The ICC has confirmed 12 host cities for the 2027 ODI World Cup which runs from October 4 to November 21, 2027. South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia will share hosting duties with South Africa staging matches in eight cities.
This marks the first ODI World Cup in Africa since 2003 when South Africa, Zimbabwe and Kenya co-hosted the tournament. Since then, South Africa has organized several major ICC events including the 2007 T20 World Cup, the 2023 Women’s T20 World Cup and the Under-19 World Cup. For Namibia, this is a milestone-it’s the country’s debut as a senior ICC tournament host after co-hosting the Under-19 World Cup with Zimbabwe earlier this year.
The final will be played either at Wanderers in Johannesburg or Newlands in Cape Town, with South Africa’s other host cities including Centurion, Durban, Gqeberha, KuGompo City, Paarl, and Bloemfontein.
Zimbabwe will host matches in Harare, Bulawayo, and-for the first time-Victoria Falls, where a 10,000-seat stadium is currently under construction. These three cities will collectively stage between 7 and 10 games. Windhoek, Namibia’s capital, will host at least three matches.
For warm-up games, Benoni and Potchefstroom in South Africa are set to act as venues. These cities, along with Namibia, could also play a role in hosting the World Cup Qualifiers next year.
Here’s a rundown of the venues:
South Africa:
– Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg
– SuperSport Park, Centurion (Tshwane)
– Newlands Cricket Ground, Cape Town
– Kingsmead Cricket Ground, Durban
– St George’s Park, Gqeberha
– Mangaung Oval, Bloemfontein
– Boland Park, Paarl
– Buffalo Park, KuGompo City (formerly East London)
Zimbabwe:
– Harare Sports Club, Harare
– Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo
– Fale Mosi-oa-Tunya International Cricket Stadium, Victoria Falls
Namibia:
– Windhoek
This World Cup could feature up to three high-stakes clashes between India and Pakistan, depending on how the tournament unfolds. If both teams share a group they’ll meet in the group stage, then again if they progress to the Super 7 and possibly a third time in the semifinal or final.
South Africa and Zimbabwe have earned automatic entry as Full Members of the ICC but Namibia must qualify for the main tournament. This World Cup will also be the first ICC event scheduled as part of the 2027-31 Future Tours Program.