FIFA World Cup Packages
FIFA World Cup Stadiums
Host City Distances
South Africa Host Cities
Bloemfontein
Cape Town
Durban
Johannesburg
Nelspruit
Polokwane
Port Elizabeth
Pretoria
Rustenburg

Polokwane - South Africa World Cup Host City

Located at the north tip of South Africa, Polokwane is regarded as the gateway to the north. The capital of the Limpopo province, Polokwane is a friendly, fast-developing city with a vibrant mix of people and culture, and is a stepping stone to the province's legendary mountain hotspots. The urban centre features shops, galleries, museums and parks, while on the outskirts you'll find Meropa Casino and Entertainment World, a pulsating African-style entertainment venue. Polokwane International Airport serves as a gateway to the continent, so it's great to get to and from during the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Adventure Sports

Get in the 4x4 and go! The African Ivory Route is a self-drive journey through the wildest heart of Limpopo province. It features a series of rustic, self-catering bush camps that follow in the footsteps of historical characters like rain queens and elephant hunters. The cultural and natural richness of the route provide ideal off-road travelling opportunities. To avoid disrupting ecosystems, the roads are basic and cater for 4x4's. The bush camps are well placed within the rural areas and nature reserves for tourists to experience the beauty and character of each area. If it's abseiling, kloofing and rock-climbing you're after, head for the wild mountains of the Magoebaskloof area. Expert guides offer extreme sports in a breathtaking setting, the wild and untamed Mohlapetsi Valley. Caving is growing in popularity here too and instructors will help you discover subterranean excitement. Extreme kloofing is not for the faint-hearted. Join the river on its downward journey, scramble over rock, abseil, climb, hike through forests, bum-slide, rock hop, swim, float down river and be prepared to launch yourself off the edge of waterfalls to pools below. Whatever the obstacle, you'll feel exhilarated by rising to the challenge. And if you simply have to take to the skies, try micro lighting above the glorious Limpopo landscape.

Eating Out

Football revelers will find no shortage of fun and fabulous places to grab a good meal, complemented by a jovial atmosphere. Enjoy a traditional African barbecue under the stars; take a long, lazy lunch alongside a river full of hippos, or grab a quick pizza downtown. There are plenty of different restaurants and dining options in and around Polokwane. Being in the heart of the bushveld, meat is firmly on the menu here. But the province is also known for its sub-tropical produce, oranges, mangoes, bananas, litchis and nuts. Whether you're into hearty beef and succulent venison, or healthy salads and fish, there's something for all tastebuds around here. You can get just about everything from lamb shanks and prawn curry to seafood hotpots and Chinese specials at The Restaurant. Set in a Victorian house in downtown Polokwane, The Restaurant hits the spot. Another cheerful and unpretentious spot is La Villa Italiana, downstairs in Savanna Mall. They offer an enormous choice of pastas and pizzas, and a sizzling selection of rumps, fillets and grills for meat eaters. The Deck, in Bendor, offers casual dining, combining African laid-backness with European chic. For a romantic lunch in the countryside, try the five-star Coach House Hotel, famed for its trout, wine list and irresistible nougat. Or enjoy a good old-fashioned country meal and some of the best mountain views at the Magoebaskloof Hotel. For a traditional under-the-stars African feast, try Sefapane Lodge on Hoedspruit Road. They offer traditional barbecues, we call them "braais", and their daily changing venison specials include anything from leg of impala to warthog chops. See a more detailed online restaurant guide through http://www.eatout.co.za/

Attractions & Activities

The gateway city of Polokwane is abuzz with things to do and see. It's also one of South Africa's best-kept secrets, as visitors will no doubt find out when they come to support their favorite team. The city center boasts beautiful buildings, galleries and museums such as the Polokwane Art Museum, which houses an extensive indoor-outdoor collection. It's a short drive to some of the province's best gems, the world's largest baobab tree, the ancient cycads of the Rain Queen at Modjadji village, and Makapan's Valley, where you can travel back in time some 3,5 million years to when hairy hominids roamed these plains. From Polokwane, the bushveld stretches out in vast tracts towards Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Botswana. The region offers an abundance of wildlife and bushveld destinations, including the world-famous Kruger National Park. Also see http://www.golimpopo.com/

Entertainment and Leisure

The gateway city pulsates with things to do, and 2010 supporters will soon find that there's not a dull moment to be had. The city centre houses shops, pubs, malls, galleries and museums. And on the outskirts is the awesome African-style Meropa Casino & Entertainment World. Try your hand at the tables or slot machines, relax with a cocktail at the bar, or visit the African craft and cultural market there. For something completely different, book a guided tour to the home of Amarula Liqueur to see how this legendary drink is made and enjoyed by millions worldwide. Enjoy the atmosphere of a good old-fashioned village pub at the Iron Crown in the nearby mountain hamlet of Haenertsburg, or head for the Ranch Hotel, where you can get up close and personal with a pride of lions before enjoying a hearty meal outdoors. You can shop till you drop in and around the city. Savannah Mall has a wealth of first-class shops selling leather goods, gold and jewelery, art, crafts and curios. There are also movie theatres and restaurants. South of Polokwane the Gemco Arts & Crafts curio centre is sure to appeal with its selection of drums, gold jewelery, curios and carvings. And of course, Polokwane is a gateway to the bush. There are plenty of game reserves and parks close to the city. You can also embark on an elephant back safari, adventures don't get much bigger than this! Or, take a guided tour and have your fortune told by a sangoma, a traditional healer.

