South Africa 2010 World Cup Host Cities

Johannesburg, South Africa

Stadium: Soccer City Stadium / Ellis Park Stadium

Johannesburg is an African city of note. Johannesburg is characterised by contradiction and an apparent seamless combination of irreconcilable differences. The largest city in South Africa, Johannesburg is also the wealthiest and, without doubt, the economic powerhouse of Africa.

Pretoria, South Africa

Stadium: Loftus Versfeld Stadium

Known as the Jacaranda City for all the purple blossom-bedecked trees, which line its thoroughfares, Pretoria is a lovely, quiet city. It has a long, involved and fascinating history. Here you will find significant old buildings and fascinating museums. The Transvaal Museum has natural history displays and is the home of Mrs Ples, the australopithecine fossil found at Sterkfontein in the Cradle of Humankind. Also worth visiting are theCultural History Museum and Smuts Museum in Irene, outside Pretoria. 

Cape Town

Stadium: Green Point Stadium

With its majestic Table Mountainbackdrop, Cape Town is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. A harmonious blend of architectural styles reflects the tastes of dictates of the past as well as today's more functional requirements. Between the high-rise office blocks, Edwardian and Victorian buildings have been meticulously preserved, and many outstanding examples of Cape Dutch architecture are found. Narrow, cobble stone streets and the strongly Islamic ambiance of the Bo-Kaap enhance the cosmopolitan ambiance of the city. 

Durban, KwaZulu Natal

Stadium: Moses Mabhida Stadium

Bustling Durban is the hub of the province’s business and industry and pulses with all the energy of a major port city. Luxury hotels abound on Durban’s beachfront, and this city is often referred to as South Africa’s Miami Beach. 

Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape

Stadium: Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium

The Nelson Mandela Metro (including Port Elizabeth, Uitenhage and Despatch) is the gateway to the Eastern CapeRegion, its well-equipped airport and harbour linking South Africa with other national and international destinations. 

Nelspruit, Lowveld Legogote

Stadium: Mbombela Stadium

Nelspruit, the capital of Mpumalanga, lies in the fertile valley of the Crocodile River and has been called the gateway to Mpumalanga and the Kruger National Park. The Lowveld botanical gardens just outside Nelspruit boasts a rare collection of plant species and the first man-made rain forest which attracts the majority of Nelspruits visitors. 

Polokwane, Capricorn

Stadium: Peter Mokaba Stadium

Polokwane, the capital of the LimpopoProvince and formerly known as Pietersburg, is the cultural hub of the region half way between Pretoria and the Zimbabwean border - a city graced with wide streets, green spaces and a vivid mix of jacaranda and coral trees that are a sight to behold in spring. 

Rustenburg, Bojanala Region

Stadium: Royal Bafokeng Stadium

Two of the world’s largest platinum mines lie just outside Rustenburg, earning it the nickname ‘Platinum City’, which is hardly a fair description of the city that started out as little more than a church and farming community centre, named as a ‘place of rest’ that still manages to retain its small town atmosphere. 

Bloemfontein, Motheo Region

Stadium: Free State Stadium

Bloemfontein, the City of Roses, serves as something of an oasis, lying as it does plum in the middle of the Free State and indeed the country. The only major city for miles around, it is also the sixth largest city in the country, the Judicial Capital ofSouth Africa, and it lies on the N1 between Johannesburg and Cape Town, often functioning as a stop off to break the major journey between the two cities.