Polokwane (Pietersburg) a 2010 World Cup Stadium location. Match listings, how to get to Pietersburg, where to stay and eat, what to do, and more below.
Polokwane (Pietersburg) Stadium, Capacity and Who Will Play Here
Polokwane's stadium is called the Peter Mokaba Stadium with a capacity of 45,000. The stadium is named after Polokwane-born Peter Mokaba, who was a political activist during apartheid. 4 first round matches will be played in the Peter Mokaba Stadium:
- 13 June 2010 -- Matches: Algeria vs Slovenia -- Time: 13:30
- 17 June 2010 -- Matches: France vs Mexico -- Time: 20:30
- 22 June 2010 -- Matches: Greece vs Argentina -- Time: 20:30
- 24 June 2010 -- Matches: Paraguay vs New Zealand -- Time: 16:00
About Polokwane
Polokwane or as most people still refer to it, "Pietersburg", is the capital of South Africa's Limpopo Province. It's a pretty city with wide avenues and lots of flowering trees. Polokwane is the smallest city to host the 2010 World Cup, with a population of around 300,000 in the greater area. Polokwane means "place of safety" and the city is aptly named since it has a relatively low crime rate.
Getting to Polokwane
Polokwane has a small airport and you can fly here from Johannesburg on Airlink. Long-distance buses stop in Polokwane including Translux and Greyhound. Limpopo Coaches offers groups the chance to hire buses. You can also of course rent a car and drive to Polokwane or rent a car at the Polokwane airport. Polokwane is situated on a major highway, the N1, leading north to Zimbabwe. Driving from Jo'burg to Polokwane takes about 4 hours; Pretoria to Polokwane takes about 3 hours.
Where to Stay and Eat in Polokwane
Polokwane doesn't have any large hotels, most of the accommodation is made up of Guest Houses and self-catering units. For a good list click here. For more options, click here. Polokwane has a good range of restaurants, click here for a full list.
How to Get Around
Local buses will step up their services from around town to get to the Peter Mokaba stadium. There are also private taxi companies that you can call as needed.
