The official confirmation of St George's Park as a host venue for five high-profile matches in the 2027 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup marks a transformative moment for Gqeberha and the wider Eastern Cape region.
The city, steeped in cricketing history, will host five matches across the tournament, including two group fixtures.
Returning to African soil for the first time in 24 years, this global showpiece is much more than a sporting event — it is a calculated economic catalyst projected to drive a staggering R1.9bn in economic activity across the region.
Local authorities expect the highly-anticipated tournament to attract more than 72,000 spectators to the Friendly City while creating more than 2,400 jobs, providing a major boost to the Eastern Cape hospitality and tourism sectors. This is music to our ears as the province is battling high unemployment numbers and a struggling economy.
SA, co-hosts with Namibia and Zimbabwe, will feature the lion’s share of the tournament, with 44 of the 57 total matches distributed across eight premier domestic venues.
Gqeberha is set to play a pivotal role in the tournament’s brand-new, expanded 14-team format, which introduces a multi-stage competition consisting of a qualifying Super Series, a 12-team group stage and a gruelling Super 7 round-robin before the semifinals and final.
Afghanistan, defending champions Australia, India, Pakistan, co-hosts Zimbabwe and Qualifier A populate Group A, which will see 15 fixtures contested from October 7 to 24.
SA will compete alongside Bangladesh, England, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and Qualifier B in Group B, with fixtures from October 8 to 23.
Gqeberha has proven in the past to be fantastic hosts to international events like this. Just look at how well we shone during the 2010 Fifa World Cup. We were all on our best behaviour and the tourists couldn't get enough of all we had to offer. We need to have pride in our city because we do have a lot to offer tourists.
This tournament allocation also marks a historic milestone for Eastern Province Cricket, placing the metro firmly back onto the global sports map while also offering a significant opportunity to inspire the next generation of cricketers.
With the 2027 World Cup now firmly on the horizon, local youngsters, club cricketers and supporters will have the chance to experience some of the world’s leading players on their doorstep. Let's enjoy the buildup to this event and make sure our guests have such a good time that they will want to come back again and again.
