2027 Cricket World Cup: A Southern African Opportunity

When the ICC announced that the 2027 Cricket World Cup would be jointly hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia, it was framed as a milestone for African cricket. South Africa will stage 44 of the 54 matches, while Zimbabwe and Namibia share the remaining 10.

South Africa’s scale and experience play

With a GDP of $420 billion and a population of 61 million, South Africa enters the tournament with ready-made infrastructure and experience from past global events including the 2008 World Cup. Stadiums, transport, and broadcast facilities are in place, allowing the country to focus on maximizing sponsorship and media revenue. Fresh from success on the pitch, runners-up at the 2024 T20 World Cup and winners of the 2025 World Test Championship, South Africa will lean on major venues in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Pretoria, and Durban to anchor the competition.

Zimbabwe's visibility play

Zimbabwe’s objective is less financial windfall than global positioning. With limited upgrades planned, Harare’s historic Sports Club remains the centerpiece, alongside a $10 million new stadium in Victoria Falls that will also host the 2026 Under-19 World Cup. While hosting fewer matches, Zimbabwe sees each fixture as an opportunity to boost the country’s brand and exposure and signal hosting capability despite known challenges.

Namibia’s opportunity for proportional Impact

For Namibia, population 2.5 million and GDP $18 billion, the World Cup offers outsized returns. The $3.9 million Cricket Ground in Windhoek is set to open in 2025 with a high-performance center and naming rights secured by NMB will anchor its participation. Even a handful of games can help put the country on the map and advance domestic cricket development. 

Learning from India

India’s 2023 World Cup generated $1.39 billion for its economy, including $861 million from tourism and $516 million from secondary spending. Southern Africa operates on a smaller scale, but the proportional benefits remain clear: job creation, hospitality growth, urban development, and international visibility