Soccer City
What it says about the murky world of government tenders
Rob Rose, Amabhugane & ISS
Apr 29 2010
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FAST FACTS ON SOCCER CITYRead more »
- The stadium cost approximately R3,4 billion to build and upgrade
- It occupies 25 hectares on the east of Soweto.
- It has a seating capacity of 94 000.
- The playing area is 11 232 m2.
- 80 000 m2 of concrete, 9 000 tons of reinforced steel, 7 100 tones of structural roof steel and 11 million bricks were used to construct it.
- It has 228 (mainly corporate) suites, split evenly between two levels.
Introduction
Designed as an African calabash and dubbed ‘the melting pot’, Soccer City is the showpiece stadium for the 2010 FIFA World Cup and is set to host the opening match, six further matches and the final match. With seating for 94 000 spectators and as the biggest stadium on the continent, it is rightly regarded as South Africa’s ‘national stadium’. It hasn’t come cheap, however.
At last count, Soccer City cost R3,4 billion to build and upgrade – funded by taxpayers through the National Treasury. While this was more than the R3,1 billion spent on Durban’s new Moses Mabhida Stadium,[1] it remains less than the R4,5 billion spent on Cape Town’s Green Point Stadium (see chapter in this publication, How Cape Town Got Its White Elephant).[2] But having spent so many tax rands building Soccer City, Johannesburg residents will have understandable expectations that the stadium will be able to provide some return on their investment.
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