Health and Wellness

So the ladies in your group are tired of too much testosterone, and want some rest and relaxation? Well, there is some very real pampering to be had in and around the Polokwane region. Relax to the rhythm of Africa, unwind to the sounds of the bushveld, from Polokwane, there are many spots just waiting to soothe a footie's stressed-out girlfriend, wife or partner. Think glorious steam baths, soothing facials and revitalizing massages, all against the most spectacular mountain views. The Agatha Spa at the Coach House Hotel is where ancient Roman hydrotherapy meets holistic modern health. Walking in, you half expect toga-clad Roman gods and goddesses to step forward with welcoming plates of peeled grapes? Upstairs are the treatment rooms, where you'll be pleasantly rubbed, scrubbed, massaged, oiled and pampered. Witwater Game Reserve is a five-star game lodge with a health spa, en route to Polokwane, and proof that the African safari is not all about heat and dust? Take a break, take a soul safari. "The wilderness is a place of reflection," said a famous South African conservationist, and you get a real sense of that out here where the skies are big, the spaces vast and the bush wild and untamed. Garonga Safari Camp offers spectacular accommodation and game viewing, in a region that invites you to see yourself as part of nature - and not superior to it, - to explore its scents, sounds, rhythms and connections. All you have to do is take the time to admire its beauty. A holistic fair is held every year in the hamlet of Haenertsburg, and the region is known for its alternative healers offering reiki, reflexology, massage and more.

History & Culture

Kickstart your cultural outing at Polokwane Art Museum in the Library Gardens Complex. The museum has an extensive indoor and outdoor collection, reflecting some of the country's best artists. Nearby, the Hugh Exton Photographic Museum has some 20,000 black-and-white photographs from the 1890s showing life as it was back then, from bodices to ox wagons and acacia trees. Perhaps the most famous spot in Polokwane is The Irish House, a late-Victorian shop building that is currently undergoing renovations for 2010. The new and dynamic exhibition will show the different cultures of the province. To find out how the Voortrekkers lived, check out the Arend Dieperink Museum in Mokopane. The museum is housed in an historic building and is a fascinating insight into the past, from the time of the ape man to recent times. Discover the life of our hairier hominid forebears at Makapan's Valley, on the outskirts of Mokopane. This archaeological site contains evidence of humans living here as far back as 3.5 million years. Further north, along the banks of the Limpopo River, lies South Africa's very own lost city of gold: Mapungubwe. A thousand years ago, Mapungubwe was the centre of the largest Iron Age kingdom in the sub-continent, where a highly sophisticated people traded gold and ivory with China, India and Egypt. Today you can walk amongst the almost untouched remains of palace sites, as well as a settlement site and two earlier capital sites, each offering an extraordinary picture of social development over 400 years. The area of Venda, north-east of Polokwane, is home to a number of artists and craftspeople. It offers fascinating mythology, ancient ruins and amazing places to stay. Visit sacred Lake Fundudzi, the place of birth and creation in Venda mythology, and the holy forest of Thathe Vondo, which is home to Venda's ancestral spirits and royal burial sites, protected by Nathathe, a supernatural lion.

Natural Attractions

Polokwane has wide, jacaranda-lined streets, leafy suburbs and a wonderful climate. The best thing about it though, is that within ten minutes drive from the city centre; you can be gazing onto mountains, rivers and bushveld. The Polokwane Game Reserve is an ecological jewel on the city's doorstep. Here you can go on a self-drive adventure or a guided tour to see game like antelope, rhino and tsessebe. Famed for its forests, waterfalls and rivers full of trout, the picturesque mountain hamlet of Haenertsburg is an easy drive from Polokwane. The Iron Crown rises into the sky above the village, this peak is the highest point in Limpopo and is also the name of the local pub! Eat pancakes, stroll around pretty public gardens and take a sundowner cruise on the Ebenezer Dam. From the village, the Magoebaskloof Pass winds down the mountain towards Tzaneen and every bend greets you with a delicious surprise, a silver lake, a signpost to a waterfall, a view point, fruit plantations, and more. You can even visit the tallest bluegum tree in the country. Planted in 1905, it's a dizzying 82 meters high and makes you feel like Alice in Wonderland when you look up! Enjoy the dramatic views of the northern Drakensberg mountains that stretch along this part of the province. These mountains offer rugged gorges, indigenous forests and crystal clear streams. There are walks winding into the mountains and grasslands. Alternatively, simply pack a picnic and spend the day in the shade of a cool tree in the forests.

Surrounding Areas

There are some fantastic travel experiences to be enjoyed in Polokwane and beyond. From Johannesburg, the N1 to Polokwane cuts through the floodplains of the Waterberg mountains. The area is home to exclusive bushveld getaways, wild animals and the beautiful and remote Marakele National Park. The charming town of Bela Bela is at the centre of the region, and a great stop-over for travelers heading north. The world-famous Kruger National Park is only a few hours drive from Polokwane. The African Ivory Route is a self-drive route through the wildest heart of Limpopo province. The route forms a 200km arc that follows the peripheral borders of the province bordering Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Botswana, and includes the far-flung reaches of the northern Kruger National Park. Get in that 4x4 and check it out! Discover the arts, crafts and legends of the Venda people. Take a drive along the Ribolla Open Africa Route, this route takes you into the sub-tropical area around Makhado, where you can visit artists, meet potters, enjoy traditional dancing and find out about the mythology and wonders of Limpopo.