Only minor renovations will be required to bring the Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace into line with requirements for a stadium able to host first and second round matches at a Fifa World Cup.

This reality underlines the excellence of the venue, opened in 1999 and completely funded by the Royal Bafokeng community, an administrative entity that functions within North West province and presides over the world's richest platinum mines.

The stadium is located on open land, offering easy access and extensive parking facilities for local supporters and those who make the comfortable 90-minute drive from Johannesburg.

As a multi-purpose venue used by the community, the venue includes an athletics track, but the oval bowl structure maintains a degree of intimacy and engenders an excellent atmosphere.

The stadium capacity will be increased to 40 000, excluding VIPs and Media, by the scheduled construction of two additional rows of seats in the concourse on the second level.

For 2010, essentially cosmetic measures such as installation of new electronic scoreboards and upgrading of the floodlights and public address system will render the Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace ready to welcome the soccer supporters of the world.