Durban - The continent's events and sports capital
The city has world-class facilities, including the iconic Moses Mabhida Stadium, built especially for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Kings Park Pool and the Kings Park Athletics Stadium, in addition to world famous sports teams with huge fan bases. Durban has hosted massive events with great success, including a FIFA World Cup semi-final, the Africa Cup of Nations, the Top Gear Festival and many more.
Durban’s new icon, Moses Mabhida Stadium hosts top football games and marquee events such as the Top Gear Festival. It’s also the perfect place for a bit of urban adventure. Take a trip on the Sky Car or make the 550 step adventure walk to the top of the arch and enjoy panoramic views of the Indian Ocean and Durban, or take a look inside the stadium with an all-access or general tours
Kings Park Sporting Precinct is a site located in the heart of Durban. It was developed primarily to host the 2010 FIFA World Cup, but will also form part of the city's long term plan to host major world events such as the Commonwealth Games and potentially the Summer Olympics. The precinct regularly hosts domestic and international rugby union and association football events, as well as national and international swimming galas.
The Kings Park Stadium (also known as Growthpoint Kings Park for sponsorship reasons and also commercially promoted as The Shark Tank, the home of the city’s successful rugby franchise, The Sharks), is a stadium in the Kings Park Sporting Precinct in Durban, South Africa. The stadium was originally built with a capacity of 12,000 and opened in 1958, extensively renovated in the 1980s, and then again in time for the 1995 Rugby World Cup. It currently has a capacity of 52,000 and is the home ground of the Sharks, the city’s highly successful South African Rugby Union team which competes in Super Rugby competition. The stadium has also been used by Durban based Premier Soccer League Football (Soccer) clubs, as well as for large football finals, prior to the construction of the Moses Mabhida Stadium for the 2010 Soccer World Cup.
Kings Park Swimming Pool is an Olympic standard pool within the precinct which has hosted many major swimming events.
Durban’s year-round sunny climate and lush, natural environment provide a pleasant backdrop for the numerous golf courses to be found close to the city. Durban Country Club is one of Durban’s finest golf courses, rated as one of the Top 100 by Golf Magazine. No other golf club has hosted the SA Open and other important tournament as often as Durban Country Club. Situated close to the shore of Indian Ocean, and been masterly fashioned into sand dunes. It is also home to numerous indigenous plants and trees and above and some rare birds that grace their fairways.
Durban , KZN has a proud record of hosting successful international events which has positioned our city and Province as a destination of choice for sporting showpieces. Durban has hosted massive events with great success, including a FIFA Soccer World Cup semi- final, the Africa cup of Nations, The Top Gear Festival and more.
The Comrades Marathon, possibly the most grueling ultra-marathon in the world, draws top international competitors going all out to win. The 90km race, run between Durban and Pietermaritzburg, draws thousands of runners and the route is lined with spectators. The Comrades has a unique spirit and camaraderie epitomized by its name. A marathon of a different kind between Pietermaritzburg and Durban, the Dusi Canoe Marathon follows the Msunduzi (Dusi) and uMngeni rivers, and attracts some 2000 paddlers. The race is held over three days and covers a distance of 125km, finishing at Blue Lagoon in Durban.
The MTN Amashova National Cycling Classic is another race from Pietermaritzburg to Durban, this time a road race on bicycles. The 106km race has surged in popularity over the last few years, with thousands of riders taking to the roads, cheered on by spectators as they whiz past. The race takes the riders through the heart of the Valley of 1000 Hills, and also has a shorter 38km route starting in Hillcrest for more casual riders.
The Midmar Mile is an annual swimming event at Midmar Dam in the KZN Midlands. Thousands of swimmers take to the water every year to swim a full mile, from professionals to beginners, in one of the biggest open water events in the world.
There’s so much more to do in Durban and KwaZulu-Natal – tennis, road cycling, swimming, water sports, athletics, archery and more. The province is also home to fantastic gyms with all the latest equipment.
The Durban International Convention Centre (Durban ICC) will host this World Routes 2015. This world-class facility, renowned for its high standards of service excellence, has successfully staged some the world’s most prestigious and complex events. The multi-award winning Centre has been voted Africa’s Leading Meetings and Conference Centre by the World Travel Awards no fewer than 13 times in 14 years and has been rated amongst the World’s Top 15 convention centres by AIPC. Opened by former president, Nelson Mandela in 1997, the Durban ICC was South Africa’s first International Convention Centre and has played a pioneering role in attracting international events to our shores since its inception.
The venue has hosted the International AIDS Conference in 2000, The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in 1999, and the Non-Aligned Movement in 2004. It also hosted the preliminary draw for the 2010 FIFA World Cup and Final Draw for 2013 African Cup of Nations, as well as the COP17 meeting in 2011.
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