The biggest tennis event South Africa has seen to date takes place at the Cape Town Stadium in Cape Town on 7 February 2020. Excitement about The Match in Africa is at fever pitch – and that is not surprising, considering the calibre of play the audience can expect to see.
The Match in Africa is the sixth edition of this charity event, but the first to take place on African soil. This entertainment extravaganza features a celebrity curtain-raiser match, a host of local talent performing, and a uniquely interactive crowd experience. And incidentally, the organisers also aim to set the new world record for the most attendees at a tennis match.
A line-up that promises world-class tennis and entertainment
The day’s main event is the match between 20-time Grand Slam Champion Roger Federer and 19-time Grand Slam Champion and rival Rafael Nadal. But they won’t be the only international stars on the court. Bill Gates and Trevor Noah will be shedding their work attire and putting on tennis shoes for the celebrity curtain-raiser doubles match with Federer and Nadal.
Tennis star, Roger Federer, says, “After a long period of planning and a huge effort from the whole team, I have finally arrived in South Africa to experience a unique moment. I am very much looking forward to a spectacular evening in Cape Town. I hope that as many people as possible will be able to join me in and outside the stadium or in front of the TV”.
Local flavour
Fans will not only be treated to world-class tennis. They will also be dazzled by an equally impressive entertainment line-up. The show includes performances from The Ndlovu Youth Choir, who took the world by storm in 2019, and promise to deliver energetic compositions with a unique South African flavour, along with mesmerising choreography. The Choir will be teaming up with the Zip Zap Circus – a Cape Town-based Non-Profit organisation that was founded to inspire young people and to help build a new culture of peaceful coexistence in South Africa. Their performance will include trapeze acts, juggling and much more.
Broadcast throughout the world
For those who prefer to watch the match in the comfort of your own home, the match will be screened live on SuperSport on 7 February 2020, beginning with the celebrity curtain-raiser match at 19h30 followed by the main event at 20h30. Numerous international TV stations will also be broadcasting the event. For more detailed information, visit www.match-in-africa.com.
The Roger Federer Foundation
All the net profits generated by The Match in Africa will be channelled into the Roger Federer Foundation, which supports education in rural southern Africa. The organisation has been supporting education programmes for over 16 years, and has invested considerably throughout Africa, in Botswana, Malawi, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa. The foundation’s key driver is education as one of the most powerful means of change in a person’s life, and its primary focus is improvement in the quality of early learning. Since 2003 over 1.5 million children have benefitted from a higher quality of education due to the foundation’s projects.
The Match in Africa is presented by ROLEX. The Official Sponsors are Credit Suisse, Moët & Chandon, Lipton, and Stella Artois. Mercedes-Benz is an Official Supplier.