickly rushed to buy land in and around the Nelspruit
area.
Today, property prices are soaring again. The city's
economy obviously benefits from its proximity to Mozambique
and Swaziland, but tourism has also been identified as a
growth area.
Nelspruit offers easy access to many of the world's finest
game parks and is close to the Eastern Escarpment, a 1
200-metre wall of jagged mountain towering above the African
bush.
The city is also home to the National Botanical Gardens,
set in 154 hectares of land along the eastern bank of the
Crocodile River, containing no fewer than 512 plant species
indigenous to the area.
Indeed, spurred by an ambitious local municipality,
Nelspruit has stepped forward as a prospective host venue for
a 2010 Fifa World Cup, offering to build a new stadium and,
significantly, giving easy access to the event from Mozambique
and Swaziland.
Sporting Heritage
The Dangerous Stars soccer club has recently won
promotion to South Africa's Premier League and will fly the
Nelspruit banner in circles where it has not always been
prominent.
Indeed, the city's existing sporting facilities are modest,
even if the Nelspruit rugby Stadium and the soccer, hockey
and cricket stadiums at the Valencia club have served their
purpose.
Now, plans are well advanced to construct a multi-purpose
sports complex, incorporating a 40 000-seater stadium, an
academy of sport and an event and exhibition centre.
As in other fields, it seems as though Nelspruit's best
sporting days lie ahead.
Mbombela Stadium
Construction of the new Mbombela Stadium on open land just
8km north of Nelspruit will confirm the recently rising
fortunes of this far north-eastern corner of South Africa.
Local communities have been denied such a facility for far
too long and this stadium will correct the anomaly.
Again, the 2010 Fifa World Cup will have provided the
crucial impetus in the creation of a world class facility that
will significantly improve the quality of life for millions of
South Africans.
The Mbombela Stadium has been designed to ensure it enjoys
a prosperous life beyond the tournament as an adaptable,
relevant multi-sport, entertainment and exhibition venue.
An elevated site has been chosen for the rounded,
rectangular shaped structure, incorporating ideal sight lines
from every seat and a substantial administrative area on the
western side.
The stadium will be specifically constructed to ensure that
it meets all Fifa requirements and presents a compact and
attractive venue for both first and second round matches.
Visiting teams and supporters may well be impressed by
their safari drives in the nearby Kruger Park but, for
explosive noise and thrilling atmosphere, even the Big Five
would be stretched to outdo the Fifa World Cup spectacle at
Mbombela Stadium.
ORKNEY
City Profile
It is a world of raw economic power, of industry and power,
of deep mines and farms that stretch over the horizon: this is
the southern region of the North-West Province, not much more
than an hour's drive from Johannesburg, a landscape that has
yielded the neighbouring provincial towns of Klerksdorp and
Potchefstroom.
In this centrally located area of the country, plans have
been laid to upgrade the Oppenheimer Stadium at Orkney and
create an exceptional, fully equipped world-class venue.
The area has many benefits: a low crime rate, an equitable
climate and a general sense of calm and well being.
Life has never been easy in one of the country's "engine
room" regions, but the people have historically not shirked
from their hard work, whether it be deep down in the gold
mines at Klerksdorp and Orkney, or in the wide acres of maize
and sunflowers.
The people of Klerksdorp, Potchefstroom and have worked
hard to create a region that will offer warm hospitality and
excellent facilities to each and every visitor during a 2010
Fifa World Cup in South Africa.
Sporting Heritage
The Potchefstroom-Klerksdorp-Orkney region is recognised
around the world as an ideal high-altitude site for peak
performance and is a preferred training base for many
world-class athletes in search of warmth during the northern
hemisphere winter.
Various stadiums, indoor sports centres and golf courses
meet the needs of local people, who have traditionally proven
themselves eager both to play the game, and support major
events.
The Olen Park Stadium, in Potchefstroom, represents the
main centre of activity and the North West Cricket Stadium
recently won national recognition as the "Ground of the Year"
in 2001/2.
Oppenheimer Stadium
The existing Oppenheimer Stadium is in reasonable condition
and offers a capacity of 23 000 spectators for soccer and
athletics.
However, a decision has been taken that this populated
region south west of Johannesburg, concentrated in a mining
belt around Orkney and incorporating the municipalities of
Potchefstroom and Klerksdorp, now deserves something much
better.
