DHL Stadium ’marks start of new era’

Cape Town Stadium has welcomed the name change to DHL Stadium, following a multi-year naming rights partnership with DHL.

The newly refurbished 62 000 capacity stadium is also the new home of the DHL Stormers and DHL Western Province who moved there earlier this year, effective June 1.

DHL first signed on as title sponsor of the two teams in 2011 and is already the longest-standing title sponsorship in Western Province Rugby’s history.

The chief executive of DHL Express sub-Saharan Africa, Hennie Heymans, said: “(We are) the most international company in the world with the purpose of connecting people and improving lives. It’s very important for us as a brand to make a difference in the local communities in which we operate and a partnership of this nature really solidifies our optimism and commitment that we have for South Africa.”

While the pandemic has caused global economic devastation, impacting all industries, Heymans remains positive.

“Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, we believe that sporting, entertainment and business events will continue to have a place in society. Our role as responsible corporate citizens will be to ensure that patrons experience world class events, with a strict health and safety approach. This partnership will help play our part in supporting a thriving South African economy, from both a sporting and business perspective,” said Heymans.

Chief executive of the DHL Stadium Lesley de Reuck said: “I am immensely excited to announce and confirm our new partner. The launching of the stadium marks the beginning of a new era. DHL have always been innovative leaders in the world of logistics, and through their contributions to the international express industry, DHL is synonymous with excellence the world over. They are a highly recognised and reputable brand, and we are proud to be associated with DHL.”

Megan Collinicos, vice-president of marketing, said they believed this partnership to be a “natural evolution from the extensive sports and entertainment sponsorships that we have globally, and it’s actually our first-ever stadium naming rights sponsorship”.

“(The stadium) is more than a sport facility, as it boasts many other great entertainment and hospitality features which DHL is looking forward to highlighting over the course of the partnership. As we move closer to welcoming crowds back, we look forward to playing our part in delivering exceptional ‘sportainment’ experiences for spectators and event organisers,” said Collinicos.

Mayco member for finance Ian Neilson said: “When the City built such a world-class stadium as a host of the 2010 Soccer World Cup, we needed to make it happen for the economic opportunities and nation-building prestige that it would bring. However, we knew that after the event, we’d have to make it a financially sustainable landmark. Since then, we have been investigating ways to reduce the burden of carrying the operational costs of the stadium. This has led to a number of programmes aimed at enhancing the viability of the Cape Town Stadium.

“This has included the construction of hospitality suites, securing a primary anchor tenant, and most recently, a naming rights partner. Importantly, this stadium remains an inclusive, multi-purpose sporting and events facility,” said Neilson.

For a sneak peek at what the DHL Stadium will look like once fully branded watch DHL’s teaser video: https://bit.ly/DHLStadiumTeaserVideo

Cape Times