Contrary to predictions that stadiums will get cheaper by the day, we are beginning to see sports stadiums continuing to get more and more expensive as the number of spectators and audiences increase in number. When you start to look around at these magnificent venues, one question that always keep popping up is: how much did it cost to build these things? Well, let’s take a look at the 20 Most Expensive Stadiums In Africa today. I bet Number 1 on the list will leave your jaw dropping.
JUNE 11 STADIUM [#20]
Construction Cost: $50 million
Country: Libya
Capacity: 88,000
The June 11 Stadium, named in reference to the date of the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Libya, June 11, 1970, is a multi-purpose stadium in Tripoli, Libya. At 88,000 capacity, it is one of the largest stadiums in Africa. It is the home of the Libyan national football team, used during FIFA World Cup and African Nations Cup qualifying matches as well as friendlies and other international games.
STADE D’ ANGONDJE [#19]
Construction Cost: $50 million
Country: Gabon
Capacity: 40,000
The Stade d’Angondjé, also known as Stade de l’Amitie (Friendship Stadium) is a stadium in Angondjé, a suburb of Libreville in Gabon. It was one of four stadiums used for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations, it also hosted the competitions final and was built on a 30-hectare area by the Chinese company, Shanghai Construction Group.
BENJAMIN MKAPA NATIONAL STADIUM [#18]
Construction Cost: $56 million
Country: Tanzania
Capacity: 60,000
Constructed by the Bejing Construction Engineering Company Limited, this stadium was opened in 2007 in Da-res-Saleem, Tanzania and is named after the country’s third president, Benjamin William Mkapa. Although it is a multi-purpose stadium, it mainly plays host to football and is the country’s national team home ground.
LEVY MWANAWAZA STADIUM [#17]
Construction Cost: $65 million
Country: Zambia
Capacity: 49,800
Levy Mwanawasa was the third President of Zambia, who served from 2002 to his death in 2008. The multi-purpose Levy Mwanawasa stadium in Ndola, was named in his honour. It is used mostly for football matches. The stadium has a capacity of 49,800 people.
ESTADIO DA TUNDAVALA [#16]
Construction Cost: $69 million
Country: Angola
Capacity: 25,000
The Tundavala National Stadium is a multi-use stadium in Lubango, Hulia Province, Angola. Completed in 2010, it is used mostly for football matches, it hosted some events for the 2010 African Nations Cup. The stadium has a capacity of 25,000 people.
BINGU NATIONAL STADIUM [#15]
Construction Cost: $70 million
Country: Malawi
Capacity: 40,500
The Bingu National Stadium project is the brainchild of the late president of Malawi, Bingu wa Mutharika. This made the cabinet deem it fit to honour the late president by naming the stadium after him. The 40,500 capacity stadium is located at Area 48 in Lilongwe.
CHIAZI NATIONAL STADIUM [#14]
Construction Cost: $76 million
Country: Angola
Capacity: 20,000
Located in the coastal province Cabinda, the Chiazi National Stadium is among the most beautiful stadiums in Angola. It hosted the Group B matches for the 2010 Africa Nations Cup. Also called Estadio Chimandela, the capacity of the new stadium is around 20,000.
ESTADIO DO ZIMPETO [#13]
Construction Cost: $80 million
Country: Mozambique
Capacity: 42,000
Constructed by the Chinese company, Anhui Foreign Economic Construction Group, the Estádio do Zimpeto is a multi-use stadium in Zimpeto town of Maputo in Mozambique. It is mainly used for football after it was inaugurated on 23 April 2011. It was also the main stadium for the 2011 all-Africa Games. It has a capacity of 42,000 spectators.
NATIONAL HEROES STADIUM [#12]
Construction Cost: $94 million
Country: Zambia
Capacity: 50,000
The National Heroes Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Lusaka, Zambia which was named after the 1993 Zambia national football team who lost their lives in an air disaster while returning from a football match for the country. It is currently used mostly for football matches and hosts the home matches of the Zambia national football team. The stadium, which was opened in 2013 holds 50,000 spectators.
AKWA IBOM INTERNATIONAL STADIUM [#11]
Construction Cost: $96 million
Country: Nigeria
Capacity: 30,000
The Akwa Ibom International Stadium is an all-seater national sports stadium located in Uyo, the state capital of Akwa Ibom State in Nigeria. The stadium is used by Nigerian Super Eagles as well as a centre for various social, cultural, and religious events. The contract for the construction of the Akwa Ibom International Stadium complex and Games Village was awarded in 2012 to Julius Berger and was completed in 2014. The 30,000 seater ultra modern multipurpose sports complex was modelled after Allianz Arena.
ESTADIO NACIONAL DE OMBAKA [#10]
Construction Cost: $100 million
Country: Angola
Capacity: 35,000
The Estadio Nacional de Ombaka, also called The Ombaka National Stadium is a multi-use stadium in Bengula, Angola. Completed in 2010, it is used mostly for football matches, it has also hosted some events for the 2010 African Nations Cup. The stadium has a capacity of 35,000 people.
STADE OLYMPIQUE DE RADES [#9]
Construction Cost: $110 million
Country: Tunisia
Capacity: 60,000
This multi-purpose stadium is located in Rades, Tunisia. The beautiful masterpiece was constructed and opened in 2001 as one of the stadiums used for the Mediterranean Games. It makes this list not only as being expensive but also as being ecstatic.
