The Mpumalanga town of Mbombela is geared for an influx of tourists over the weekend, thanks to the sold-out rugby match between the Springboks and the All Blacks on 6 August.
Accommodation spots are reportedly fully-booked, with many spectators adding extra travel plans to explore the province and nearby attractions like Kruger National Park before or after the match.
‘The Mbombela Stadium is no stranger to hosting the national rugby team, but they have never played arch-rivals New Zealand here before,’ the Stadium’s Facebook page reads. ‘The excitement is palpable! Mbombela is ready!’
The Mbombela Stadium is sold-out for the rugby match. Media Club / Flickr Commons
‘This is certainly the biggest sporting event to be held here since the FIFA World Cup. The stadium is totally sold out, that is 40 000 people, and many more are attending fan parks or watching the game at accommodation venues’, said Linda Grimbeek, Chairperson of the Kruger Lowveld Chamber of Business and Commerce according to Tourism Update. ‘With national and international media in attendance, the match is absolutely priceless for increasing exposure for Mbombela.’
‘Since the match also falls on a long weekend, everything around the Kruger National Park and within the park itself were mostly fully booked already. We are even using private houses that local residents are offering, to accommodate VIPs and media,’ Grimbeek added.
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