Pretoria, World Cup 2010, South Africa

The World Cup in South Africa 2010

Pretoria

Located 50 km north of Johannesburg in the Gauteng Province is the quiet and elegant city of Pretoria, often referred to as "Jacaranda City" because of its Jacaranda trees. It is the administrative capital of South Africa. There is a move underway to change the name of the city to Tshwane, which means "we are the same", although this is currently being reviewed.

The World Cup In Pretoria

Loftus Versfeld is one of the largest and oldest stadium in South Africa. As well as hosting international soccer matches it also hosts rugby internationals. It is situated 5 km to the south-east of the city centre. Sundowns play their football at this stadium.

With a capacity crowd of just under 50,000 people, Loftus Versfeld requires only minor upgrades for the World Cup.

Pretoria will host 4 first-round matches and one second-round match, and its central location will also mean it is well placed for fans wanting to attend games in Jo'burg, and Rustenburg.

Pretoria Match Schedule

Date	Stadium	Type	Team 1		Team 2
13 June, 16:00	Loftus Versfeld	Group D	Serbia	vs	Ghana
16 June, 20:30	Loftus Versfeld	Group A	South Africa	vs	Uruguay
19 June, 20:30	Loftus Versfeld	Group E	Cameroon	vs	Denmark
23 June, 16:00	Loftus Versfeld	Group C	USA	vs	Algeria
25 June, 20:30	Loftus Versfeld	Group H	Chile	vs	Spain
29 June, 16:00	Loftus Versfeld	Round of 16 (6)	Winner Group F	vs	2nd Group E

Visiting Pretoria During The World Cup

There are lots of hotels in the Pretoria / Johannesburg area (the 2 cities are only 45 minutes drive apart), however with so many games in the area accommodation will inevitable become hard to find.

It is very unlikely that most fans will be able to get their first choice of accommodation, although we will always do our best!

Between Games

There are some museums and galleries in Pretoria, however most fans are likely to find themselves travelling a little further afield to Jo'burg, Sun City, and elsewhere if they have a couple of days between games.

Any Chance Of A Safari?

Pretoria has excellent road connections for safaris in The Waterberg, Pilanesburg, Madikwe and The Greater Kruger Park, and it's proximity to Johannesburg's transport hub means that KwaZulu-Natal and Port Elizabeth can also be easily reached.

The Waterberg

Rhino Calf And Mother The sheer proximity of the Warterberg (only an hour or so to some lodges) is sure to make the lodges in this malaria-free region very popular with fans based in Pretoria.

If you would like us to include a stay at one of these malaria-free lodges as part of your trip to South Africa, click here.

Alternatively if you have already booked most of your accommodation and are looking add a safari to your existing plans you can either browse our selection of lodges in the Waterberg, or ask us to recommend a safari based on your budget by clicking here.

The Greater Kruger Park

Serious safari goers based in Pretoria are likley to be have Kruger down as their number 1 choice, as this area is widley recognised as offering the best Big 5 game viewing opportunities to be found anywhere, with lion and leopard tracking a particular speciality.

The safari lodges in the area are either located within one of a handful of concessions in Kruger itself, or in one of the neighbouring private game reserves on the western side of the Park. Most of the lodges offer a fully inclusive safari including accommodation, all meals, 2 game drives per day in 4x4 vehicles, and an optional guided bush walk each day, and some will also include all your drinks as well.

Madikwe Game Reserve

The 76,000 hectare Madikwe Game Reserve is right on the border with Botswana border and and can be reached either by charter flight from Johannesburg or via a 3h 30 min hour drive from Pretoria.

Madikwe is home to 66 large mammal species including the Big 5 and approximately 300 resident and migrant bird species. It is one of South Africa's largest game reserves and a popular safari choice for overseas visitors as it is in a malaria-free area and a number of the lodges also welcome children.

Pilanesburg National Park

The 50,000 hectare Pilanesberg National Park is only about 1h 30mins from Pretoria, and is an ideal choice for those wishing to take a day safari from the city or combine a safari with a visit to neighbouring Sun City.

The Park is home to over 7,000 animals including the Big 5, giraffe, hippo, zebra, jackal, hyena and many antelope, and there are also over 350 bird species.

There is only one safari lodge inside the Park (Tshukudu Bush Lodge), however there are a number of family resorts that border the Park and offer a dinner, bed & breakfast package to visitors looking to drive themselves around Pilanesberg or join a guided drive around the Park leaving from the resort.