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SSoccer City, under current sponsorship known as the FNB Stadium, hosted the first and last matches – and the opening and closing ceremonies – of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The stadium is known mostly for top soccer matches, but it is also used fr big events like concerts, and it has even hosted some historic rugby.
Soweto’s iconic ‘calabash’ is the heart of football in South Africa, but much more besides. It has played host to momentous moments in our soccer history – like Bafana Bafana, the national football team, winning the 1996 African Cup of Nations final – and perhaps more importantly, it has repeatedly been the site of significant events in our turbulent political history.
It was in this stadium that the first mass rally was held following Nelson Mandela’s release from prison in 1990, and in 1993, thousands gathered here to mourn the assassination of freedom struggle hero Chris Hani.
It was also the venue for Nelson Mandela’s memorial service on 10 December 2013, when an unprecedented gathering of world leaders took place, among them then-US president Barack Obama, along with former US presidents Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton and George W Bush.
Of more interest to soccer fans is the fact that the famous Soweto derbies between bitter local rivals Kaiser Chiefs and Orlando Pirates are also played here.
A R1.5-billion upgrade ensured that this 2010 FIFA World Cup stadium was properly dressed for its important role. The new design resembles a calabash, or an African beer pot. The warm, earthy colours of the 94 700-seater stadium show up vividly against the urban Sowetan landscape.
The stadium sports an extended upper tier, an encircling roof and a total of 184 hospitality suites. It has new changeroom facilities and improved lighting. Parking for 15 000 cars is available, with a further 4 000 underground bays for VIPs.
Sustainable building principles were a key consideration in construction, with use of reclaimed, low-maintenance materials and energy-saving fittings. In the summer, run-off water from the stadium is stored and used for utilitarian and irrigation purposes.
There are plans afoot for a museum tracing the history of football in Soweto to be built adjacent to the stadium in the future.
Did You Know?
TTravel tips & Planning info
Who to contact
FNB Stadium/Soccer City
Tel: +27 (0)11 247 5300
City of Johannesburg
Tel: +27 (0)11 375 5555
Email: joburgconnect@joburg.org.za
Soweto Tours
Tel: +27 (0)83 535 4553 or +27 (0)71 204 5594
Around the area
Soweto has a number of historic and cultural sites that you can visit (along with the FNB Stadium) on organised tours – such as Vilakazi Street, which was home in its time to both Desmond Tutu and Nelson Mandela, and is thus the only street in the world that can boast two Nobel Peace Prize-winners.
Not far from Soweto, in the southern Johannesburg suburb of Ormonde, is the striking Apartheid Museum, which provides an emotional experience and a stark history lesson for those not familiar with the details of South Africa’s tortured past.
If you’re in the mood for a less emotionally draining day out, across the road from the Apartheid Museum you’ll find Gold Reef City, a theme park built as a replica of early Johannesburg during the gold-rush era that includes an underground mineshaft tour and amusement-park rides to get your blood pumping.
Tours to do
Soweto Tours is a township-based operation that conducts visitors around a plethora of sites related to the freedom struggle and the township’s heritage. Stops include the Vilakazi Street homes of Tutu and Mandela, the Hector Pieterson Museum and the Regina Mundi Catholic Church.
What to pack
Though generally fine and mild during the day with plenty of sunshine, winter evenings in Johannesburg are cold, so pack accordingly. And always bring plenty of sunscreen, even in winter.
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