Zimbabwe is set to construct a new multipurpose sports stadium in Victoria Falls, with completion slated for August 2025. The 10,000-seat facility will serve as a venue for the 2027 International Cricket Council World Cup, co-hosted by Zimbabwe, South Africa, and Namibia.
The stadium, located in the Masuwe Special Economic Zone for Tourism, will be owned by Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) for the next 25 years. Financing for the project has already been secured from ZC funds.
Beyond cricket, the stadium will accommodate other sports like football, rugby, tennis, hockey, and squash, adhering to international federation guidelines during its planning and construction. The stadium is also expected to boost the country's tourism industry, a key pillar of the economy.
"Zimbabwe Cricket was allocated 10 hectares of land for the construction of an international cricket stadium and ancillary facilities in the Masuwe Special Economic Zone for Tourism in Victoria Falls," Information Minister Dr Jenfan Muswere said. "The project will contribute towards the $5-billion tourism and hospitality industry by 2025, as well as the development and expansion of sports infrastructure in the country."
President Mnangagwa will lay the foundation stone to officially mark the commencement of the project.
Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Babra Rwodzi emphasized the importance of completing the stadium by August 2025 to allow for a year of grass preparation ahead of the World Cup. A separate practice ground, the B-Arena, will also be constructed on-site.
"The other sports disciplines that will be conducted on the same stadium will be rugby, tennis, hockey, squash, and still they are looking at other disciplines that can come on board," said Minister Rwodzi. "There is another ground (B-Arena) to be constructed on the same place for the practice sessions of the teams that will be competing at the World Cup."
ZC chairman Tavengwa Mukuhlani confirmed the project's funding and expressed hopes to incorporate a sports academy into the multidiscipline facility.
"We will have the multidiscipline facility. We will try to accommodate football and rugby and the possibility of an academy on that side," said Mr Mukuhlani. "The funding is in place for the construction of the facility."