2010 South Africa World Cup Stadiums

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The 2010 World Cup will be contested in 10 stadiums in nine host cities, so you should start making your plans for your South Africa travel. Five of these South Africa World Cup stadiums will not be newly built, although they will be upgraded. Two of these stadiums are in Johannesburg and one of the other eight cities will host a stadium. Sports fans should also take the time on this visit and learn why South Africa is a much visited destination in its own right. You should be aware that many tickets were still unsold by April 2010 - what an excuse to travel to South Africa!

According to local media reports the national government set aside 8.4 billion ZAR towards the cost of the World Cup stadiums. The lions share was to be spent for stadium construction and upgrades. Newly built stadium are the Green Point Stadium, the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, the Mabhida Stadium, the Mbombela Stadium and the Peter Mokaba Stadium.

About the stadiums and their host cities

Soccer City Stadium and the Ellis Park Stadium are located in Johannesburg. Soccer City Stadium has 94,700 seat capacity. The opening game and the final, plus five games in the first round will be played here, as will one during the second round and one quarter final. Ellis Park Stadium has capacity 61,000 seat capacity. Five matches in the first round, one in the second round and one quarter final will be done here. Johannesburg is the business capital of South Africa. It is a shopping haven from its Mai Mai market to other more sophisticated venues in the city and suburbs. A cosmopolitan city Johannesburg will surprise you with magnitude of trees.

Pretoria contains the Loftus Versfeld Stadium with capacity of 50,000 seats that will hold five first-round matches and one in the second-round. It is the capital city of the country but offers also nature reserves and bird sanctuary worth seeing and a steam train trip you might like to try.

Rustenburg contains the Royal Bafokeng Stadium with capacity of 42,000 seats that will hold four first-round matches and one during the second-round. Rustenburg is renowned for having two of the biggest platinum mines in the world just outside the city. It is located in the foothills of a mountain range. The stadium is named after its owners, the rich tribe of the Bafokeng Nation on whose land also lie the platinum mines. Sun City, the Las Vegas of South Africa is located a short drive away. The Hartebeesport Dam is a popular local getaway that is also a short drive away.

The Bloemfontein Free State Stadium has capacity for 45,000. You can see five first-round matches and one second-round match here. The judicial center of the country, it also contains a game reserve inside city bounds. Orchid House a huge collection of orchids to see. Other nearby venues will keep visitors entertained.

The 1,450,300,025.94 ZAR Moses Mabhida Stadium lies in Durban and named after a founding trade union member. With capacity of 70,000 seats, it is a multipurpose complex. The most noticeable feature of the design is a giant arch above its roof that visitors may reach on a cable car. The stadium will host five round one matches, a match in the round of 16 and a semi final. Durban offers many beaches, a marine theme park and Fitzsimons Snake Park. The city has a distinctive Indian district. Gandhi was a solicitor and earned his activist chops here before returning to fight for Independence of India. Indian food lovers should try the Indian delicacies bearing the local stamp. Durban is also situated in Zulu territory with cultural villages and landmarks visitors can see.

The Cape Town Green Point Stadium has a 68,000 capacity. The 2,392,995,042.80 ZAR stadium shall host an opening game, five first-round games, one second-round, a quarter-final and a semi-final game. The flattop Table Mountain is the background set for Cape Town which faces the ocean. The city contains an interesting Malay district. Water themed exploits and a renowned vineyard region can be explored here.

Port Elizabeth will be home to the new 1,087,725,019.45 ZAR Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium with capacity of 48,000 seats that shall hold five first-round, one second-round, one quarter-final, and the third-place play-off. The stadium is situated on the shores of North End Lake and has spectacular views of the lake and the Indian Ocean. The stadium has an iconic sunflower like design to deflect the notorious high winds of Port Elizabeth. Visitors will witness its two gigantic viewing screens and modern technology. Port Elizabeth is enjoyed by beachgoers. Architecture buffs will notice its Opera House is an example Victorian architecture and the many Art Nouveau buildings located here. The unspoiled beaches of the sunshine coast and Hogsback, the rumored inspiration for the Lord of the Rings books are a few hours drive away.

The new 1,116,731,019.97 ZAR Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane has 45,000 seat capacity. Four beginning round games will be played here. The Baobab tree can be seen in the stadium design. Situated two miles from city center, it is named after a local apartheid era political activist. The Bakone Malapa Museum here is worth a visit. You can see Bakone village life recreated. Other places to see are a game reserve, a Crocodile Farm and a bird sanctuary, a rain forest and caves, an Anglo-Boer War era concentration camp, monuments, a memorial and photographic museum showing early urban history.

The new 1,051,467,518.81 ZAR Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit has 46,000 seat capacity. It shall have four beginning round games. Famous Kruger National Park and some of the best game reserves in the country close by have inspired its distinctive giraffe shaped eighteen roof supports and zebra inspired seating. A fores and mountains, caves, dinosaur park and a gold mining town are area sites.

About the Author

Martin is operations Manager of Global Village South Africa Travel Guides. Martin is passionate about his hometown Cape Town. His mission is to ensure overseas visitors avoid the usual tourist traps and get the absolute best out of their travel to South Africa. This article is freely available for further distribution provided the contents of the resource box remain attached and unchanged.