Athlone Stadium scores as a strategic asset for Cape Town

STATEMENT BY ALDERMAN JAMES VOS, MAYORAL COMMITTEE MEMBER FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH

This past week I had the pleasure of conducting a site visit at Athlone Stadium to inspect its state of readiness ahead of this weekend’s CAF Champion’s League match between Cape Town City and Congo’s Otoho d’Oyo.  Read more below:

The stadium, which is managed by the City’s Strategic Assets Department within the Economic Growth Directorate, has undergone an extensive international match readiness assessment and passed with flying colours. Cape Town is ready to host Africa’s soccer stars and fans!

The stadium’s pitch conforms to international standards as set out by the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) and International Football Association Board (IFAB), with the assessment confirming that pitch conditions and dimensions meet all requirements for local and international matches.

The Venue Operations Centre upgrade project was initiated as part of the requirements to safely and effectively host events. The centre’s design ensures that the various roleplayers, such as Disaster Management, Fire and Rescue, Law Enforcement and Events Management, can execute their duties within an optimal space.

The newly installed Musco Lighting System is one of the most advanced in the country, with a 15-year warranty and zero maintenance cost to the City for that period. The new LED system allows for instantaneous transition between lighting effects and has a reduced carbon footprint.

The stadium has hosted numerous rugby matches, including the inaugural Cape Flats 7’s Tournament. Despite adverse weather conditions during some of the games, the stadium team was able to quickly prepare the pitch for the hosting of a PSL soccer match. In the last year, the stadium was also converted into a COVID vaccination drive-through site.

In the coming months, the stadium has a full calendar of events, including concerts, festivals and various sports matches.

It’s wonderful to see the return of events to the city because they are a boon to the economy as they induce local expenditure and jobs within multiple industries.

My mission is to use smart principles to ensure that the City’s strategic assets are effectively leveraged to drive economic opportunity. I am deeply proud of the department’s officials who work non-stop to drive the value proposition of assets such as City Hall, the Good Hope Centre, Green Point Park, and Athlone Stadium. I am confident that our collective efforts will enhance Cape Town’s already stellar global profile to host events and activations that enhances economic growth.

Featured from left to right in Header Image: Raihana Shaboodien, Manager: Operations and Maintenance; Shameel Ho-Kim, Programme Manager; Nawaal Adams, Support Services Manager, Alderman James Vos, Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Growth; Ricardo de la Cruz, Facility Manager and Faried Shariff, Director: Strategic Assets.