Durban - South Africa’s harbour city has so much to offer…
Thursday 08 April 2010 12:32
South Africa’s harbour city has so much to offer... not least a great football stadium that is set to host a World Cup semi-final
Durban promises one of the most spectacular views at the 2010 World Cup. Visitors to the Moses Mabhida stadium will be able to go to the top of the 100-metre high arch that stands above the ground, offering panoramic views that stretch as far as the beach beyond it.
Despite its population of 3.5 million, the atmosphere here is more laid back in comparison to South Africa's other bigger cities. Blessed with being right on the warm Indian Ocean, Durban is surrounded by miles of golden sandy beaches. The subtropical climate provides more than 200 sunny days a year, which offers a huge variety of outdoor activities such as canoeing, surfing, diving and sailing. it is a real place of cultural fusion, with the largest Kwazulu population in South Africa.
The 70,000 capacity stadium is one of six brand new arenas built for this year’s football extravaganza. Mabhida, who gives his name to the ground, helped to establish the African National Congress (ANC) armed wing before they came to power. The 350-metre wide arch that crowns the beautiful structure starts with two legs that become one, symbolizing the unity brought by the democratisation of the country.
South Africa's first football league started in 1882 in Durban, with only four clubs taking part. The city's Premier League teams are the Golden Arrows, Maritzburg United and AmaZulu, representing African roots and founded by warriors in 1932. Best known as the Zulu Royals, they are in the top division, attracting 12,000 strong crowds but have not yet won any major honours or titles. The reunited South African team who became the famous Bafana Bafana played their first match in Durban in 1992, after 20 decades of isolation. South Africa's 2009 champions Supersport United, a team created in 1994 by TV operators M Net, are based up north, around the capital Pretoria.
Durban's harbour is the busiest in Africa and the Golden Mile, a four-kilometre stretch of beach offering good surfing, swimming, walks, shopping and restaurants. Discovered by the famous Vasco da Gama in 1947, it is the gateway to Zulu territory, with plenty of world heritage sites and the Greater Lucia Wetland Park to explore. Vasco anchored at a lagoon that was called Rio de Natal before becoming Port Natal and finally Durban in 1855.
Durban staged the World Cup draw in 2007 and is set to host a World Cup semi-final this year…for many the dream is that Bafana Bafana will be one of the teams walking out onto the pitch at the Moses Mabhida stadium.
An article by © Pedro Redig
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