JOHANNESBURG
The City of Gold is the hub of entertainment and commerce in South Africa and, as Jozi residents will tell you – the place rocks!
Johannesburg, the City of Gold, is where the 2010 FIFA World Cup kicks off and where it ends. This is as it should be because here is situated Africa’s most cosmopolitan city. Jozi, Joburg or Egoli to its friends, the city is the only place in South Africa where you will hear all 11 official languages while rubbing shoulders with resident communities from all over the world.
Attractions and Activities
Gauteng, the smallest, most populous province, is the commercial hub of South Africa. At its heart is Johannesburg, Africa’s wealthiest city.
While open space is at a premium, there is a rich selection of attraction and activities for football fans. Wining and dining is superb; the championship golf courses are of the highest standard; and there seems to be an ongoing party all day, every day, in Jozi.
All musical tastes are catered for by the thriving local music scene. One does not need to travel far in Johannesburg to find something to your liking, be rock, pop, kwaito, hip-hop or house. For contemporary African sounds, visit Newtown or head out to one of the funky jazz joints in Soweto.
If beer is your thing, as it is for many footballers, then you are in for a treat. There are good bars and pubs, some with live music, in most suburbs. Visitors absolutely have to experience the vibes in Soweto and Alexandra, for a taste of the real Johannesburg. There are a number of shebeens and taverns to visit and get to know the local folk who are ready and waiting to welcome you.
History
The Tswana name for Johannesburg is eGoli, a place of gold. The San and Stone Age people were the first inhabitants of the area. The face of the area changed when an Australian gold prospector generated interest in the mineral wealth beneath the surface. Johannesburg became a city in 1886, during the beginning of the Witwatersrand Gold Rush. The city also became a political hotspot during the apartheid years. Soweto was an important instrument in the liberation of South Africa. In 1955, many anti-apartheid movements met in Kliptown, Soweto to sign the Freedom Charter. The Charter enshrined the belief in equality for all. It also became the working document for the current Constitution of South Africa.
Ellis Park Stadium
Ellis Park Stadium is located in the centre of Johannesburg and has hosted many epic sporting events including the final of the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup between Brazil and the United States. The ground was given a significant face-lift before the Confederations Cup finals and now seats 62,000 fans, increasing its capacity by almost nine per cent from the previous 57,000.
Ellis Park was first built in 1928 as a rugby union stadium. It was demolished and rebuilt in 1982, again exclusively for rugby. It was named after JD Ellis, a Johannesburg city councilor who approved the use of the land for a stadium, setting aside a full 13 acres.
The ground will always occupy a special place in the hearts of the country’s sporting fans after the South African rugby team shocked New Zealand to lift the 1995 Rugby World Cup trophy soon after being allowed back onto the world sporting stage. It was a moment that brought the people of South Africa together in celebration as the iconic scenes of Nelson Mandela holding aloft the trophy at Ellis Park were beamed around the world.
The largest piece of construction has been the new tier on the north stand which has increased the seating capacity to 62,000. With state-of-the-art media facilities, team whirlpools, top-class VIP areas for dignitaries, accessibility for disabled fans, a new pitch and a top-notch audio-visual setup to keep the fans informed during the game, no one will be left disappointed.
Ellis Park is home to one of the country’s most popular clubs, Orlando Pirates FC.
Soccer City
One of the most artistic and awe-inspiring football venues on the African continent, the newly-reconstructed Soccer City Stadium will host the first and final matches of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™.
The ground’s design is inspired by the iconic African pot known as the calabash, and its aesthetic appeal will be heightened when the stadium is lit at night.
Soccer City is located in Johannesburg’s southwest and is only a short distance from one of the country’s football-crazy townships, Soweto. About 40 per cent of Johannesburg’s population live in Soweto and this proximity is bound to make the stadium a hub of activity throughout the 2010 finals.
The stadium is widely regarded as the heart of football in South Africa as it has hosted many important matches through history. In the mid 1980s, officials came together to build the first international football stadium in the country and the construction was funded from the football fraternity’s coffers. Soccer City hosted the first mass rally of Nelson Mandela after his release from prison in 1990. Thousands of mourners lamented Chris Hani’s assassination at the stadium in 1993. It was also the venue for the 1996 CAF African Cup of Nations final, with South Africa eventually triumphing 2-0 over Tunisia.
The original stadium, which was known as the FNB Stadium, had a capacity of 80,000. Upgrades involved extending the upper tier to increase the capacity to 94,700; adding 99 more suites to bring the number to 184; constructing an encircling roof; adding new changing room facilities and installing new floodlighting.