Thus, driven by the potential of hosting the 2010 Fifa
World Cup, plans have been laid to renovate the stadium,
increasing the capacity to 40 000 and creating a world class
venue.
It is intended that the existing earth embankments around
the Stadium will be enlarged by creating a new reinforced
concrete structure at the rear and building upwards.
The size of the arena will be further increased by the
removal of the athletics track, enabling excavation in front
of the first row of seats and creating room for further rows
to be installed.
Then, the existing roof of the main stand will be removed
and replaced by a new roof covering the extended main stand.
When floodlighting and sound systems have been installed, a
top class 2010 Fifa World Cup venue will have been created in
both an economically viable and an aesthetically pleasing
manner.
POLOKWANE
City Profile
Polokwane, formerly known as Pietersburg, is the northern
outpost of South Africa, the last major town before the
Zimbabwe border. As such, its status as a venue for matches
during a 2010 Fifa World Cup in South Africa will open the
tournament to many visitors.
The city is calm and the people are down-to-earth. The
capital of the Limpopo Province is located in a hot, dry part
of the country endowed with vibrant cultural diversity and
many successful farms.
Zebediela, south of the city, has become one of South
Africa's most extensive citrus estates and the area also
yields tropical fruit such as pineapples, mangoes and pawpaws,
as well as a variety of nuts and the largest tomato farm in
the country.
Polokwane enjoys a stable rate of growth, and its immediate
economic and social prospects have been improved by the
opening of the Maputo Corridor, creating a new trade route to
the Mozambican port.
Situated comfortably in the so-called savanna, an
archetypal African landscape of mixed grassland and trees,
Polokwane has all the makings of a distinguished venue for a
Fifa World Cup.
Sporting Heritage
Soccer enthuses the people of Polokwane and the entire
Limpopo province, specifically the performances of the local
clubs, Black Leopards and Dynamos.
Indeed this support is so strong and enthusiastic that Safa
recently decided to play an important African Cup of Nations
qualifying match between the South African national team and
the Ivory Coast at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in the city.
Polokwane has not hosted major international rugby or
cricket matches, but it has frequently proved a successful
venue for world class athletics, winning praise from top
international athletes.
Peter Mokaba Stadium
Today, the Peter Mokaba Stadium functions as a soccer
stadium and a venue for international athletics. Comprising
grassed banks on three sides of a main stand, it serves its
purpose well.
However, this prime sporting venue in Polokwane, capital of
the Limpopo province at South Africa's northern tip, is now
earmarked for a major upgrading to convert it into a world
class Stadium.
It is intended that the earth embankments will be
sufficiently built up to accommodate a further 20 rows of
seating, concreted and fitted with rows of Fifa-approved
bucket seating.
The roof over the existing west stand will be removed and
replaced by a roof that covers the entire western stand of the
new Stadium.
This imaginative design has been motivated by Safa's desire
to create world class facilities in historically deprived
areas and to build Stadiums in an economically viable manner
that offers enduring benefit to the community for many decades
to come.
In addition to the structural work, the Peter Mokaba
stadium will be provided with first rate equipment, including
an electronic scoreboard in the northern stand, new
floodlights, a modern sound system and a fire detection and
protection system.
The nature of this substantial renovation on open land
enables officials to ensure that Fifa's requirements are met
without difficulty.
PORT ELIZABETH
City Profile
Port Elizabeth stands on the underbelly of South Africa,
nestling in a wide bay, the fourth largest metropolitan area
in the country and, by reputation, the friendliest.
It is a place weighed down by epithets. Dubbed the "Detroit
of South Africa" because of its vehicle assembly plants, it
might also be known as the "Chicago of South Africa" on
account of the wind that often whips across Algoa Bay.
The city stands apart in the country's history: as home to
the Xhosa people, as the site of the first recorded European
landing, by Portuguese explorer Stet Bartholomew Diaz, in
1488, and as the precise place where 4 000 British settlers
arrived in 1820.
Much of this period's ambience is retained in exceptional
19th century architecture of The Hill, the oldest residential
area, but Port Elizabeth was also a city at the forefront of
the liberation struggle, the place that produced heroes such
as Steve Biko.
