JOHANNESBURG: The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Thursday confirmed 12 venues for the World Cup 2027, which will be held across South Africa, Namibia, and Zimbabwe.
The host cities were officially unveiled at a ceremony in Johannesburg. Eight venues in South Africa will host the tournament, while three venues in Zimbabwe and Namibia’s capital, Windhoek, will also stage matches.
Former South Africa captain Graeme Smith, former fast bowler Makhaya Ntini, Hashim Amla, current captain Temba Bavuma, and pacer Kagiso Rabada attended the launch ceremony.
They were joined by former Zimbabwe captain Hamilton Masakadza and Namibia’s Rudolf Jansen van Vuuren.
The 50-over-World Cup will return to Africa for the first time in 24 years. The last men’s 50-over World Cup held on the continent took place in 2003, when South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Kenya staged the eighth edition of the tournament.
The 2027 event will feature 14 teams and will be held under the theme “Three Nations, One Heartbeat”, highlighting the partnership between the three host nations. Organizers also unveiled the tournament’s branding, inspired by the African philosophy of Ubuntu — “I am because we are” — and the slogan “Make the Circle Bigger.”
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The official visual identity is inspired by the traditional African wire bowl and features a color palette representing the three host nations.
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South Africa has hosted several ICC events since co-hosting the 2003 World Cup, including the inaugural Men’s T20 World Cup in 2007, the Women’s T20 World Cup in 2023, and multiple Under-19 World Cups.
Zimbabwe will co-host the men’s World Cup for the second time, while Namibia will stage its first senior ICC tournament after previously hosting matches at the Under-19 Men’s World Cup.
The 2027 World Cup will feature 57 matches and introduce a new three-stage competition format.
A preliminary Super Series will involve the teams ranked 12th to 14th, with the winner progressing to the group stage.
The main tournament will feature 12 teams split into two groups of six, with each team playing the others in its group once. The top three teams from each group, along with the best fourth-placed side, will advance to the Super Seven stage.
The Super Seven will consist of 21 matches, with the top four teams qualifying for the semi-finals. The team finishing first will face the fourth-placed side, while the second- and third-placed teams will meet in the other semi-final before the final.
ICC World Cup 2027 Venues
South Africa
Wanderers Stadium (Johannesburg)
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 known as East London)
Zimbabwe
Harare Sports Club (Harare)
Queens Sports Club (Bulawayo)
Fale Mosi-oa-Tunya International Cricket Stadium (Victoria Falls)
Namibia
Namibia Cricket Ground (Windhoek)
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