Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium |
The Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium is situated in Port Elizabeth on South Africa's south-east coastline. It is earmarked to host 5 first-round matches, 1 second-round, 1 quarter-final, and the third-place playoff. The stadium has carrying capacity of 48 000 during the Fifa World Cup 2010. The final cost is estimated as R2.1bn (originally the cost was estimated to be R250m, this was increased to R1.1bn in Jun 2006 and then finally it cost R2.1bn).
12 Jun |
15 Jun |
18 Jun |
21 Jun |
23 Jun |
26 Jun |
2 Jul |
10 Jul |
Korea R 2 |
Ivory Coast 0 |
Germany 0 |
Switzerland 0 |
Slovenia 0 |
Uruguay 2 |
Netherlands 2 |
Third place |
16 Jun 2009 |
The Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium hosts its first sports event before some 35,000 fans, with the British & Irish Lions playing the Southern Kings in rugby (the Lions won 20-8). The pitch was loose with sand jumping up behind players' feet, and an hour after the game 5 gunmen stole takings from a bar on the fifth level of the Stadium (nobody was injured). The armed robbery occurred despite a security cordon one kiliometre around the venue, special passes, metal detectors and bag scanners. |
7 Jun 2009 |
The Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth is officially opened, with the public being invited to explore it. |
8 Jul 2008 |
It is announced that the stadium will be excluded from the list of stadiums to be used for the Confederation Cup. |
Jan 2007 |
Construction begins on the new stadium. |
8 Sep 2006 |
A sod-turning ceremony is held at the stadium. |
18 Jun 2006 |
The Nelson Mandela Bay municipality reveals that it would receive more than R80-million in funding from the Development Bank of Southern Africa as part of its preparations for the building of the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium. It is estimated the stadium will cost R1.1 billion. |
Nov 2006 |
The old Parks Rugby structures were demolished and work was busy with the earthworks (digging for the foundations and working on the drainage). |

(Image: South Africa 2010 Local Organising Committee)
24 Apr 2006 |
Sepp Blatter, the FIFA president, receives an honorary doctorate in philosophy from the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in Port Elizabeth. This was not Blatter's first honourary doctorate, and said the following about it: “It is my first doctorate in Africa, and it is very special that I receive it in the city of Nelson Mandela and the home town of Danny Jordaan. It’s an emotional moment. I am just overwhelmed. This is my first visit to the city, but not the last.” Mr Blatter promised to return to Nelson Mandela Bay on a longer visit. |

After soccer world body Fifa has officially announced Port Elizabeth as a host city for the 2010 World Cup, it was decided that a multi-purpose stadium would be constructed at the Prince Alfred Park on the banks of the North End Lake. The decision to site the city’s proposed R750-million stadium in the North End was informed by the fact that it would cost much less to develop transport infrastructure there than elsewhere, according to the municipality.

Nelson Mandela BayNelson Mandela Bay incorporates the towns Port Elizabeth, Uitenhage and Despatch. Port Elizabeth has many aliases, PE, Die Baai (Afrikaans), the Friendly City (though there's no reason to believe it's any friendlier than other South African cities), and Ibhayi (isiXhosa). AccommodationNelson Mandela Bay (Port Elizabeth) needs 29 000 upmarket hotel beds for the 2010 Fifa World Cup (by September 2006 it had 11 500 upmarket hotel beds). |
The municipality is attempting to develop a plan for a sustainable transport system before the World Cup, to handle the expected extra volumes.
The Khulani corridor links the main arterial roads in KwaZakhele and New Brighton to the city centre via Korsten. The idea is to link the industrial & commercial zones of Korsten and Sydenham with the townships and the city centre; resulting in access to the stadium being made easier.
Mendi and Njoli roads |
Mendi and Njoli roads were upgraded in June 2006 as the first phase of the corridor. |
Korsten interchange |
(R6-million) |
Njoli interchange |
(R1,5-million) |
Lighting and shelters |
Lighting and shelters along the corridor (R900 000). |
Diaz Road |
Upgrading of Diaz Road (R2,9-million). Lukhozi Consulting Engineers regional manager Owen Wentzel said the company was appointedin May 2006 to construct a new stretch of road to ease congestion in Harrower Road, near where the stadium would be built. Diaz Road between Kipling Street and CJ Langehoven Drive would be extended by about a kilometre. Wentzel said the road was expected to be complete by next March. An environmental assessment study on the impact of the new stretch of road was expected to be completed by June. He said national government had allocated R9.5 million towards the project. About 25 000m² of rock would be removed in CJ Langehoven Drive by blasting and a 9.5m-wide road with a painted island constructed. |
Kempston Road |
Rehabilitation of Kempston Road (R900 000). |
Perl Road |
Rehabilitation of Perl Road (R1,8- million). |
Pavements |
Construction of pavements along the corridor (R1,65-million). |
Traffic management |
Provision of traffic signals, speed humps, cameras and other traffic management matters (R1,36-million). |
Buses |
Purchase of low-floor buses (R900 000). |
In August 2006 Danny Jordaan said that it was important that the stadium and other facilities were completed by December 2008, in order for Port Elizabeth to qualify for Concacaf Cup matches. Unfortuanately, the stadium was not finished in time and Port Elizabeth did not qualify to host Confederation Cup 2009 matches.
There's no official decision on when the Boet Erasmus Stadium will be demolished, but rumour has it that it will be around until at least 2010 after the World Cup.
The stadium was built by a consortium of Grinaker-LTA & BAM International.
Dispatch |
The Herald |
14 Sept 2006 |
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29 August 2006 |
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7 August 2006 |
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27 July 2006 |
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