Royal Bafokeng Stadium – stadium description

Phokeng may be a minor town in South Africa (by population of course, under 40,000), but it’s also the capital of the Royal Bafokeng Nation, an autonomous ethnic community within South Africa. The nation is also the sole owner and operator of the stadium.

The stadium was built in 1999 as a “national” stadium for Bafokeng and its modernity was a crucial advantage that earned it the place among 2010 World Cup host stadiums. In order to fulfill all major FIFA criteria, the main grandstand was expanded with a third tier and larger roof.

Thus, the capacity actually exceeded Phokeng’s population, while the stadium became by far the largest building in town. Of course holding a global event was possible thanks to the nearby city of Rustenburg which provided majority of the infrastructure. It also guarantees fanbase for Platinum Stars (football) and Leopards (rugby), who use the stadium as hosts.