The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has identified infrastructure development as a key priority. Sherif Hassan, head of digital and marketing products at CAF, emphasized that realizing the potential of club tournaments hinges on building proper infrastructure.
FNB Stadium in Johannesburg
South Africa's Stadium Investment
South Africa is a well known example. The country spent around US$3 billion renovating and building ten stadiums for the 2010 Fifa World Cup. Whilst some venues - notably the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg - continue to host soccer and rugby games as well as occasional concerts, most have faced severe financial difficulties and remain underutilised.
Cape Town Stadium stands out with its distinct 106-meter high central arch. It is inspired by the Y-shape of the South African flag and representing the unification of the nation through sport. The arch supports the lightweight cable-stayed roof which covers 85% of the seats in the stadium. At ground level, the main gateway to the stadium is identified by the two legs of the arch on the south side and connected to the city with a 1.5km long linear park.
The hanging roof structure with no supports inside the bowl, incorporates one of the most complex concrete and roof stadium designs yet undertaken; with supporting columns, raked at a 17 degree angle on the outside berm of the stadium.
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Operational Excellence
It was incredibly important that the operational phase adopted the same high standards applied during design and construction. Between practical completion and the kick-off for the opening World Cup match, we were managing and coordinating three different programmes; snagging, overlay installation for the tournament and the round the clock steady-state stadium operation.
In 2013 we handed over the stadium again. This time, the handover was to the city of Durban, following three successful years of operation, and including a detailed operations manual and a fully-trained staff team who knew the facility inside out.
Challenges and Opportunities in Other African Nations
Stadiums used for this year’s Afcon in Cote d’Ivoire, in particular the Alassane Ouattara stadium in Abidjan, were modern and impressive. An estimated US$1 billion was spent on building and maintaining infrastructure ahead of the tournament, including three stadiums and an improved road system. Ivorian officials have earmarked some of the venues for local sports teams. But many lack the support and funds to maintain them.
“At best we might manage to fill it at 30 per cent,” Abdelkarim Bouaziz, an executive at FC San Pedro, told Reuters. “A large reason why these projects fail is because very few countries across the continent have complete value chains to support the venues.
Alassane Ouattara stadium in Abidjan
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Emerging Trends in Stadium Development
Over the last decade a number of these arenas have been constructed on the continent. Two of the most prominent are Kigali’s 10,000-seater BK Arena, built at a cost of US$104 million, and Senegal’s 15,000-seater Dakar Arena, both built by Turkish construction company Summa. The BK Arena in Kigali is one of a wave of modern, multi-purpose indoor arenas being built across Africa.
Another project underway in Kigali is Zaria Court, a sports and entertainment complex spearheaded by Masai Ujiri, president of National Basketball Association (NBA) franchise the Toronto Raptors and founder of Giants of Africa, a non-profit organisation that uses basketball as a means of development for young people. Zaria Court is an under-construction sports and entertainment complex in Kigali, Rwanda.
“I think this has ignited many conversations in smaller nations,” she says. “Several countries, including Benin, have also committed themselves to developing sports infrastructure.
Examples of Successful Arenas
- BK Arena (Kigali): A 10,000-seater arena built for US$104 million.
- Dakar Arena (Senegal): A 15,000-seater arena constructed by Summa.
Investment and Financing
According to Schofield, the “biggest problem” with infrastructure development is financing. Currency is also a major issue for potential investors. Traditionally, most of the funding for major sports infrastructure projects has come from governments. Three of the stadiums for the 2023 Afcon in Cote d’Ivoire were built and financed by Chinese entities, as well as stadiums for the 2017 edition in Gabon.
As African governments have faced fiscal pressures and rising interest rates, many have reconsidered the huge outlays on stadium builds. Instead, there has been a growth in financing via public-private partnerships.
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“A lot of HNWIs and private equity firms are starting to see the vision and put money into infrastructure development for sports and entertainment,” says Schofield. “As we develop and start to show impact, we are already starting to tap into DFIs that provide funding focused on impact. Fifa has also actively been investing in infrastructure on the continent.
Kenyan president William Ruto recently announced plans for Talanta Sports City, including a new 60,000-seater stadium designed ahead of the 2027 Afcon, which Kenya will co-host with Tanzania and Uganda. We are investing in sports and talent development so that our youth can monetise their skills and expertise.
What are Africa’s infrastructure challenges?
Morocco's Investment in Infrastructure
Much of this has come from the political will of King Mohammed VI and of Fouzi Lekjaa, the president of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF). Lekjaa, an outspoken and highly influential figure across African soccer, is generally seen as a visionary, and a fiercely determined and competent administrator. As well as putting funds towards grassroots development, Morocco has also invested heavily in spectator infrastructure. The country has five existing stadiums with a spectator capacity of 45,000 or more.
The Future of Stadium Development
“We must think about the stadium 2.0 model adapted to Africa,” says sports infrastructure expert Reda Laraichi, “where stadiums can adapt to capacity, whether to increase or decrease based on need. The main body of the structure can in theory be shipped and reused elsewhere at a far lower cost and environmental impact than building completely new structures.
Whilst Africa in the past has been associated with huge and expensive ‘white elephant’ stadiums, financial pressures and the entrance of global players appears to be moving the industry towards a more practical approach, centred around smaller, multi-purpose arenas.
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