Ltd & Moses Mabhida Stadium
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FEATURE — MOSES MABHIDA STADIUM RUNNING MOSES MABHIDA STADIUM The extra seating capacity required for the hosting of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ has now been removed but it can be quickly re-installed whenever necessary. Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban is one of the iconic hen Moses Mabhida stadiums that were built for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™. stadium was designed, the architects and planners kept inW mind that the venue should be capable of hosting the But with one of South Africa’s most popular rugby Summer Olympics should Durban win a possible bid for stadiums next to it, many feared that Stadium would the event. There was much talk last year that South Africa become another white elephant. Feature-writer Guy was aiming for hosting the 2024 event. Durban would be Oldenkotte interviewed Julie May Ellingson and a likely candidate host-city. But the South African gov- ernment hasn’t decided anything yet. evaluated the venue’s first three years in business. “But in the end, it is the South African Olympic Com- mittee and the national government who have to decide first whether South Africa will bid for hosting the event. And only when they have decided to go forward can Durban be one of the city’s that can express its inten- tions of hosting the event,” explained Julie May Ellingson, while explaining why Durban hasn’t pushed the agenda openly yet. 20th ANNIVERSARY PART II/SUMMER 12 PANSTADIA 26 All rights reserved. ©PanStadia 2012. www.panstadia.com FEATURE — MOSES MABHIDA STADIUM Space is available at Moses Mabhida stadium to install the required athletics track should Durban ever choose to bid for (and win) the hosting rights to a Summer Olympics. Ellingson was head of the Ellingson explained: “We felt that we didn’t have the 2010 programme prior to the knowledge and experience to make an informed deci- RUNNING MOSES 2010 FIFA World Cup™ and is cur- sion when the issue was put to the table before the 2010 rently head of the Strategic Projects FIFA World Cup™. We spoke to managers of many stadi- Unit, with Moses Mabhida stadium under ums around the world and had many consultants on MABHIDA STADIUM her remit. board before the World Cup, but we weren’t too sure whether we should run the stadium ourselves or to Business as Usual establish a department within the city to do so, or to In 2011, government spokesman Jimmy Manyi lease it to an outside company. We learned, for instance, announced that South Africa is not intending to bid for about the problems Wembley Stadium experienced by the 2020 Summer Olympics, shattering the dreams of outsourcing its catering operation. This made us decide those who were hoping Durban would soon host anoth- to install our own kitchen to avoid similar problems. But er major international sports event. While many still you will need an operator prepared to accept this. So hope the government will reconsider its stance, for the making the call of who would be responsible for operat- stadium it remains business as usual. ing the stadium would have been premature, as we “The stadium complies with the requirements set by didn’t have a clear understanding of the revenue that the IOC for venues that are to be used for the Summer could be generated or the cost that it would take to keep Olympics but it is not a prerogative for the venue to the venue running.” operate,” said Ellingson. The seating capacity at Moses Mabhida has been Return on Investment temporarily reduced and space for a possible athletic Durban wants to ensure it gets value for money and track is still used as part of the field. But, when necessary, makes a return on its investment in the stadium. everything can be put in place quickly to host the “We decided to first establish a record, so we could Games. get proof ourselves. We want to make sure that we can “The ablution facilities and lifts for another tier are make a reasonable deal,” said Ellingson, while referring still there. It is just a matter of reinstalling the seats,” to Cape Town stadium, where a joint-venture between advised Ellingson in relation to the stadium’s readiness Sail and Stade de France was disbanded back in late to host a Summer Olympics. 