Respectful of its past, the city now embraces the future as
a prime tourist destination. New developments along the
beachfront, now a vibrant water sports centre, complement
nearby attractions such as the surfing paradise at Jeffrey's
Bay.
Sporting Heritage
No visiting team ever anticipates an easy match in Port
Elizabeth. The city's sporting lore has always been built on a
tradition of physical commitment.
However, resolve on the field is matched by warm
hospitality off the field and the city has frequently proved a
successful host for major international sporting events.
The Eastern Province RFU Stadium, situated five minutes
from the beach and five minutes from the airport, was a host
venue for the 1996 African Cup of Nations and also staged four
matches during the 1995 Rugby World Cup. The St George's Park
cricket stadium was selected as one of the semi-final venues
for the 2003 ICC Cricket World Cup.
Port Elizabeth Stadium
The Port Elizabeth stadium has been earmarked for a site
north of the city, near the industrial port development at
Coega, offering a new headquarters for sport in the Eastern
Cape.
The structure is envisaged as a futuristic soccer
stadium, which will be incorporated within a multi-purpose
facility specifically designed to serve the community for
years to come.
Safa is determined that new Stadiums should be built both
to meet the requirements of hosting a Fifa World Cup and
thereafter to serve local people in a practical, relevant
manner.
Prolonged discussions within the city have concluded that
Port Elizabeth's existing rugby stadium is unsuitable for
upgrade and so investment will be directed into this new
Stadium.
Its location in open land outside the city, two kilometres
from the coast, will ensure provision of ample parking and the
capacity to apply every required safety and security measure.
Yet, the Stadium's proximity to the N2 highway means it
will be no more than a 15-minute drive to the city's main
hotel hub.
In its design and construction, the stadium will be created
to meet every Fifa requirement and provide an outstanding
venue for first and second round matches during the
tournament.
PRETORIA
City Profile
For four decades, the country's administrative capital
suffered as being synonymous with the apartheid system.
However, the "Pretoria regime" has been consigned to
history and this naturally beautiful city has swiftly been
reborn as a vibrant, culturally diverse and increasingly
optimistic place.
Just 25min up the N1 highway from the prospective Fifa
headquarters in Sandton, the city offers wonderful gardens,
modern shopping malls and, in certain quarters, a bohemian
vibe.
Named after Andries Pretorius, one of the Boer military
heroes, Pretoria was established as the nation's capital in
1910 and this rich history is felt in the keenly preserved
Church Square, around which the city seems to have grown and
spread.
The Union Buildings remain the city's trademark. Designed
by Sir Herbert Baker and completed in 1913, this fine, stylish
structure presides over the city and provided the venue for
the inaugurations of President Mandela in 1994 and President
Mbeki in 1999.
The advent of democracy has sprouted offbeat cafés, a
relaxed mood and a sense of fun in Pretoria that will be felt
by anyone visiting Pretoria as a major venue for a 2010 Fifa
World Cup in South Africa.
Sporting Heritage
The administrative capital rallies in support of two top
Premiership soccer clubs, Sundowns and Supersport United.
The city also enjoys a strong heritage in rugby, cricket
and athletics. Loftus Versfeld hosted major matches in both
the 1995 Rugby World Cup and the African Cup of Nations in
1996.
Centurion Park featured as a major venue during the ICC
Cricket World Cup in 2003 and the Pilditch Stadium has staged
many of South Africa's most important and memorable athletics
meetings.
Typically, crowds are large and well informed, and the
city's excellent accommodation and transport facilities are
accustomed to the demands brought by hosting major sporting
events.
Loftus Versfeld
Named in memory of a leading sports administrator, Mr
Loftus Versfeld, after he suffered a heart attack in the east
stand in 1938, "Loftus" stands as one of the capital city's
most familiar landmarks.
The Stadium is situated scarcely 2km from the city centre,
in the heart of an attractive, tree-lined residential area
that accommodates row upon row of foreign embassies.
Through the apartheid years, reflecting the prejudice of
local residents, the city council resolutely refused
permission for soccer to be played in what was then
preserved as a bastion of rugby.
However, times have changed and Sundowns, one of South
Africa's leading professional clubs, now calls Loftus home.
The main west stand was completely rebuilt in 1977, and the
other three stands have been rebuilt since, creating an
impressive arena, that rises steeply on all sides and
incorporates some of the country's finest facilities for
corporate hospitality.
