Stadium in Cape Town to reinstate its long-lost cycling track [pics]
· The South African
Cape Town plans to revive a former cycling feature at Athlone’s Vygieskraal Stadium, with R20 million proposed in the City’s draft budget.
The project would restore one of the few stadium-based cycling tracks in Cape Town, alongside the city’s Bellville Velodrome facility.
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The Vygieskraal Stadium cycling track is set to be reinstated under the City’s draft 2026/27 budget, marking a major step toward restoring the venue’s historic layout.
For decades, Vygieskraal has served as a hub for community sport. The athletics track was first laid in the late 1970s, with the stadium built in the early 1980s.
In recent years, the City’s Recreation and Parks Department has spent nearly R7.5 million refurbishing the facility.
Upgrades included improved floodlighting, roofing repairs, new spectator seating, and upgrades to plumbing and electrical systems.
Restoring a piece of history
Attention has now shifted to reinstating the stadium’s former cycling track.
The track was previously decommissioned and replaced with palm trees. Those trees will now be relocated elsewhere within the precinct once reconstruction begins.
The project is currently in the detailed design phase, with cost estimates still being finalised.
A budget of R20 million has been proposed for the work in the 2026/27 financial year.
Cycling track revival part of wider sports investment
According to Francine Higham, the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services and Health, the project aims to restore an important community facility.
“We are not just rebuilding a track – we are restoring a space for opportunity, talent and community pride,” she said.
Higham added that the City plans to engage both athletics and cycling groups to ensure the upgraded facility meets their needs.
The Vygieskraal project forms part of a broader effort to expand access to sports facilities across Cape Town.