Inside FNB Stadium: How the 2010 World Cup final venue remains profitable

It is a sports facility that is regarded as one of the best in the world but keeping the gates open at FNB Stadium does not come cheap.

Running the iconic venue that has become a lasting symbol of the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup costs around R4 million a month and the expenditure includes electricity‚ water‚ logistics‚ staff‚ security and maintaining the Desso GrassMaster playing surface‚ among others.

Stadium Management CEO Jacques Grobbelaar‚ the head of the operators of the stadium‚ says the venue is run at no risk to the taxpayer.

“Don’t forget that in terms of our business model‚ we run our facilities on a full financial risk basis with no costs from the taxpayers’ money‚” he says.

“We are the only venue in the country doing this‚ and able to keep the country’s top facilities viable.”

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FNB Stadium is by far the busiest 2010 World Cup venue in South Africa and it hosts 105 events (sporting‚ corporate and religious) per year and some 8 million people have passed through the turnstiles since 2009.

Several other 2010 World Cup stadiums are believed to be struggling to make ends meet and require millions from the government to remain active.

Some host events sporadically and remain inactive for the better part of the year.

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FNB Stadium has continued to receive numerous awards since hosting the World Cup almost seven years ago and the most recent came a few days ago when the venue was awarded the 2017 BIZZ Award for Business Excellence by the World Confederation of Businesses (WORLDCOB) founded in Houston‚ Texas‚ US.

But Grobbelaar says the economical challenges that the country is facing are also felt at the Calabash‚ as the stadium is also known.

“The biggest challenge‚ like anyone else in the world‚ is always on the economic side‚” he says.

“It costs in the millions per month to maintain our facilities. When the markets are affected‚ we also fill the pinch.

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“To give an example‚ there were a lot of top class international sporting and music acts that we would love to have brought through to South Africa.

“But it ended up not being feasible simply because in order for us to even bring (those) acts‚ it would have meant asking for unreasonable charges on the ticket price from our patrons.”

The Calabash is also home to the biggest soccer match in southern Africa and one of the biggest derbies in the world‚ the Soweto derby between stadium tenants Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates.

The two sides will play their traditional pre-season Carling Black Label Cup at the venue on July 29 and while the game itself is nothing more than a friendly match‚ expect a full house at FNB Stadium as has been the case for the last six years.

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So‚ what does a typical week entail when the venue is to host a Soweto derby‚ a cup final or a major music concert?

“I’m fortunate enough to have a team of experts working for Stadium Management SA‚” Grobbelaar says.

“Our primary focus is always on ensuring safety and security; and then the entertainment factor.

“The Soweto Derby‚ the biggest sporting experience in the southern hemisphere‚ is the most incredible experience not just for the fans but for us as well‚ where you are part of the planning process from the initial stages until conclusion.

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“We always look to ensure that all logistical measures are in place so that every stakeholder and every guest has a wonderful experience with us.

"I am already looking forward to this year’s Carling Black Label Champion Cup edition‚ just as the entire world is…”

– TMG Digital/TMG Sport