2010 after it came to the conclusion that it would not be The city took a careful approach for the appointment able to operate the venue profitably. “The problem is of a stadium management company. Many qualified that if the deal goes flat and the operating company companies indicated being keen to take over the respon- goes bankrupt the stadium will be returned to city. Dur- sibility but Ellingson says the city first wanted to know ban does not want to end up paying for the stadium what exactly it had to offer or could achieve. twice. Moses Mabhida stadium is like a baby to the city, ➲ 20th ANNIVERSARY PART II/SUMMER 12 PANSTADIA 27 All rights reserved. ©PanStadia 2012. www.panstadia.com FEATURE — MOSES MABHIDA STADIUM RUNNING MOSES MABHIDA STADIUM IMAGE: DIRK/QUICKSLAB BKS (Pty) Ltd & Moses Mabhida Stadium Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban, environmentally friendly stadium interface with FIFA and its Local managed by BKS (Pty) Ltd, has done operation, as well as social aspects of the Organising Committees, event overlay exceedingly well since the FIFA World Cup development. It’s about keeping the concept planning and stadium 2010™ having hosted forty major events, venue as a whole — meaning the stadium management during the tournament was including PSL and international football bowl, adjacent park, shopping area, also part of the BKS scope. matches, South Africa v India Pro tourist attractions, and function venues BKS led teams of international and local Twenty20 cricket, music concerts such as — as busy as possible and creating an architects, engineers and project Neil Diamond and a Bollywood attraction for the people of Durban. The managers, which won the tenders in Extravaganza with Sharuk Khan, cycle stadium and precinct are operated in as Durban, Cape Town, and Port Elizabeth, races, marathons, cultural and political green away as possible (energy efficient fighting off stiff competition to secure the rallies, etc. fittings, recycling etc) and Durban design and and construction achieved a carbon neutral World Cup The stadium’s home football team is management services for these new through carbon off setting. AmaZulu Football Club, while the second stadia, which have all won many awards. Premiership football club in the province, Legacy aspects of stadium operation and One reason for the success, was the Golden Arrows, uses the stadium for all of sustainability were considered as critical combination of BKS — as a strong South its bigger matches. In addition, the success factors from the early design African consulting company with stadium is one of Durban’s most popular stages — the intention was to create a experience of over 70 stadia and sport venues for corporate entertainment and landmark for the city and a stadium for facilities in Africa — and international has hosted around 500 functions for a the people of Durban used for sporting experts with extensive 2006 FIFA World variety of blue chip companies. and non-sporting events seven days a Cup™ experience in architecture, week. BKS developed concepts for stadia engineering and project management. The popular tourist attractions at Moses bowl events and functions, a shopping Mabhida Stadium including the SkyCar, There is no other company worldwide area, unique adventure experiences, adventure walk, big swing and stadium with similar experience and knowledge hospitality, public and VIP catering, waste tours, have attracted almost 450,000 gained from the most recent World Cup in management, safety and security, access visitors to date and the stadium has terms of stadium development, operation and entrance control etc., which have become known as an adventure and management consulting services. The been implemented since BKS started to destination in Durban. A range of shops, challenges don’t end with the completion operate the stadium. VIP gym, and restaurants provide a of a construction project — a new complete package for a great day out. Going beyond construction and stadium needs to be operated managing the World Cup preparations for professionally pre-, during, and after the The various aspects of sustainability are the Durban stadium, including the tournament. high on the agenda — commercial sucess, ➲ 20th ANNIVERSARY PART II/SUMMER 12 PANSTADIA 28 All rights reserved. ©PanStadia 2012. www.panstadia.com FEATURE — MOSES MABHIDA STADIUM RUNNING MOSES MABHIDA STADIUM Above: The SkyCar that runs over the stadium’s iconic arch has become a popular tourist attraction. Left: In 2013, a new Act will come into place in South Africa in which ‘safety at venues’ and ‘safety requirements’ are clearly defined. Moses Mabhida stadium was designed with the Act in mind. But the existing Shark Tank does not comply and it will cost the rugby club some serious money if they want to make the venue compliant. The new Moses Mabhida stadium complies with the new Act. Capacity of the hospitality suites, therefore, has been reduced compared to the rugby stadium. and babies always go back to their mother when there is “We were hoping to have results within six months, a problem. But as a mother we only want the best for our but we have come to the conclusion that we actually ‘baby’.” require eighteen months before we have substantial Ellingson added: “We knew that the stadium would information, which allows us to make an informed deci- be in a very corrosive environment, which would have a sion.