Minimal upgrading will be required for the Stadium to
qualify as a venue for first and second round matches, but the
floodlights, sound system and scoreboards will all be
improved.
Designated Media areas will be created in the lower level
of the west stand, from where the celebrated Loftus roar
should give the world's journalists something to write home
about.
Rainbow Junction
Private enterprise has identified the business opportunity
of creating a world class soccer stadium north of Pretoria.
The result of their research is Rainbow Junction, a new
sports complex comprising a stadium and an attached indoor
sports arena to be built on an undeveloped agricultural
smallholding.
San Grato Investments in conjunction with the Sinovich
family intend to drive the construction of this futuristic
facility.
The Rainbow Junction Stadium will be characterised by a
bold and imaginative leaf-shaped canopy that covers the
Stadium's main stand under one side, and effectively covers
the indoor sports arena beneath the other side.
It is intended that the other three sides of the structure
shall rise steeply from the touchline and be open.
The new Stadium has been conceived both to meet the
requirements of a venue to stage first and second round
matches in the 2010 Fifa World Cup and to address the longer
terms needs and desires of a historically deprived local
community.
The common need is clear, and the innovative private/public
funding plans demonstrate South Africa's ability to create its
world class facilities in a viable and responsible manner. To
be constructed from scratch, the new Stadium will meet all
Fifa Requirements.
RUSTENBURG
City Profile
Rustenburg stands in a region that provides more than 75%
of the world's supply of platinum. This exceptional mineral
wealth combines with an outstanding climate to guarantee a
high quality of life and promote a general sense of peace and
prosperity.
In recent years, the council and local businesses have
started a series of bold initiatives to expand the regional
economy from its historic mining base, of platinum and chrome,
generating economic growth, new jobs and a fast-increasing
population.
However, Rustenburg is far more than the economic dynamo of
the North West province. It is an established city, nestling
in the foothills of the ancient Magaliesberg mountains, an
area of natural beauty, enriched by thousands of important
Stone Age and Iron Age settlements, waterfalls, streams and
lush vegetation.
Sun City, the world famous resort, is located nearby,
offering four top class hotels, two 18-hole golf courses, a
man-made beach, an entertainment centre, casinos and much
more, all created by a vivid imagination in the crater of an
extinct volcano.
The Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace, a proposed venue for the
2010 Fifa World Cup in South Africa, is located close to
Rustenburg on land administered by the Royal Bafokeng nation.
In total, more than 900 square kilometres stand under control
of a tribal authority and headed by a Monarch. King Leruo
Molotlegi, the 30th in line of a dynasty that began with Phofu
in 1140, presides over 24 sub-villages and a wealth of
platinum reserves.
Sporting Heritage
Rustenburg's passion for soccer is amply proven by the
fact that the two largest professional clubs in South Africa
frequently choose to play home league matches in the city.
Kaizer Chiefs are frequent tenants of Olympia Park, and
Orlando Pirates regularly attract large crowds to the Royal
Bafokeng Sports Palace.
Olympia Park staged three group matches during the 1995
Rugby World Cup and has also hosted the South African National
Athletics Championships. On both occasions, the local
population rose to the occasion and created a memorable vibe.
Teams that are drawn to play in Rustenburg are assured of a
warm welcome and a passionate crowd.
Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace
Only minor renovations will be required to bring the Royal
Bafokeng Sports Palace into line with requirements for a
stadium able to host first and second round matches at a Fifa
World Cup.
This reality underlines the excellence of the venue, opened
in 1999 and completely funded by the Royal Bafokeng community,
an administrative entity that functions within North West
province and presides over the world's richest platinum mines.
The stadium is located on open land, offering easy access
and extensive parking facilities for local supporters and
those who make the comfortable 90-minute drive from
Johannesburg.
As a multi-purpose venue used by the community, the venue
includes an athletics track, but the oval bowl structure
maintains a degree of intimacy and engenders an excellent
atmosphere.
The stadium capacity will be increased to 40 000, excluding
VIPs and Media, by the scheduled construction of two
additional rows of seats in the concourse on the second level.
For 2010, essentially cosmetic measures such as
installation of new electronic scoreboards and upgrading of
the floodlights and public address system will render the
Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace ready to welcome the soccer
supporters of the world. - www.sa2010bid.co.za
- News24
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