DP World has extended its partnership with the iconic Wanderers Stadium and Lions Cricket in Johannesburg. This partnership extension aims to build on the achievements of the past five years by providing essential financial backing to the Lions’ teams — Men’s, Women’s, Blind and Deaf – while continuing to nurture the sport’s growth from grassroots to professional levels.
In addition, DP World will maintain its focus on empowering young cricketers through development programmes that ensure the sport thrives in local communities. The company’s support will provide resources for both aspiring players and the professional Lions teams.
As a global logistics giant with a strong presence across Africa, DP World will leverage its expertise to support the enhance the operations of Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg’s premier cricket venue. The partnership will also help position the stadium as a multi-purpose space beyond cricket, facilitated by DP World’s seamless logistics.
Mohammed Akoojee, CEO & Managing Director, Sub-Saharan Africa, DP World, said: “Our global sports partnerships aim to ensure we support the development of skills and communities through sport, while connecting them using our end-to-end logistics and supply chain networks. We are proud to continue what has been an exciting and fruitful journey with both the DP World Wanderers Stadium and Lions Cricket in South Africa, a key market for DP World on the continent.”
The DP World Wanderers Stadium, South Africa’s only Tier-1 cricket ground boasting a 34,000-seat capacity, has become the hub of cricket and events in Johannesburg and the whole country. In addition to its role in sports, the stadium has implemented several sustainability initiatives. Solar equipment has already been in installed, contributing to Johannesburg energy grid, and future initiatives will focus on reducing the venue’s environmental footprint.
Jono Leaf-Wright, Lions Cricket CEO, said: “We’ve had an incredibly successful past five years in partnership with DP World, witnessing the rise of cricket locally and on international stages. The continued support and backing by DP World during this next chapter of our partnership will drive Lions Cricket into a new era of delivering excellence on and off the field while also using the DP World Wanderers Stadium as a multipurpose venue to serve our communities. More importantly, this extended partnership will help in shaping the future of African cricket, which The Pride places at the top of our agenda. We are excited to continue to grow with DP World and thank them for their loyalty and support.”
The stadium was Africa’s first host for the Beyond Boundaries initiative promoting and uplifting grassroots cricket. DP World has distributed ten repurposed shipping containers and delivered 2,500 kits to grassroots cricket clubs around the world so far, including 250 kits to the DP World Lions Academy and communities around Johannesburg. These efforts are helping to expand access to the sport for underserved communities and develop future generations of cricketers.