MBOMBELA STADIUM [#8]
Construction Cost: $140 million
Country: South Africa
Capacity: 40,929
The Mbombela Stadium is a newly built, all-seater, 40,929-seat stadium located on open land six kilometres west of Nelspriut, South Africa. It was one of the ten venues for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Construction commenced in February 2007 and was completed in November 2009. The construction contract was awarded to Basil Read Construction and Bouygues Construction. The stadium is the centrepiece of a proposed wider sports precinct with athletics and cricket as well as other sporting codes.
PETER MOKABA STADIUM [#7]
Construction Cost: $150 million
Country: South Africa
Capacity: 41,733
The Peter Mokaba Stadium is a football and rugby union stadium in Polokwane, South Africa, which was named after a former leader of the ANC Youth League, Peter Mokaba. The stadium is one of five new stadiums that were built for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. It has a capacity of 41,733 and was used for the World Cup. The stadium was used intensely for training and matches, therefore the natural grass has been reinforced with artificial fibres, which anchors the field into a stable and a level grass surface.
ESTADIO 11 DE NOVEMBRO [#6]
Construction Cost: $227 million
Country: Angola
Capacity: 50,000
The Estádio 11 de Novembro, named after the date of Angola’s independence is located in Belas municipality in Luanda, Angola. It is a multi-purpose stadium. The 50,000-seater stadium, completed in 2010 ahead of the 2010 Africa Nations Cup hosted nine matches during the tournament, including five Group A matches, one Group B match, one quarter-final, one semi-final, and the final. It is currently used on a regular basis by football clubs Premeiro de Agosto and Petro de Luanda who play in Girabola.
NELSON MANDELA BAY STADIUM [#5]
Construction Cost: $270 million
Country: South Africa
Capacity: 48,459
The Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium is a 48,000-seater stadium in Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape, South Africa. This is the first time a world-class football stadium has been built in the Eastern Cape Province. The stadium seats 48,459 in addition to 4,000 extra seats, temporarily installed for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The stadium has also been used as a concert venue.
ABUJA NATIONAL STADIUM [#4]
Construction Cost: $360 million
Country: Nigeria
Capacity: 60,491
The Abuja National Stadium is an all-seater national sports stadium located in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria. The stadium is home to the Nigerian national football team. The Nigerian Federal Government approved the contract for the construction of the stadium July 18, 2000, for the 8th All Africa Games which took place in October 2003. The 60,491 capacity stadium is an ultra-modern multipurpose sports complex.
FIRST NATIONAL BANK (FNB) STADIUM a.k.a. SOCCER CITY [#3]
Construction Cost: $440 million
Country: South Africa
Capacity: 94,736
The FNB Stadium, popularly known as Soccer City or The Calabash (due to its resemblance to the African pot), is a located in Nasrec, South Africa. With a capacity of 94,736, Soccer City is the largest stadium in Africa. It is the home ground of Kaizer Chiefs F.C. and the South Africa National Football team. It was the site of Nelson Mandela’s first speech in Johannesburg after his release from prison in 1990 and also his final public appearance in the final match of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, which was between the Netherlands and Spain.
MOSES MABHIDA STADIUM [#2]
Construction Cost: $450 million
Country: South Africa
Capacity: 54,000
This stadium is located in Durban, it hosted most of the 2010 FIFA World Cup matches. Inside it lies a modern sporting institute and a trans-modal transport facility, which was needful because of the World Cup. It presently sits 54,000, although it had a sitting capacity of 62,760 during the world cup.
CAPE TOWN STADIUM [#1]
Construction Cost: $600 million
Country: South Africa
Capacity: 64,100
At a construction cost of $600 million, the Cape Town Stadium, located in the legislative capital of South Africa is the most expensive stadium in Africa. The stadium, which is often referred to as the “Green Point Stadium” because it sits on the piece land that previously housed the Green Point stadium, was constructed by an indigenous company, Murray & Roberts Construction Company.
Under Construction Stadiums and Their Capacity
Stadium | Capacity | City | Country | Opening |
---|---|---|---|---|
Grand Stade de Casablanca | 93,000 | Casablanca | Morocco | TBD |
Al Ahly SC Stadium | 60,000 | Cairo | Egypt | TBD |
National Stadium | 60,000 | Tema | Ghana | 2022 |
Stade Abdelkader Khalef | 50,766 | Tizi Ouzou | Algeria | 2021 |
Wadi Al Rabi Stadium | 50,000 | Tripoli | Libya | TBD |
Stade Olympique de Sousse | 49,000 | Sousse | Tunisia | 2021 |
Grand Stade Tetouan | 45,600 | Tétouan | Morocco | 2022 |
Abdelhamid Kermali Stadium | 40,784 | Baraki | Algeria | 2021 |
Abdelkader Fréha Stadium | 40,143 | Oran | Algeria | 2021 |
Douera Sportpark Stadium | 40,000 | Douéra | Algeria | 2021 |
Sports City Stadium | 40,000 | Sfax | Tunisia | TBD |
New Al Hoceima Stadium | 40,000 | Al Hoceima | Morocco | TBD |
Al Kremiah Stadium | 25,000 | Tripoli | Libya | TBD |
Murbat Stadium | 21,442 | Misrata | Libya | TBD |
Stade de Korhogo | 20,000 | Korhogo | Ivory Coast | 2021 |
Stade de San Pédro | 20,000 | San Pédro | Ivory Coast | 2021 |
Stade de Yamoussoukro | 20,000 | Yamoussoukro | Ivory Coast | 2021 |
New Sig Stadium | 20,000 | Sig | Algeria | 2021 |
Victoria Falls Cricket Stadium | 12,000 | Victoria Falls | Zimbabwe | 2022 |