Polokwane municipality mayor John Mpe and Limpopo Premier Dr Phophi Ramathuba have outlined how much it’s going to cost the province to host the senior national team next month.
Bafana Bafana host Lesotho in a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier on March 21 at the Peter Mokaba Stadium, returning to Polokwane for the first time since 2016.
Bafana are currently second in qualifying Group C, with seven points in four matches, while their neighbours are fourth with five points from the same number of games.
The political heads hosted a media conference at the 2010 FIFA World cup venue on Monday revealing that their costs estimations were around R4.7 million.
There were also worries about the pitch at the venue as it had to go under rehabilitation since late December due to damage on the grass after a music concert.
“Look, to host the national team is quite expensive we must not lie to you,” Mpe told the media.
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“The cost implications it’s around R4.7 million to bring the national team here. That is why we have decided that we do it jointly, so that we share the responsibility all of us, including tourism Limpopo and ourself as a municipality.
“In the main, some of the cost will be the cost to us, for example Polokwane has approved tariffs on how you can get a stadium. I’m just going to give you an example of the stadium. So, it is our revenue we have approved it in council.
“So, what we will do on the partnership is that we will then acknowledge that that cost will not come directly to us, but it is our contribution. So, we look at various departments on how they can actually contribute.
“But all in all, I believe that there will be a return on this investment because as the Premier has said, all hotels will be fully booked. You have seen an increase of restaurants. Some of the restaurants you only find in up market places in Gauteng, in KZN, but now you find them in the inner city of Polokwane.
“That is a vote of confidence on the local economy. So therefore, these activities will come to benefit, you look at the hawkers that will be selling, you look at the taxi industry but most importantly of course, the hospitality industry as a whole.
“That’s where people are working, and the number of people that will be working, from security, from all the activities that are going to be happening, and an increased revenue for Polokwane because when there are more people in the city, they use more electricity, more water.
“So, when we go to council for that, we will not have a problem, because we have already done our own cost-benefit analysis, both ourselves and the provincial government, to say, this is good for the province, this is good for the city.
“But most importantly is what the Premier have said about the development of sports, the young ones that will see Bafana Bafana directly, live, not on TV, filling up the Peter Mokaba Stadium.
“Plus, the gate takings, we were talking about the formula, so we will also get a bite. The suits are going to be sold using our tariffs.
“So therefore, the investment from whatever that I’ve explained is already telling you that there is a return on this investment. And that is why we want to thank the Premier for leading us in terms of this collaboration, so that we can do more for the people of the province.”
