Well-known for its vibrant atmosphere, Mbombela Stadium has a dedicated team behind it that keeps the turf green. Mpumalanga News conducted an interview with a member of this team, Lucas Shongwe (36), from Matsafeni.

Shongwe is the head groundsman and says this job is a dream come true for him. He was recently praised on social media, where the public acknowledged the role that he plays. The post received 10k likes and more than 100 comments.

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He started working with Talking Turf in 2014.

“I started as a casual worker, then later that year I was hired as a junior. In 2015, I was promoted to assistant groundsman, and in 2021, I was promoted to the role of head groundsman,” said Shongwe.

“The company is big on education and they gave me an opportunity to study so that I can move up the ladder. Our manager, Sue de Zwart, has worked on different projects, including golf courses, and she has great experience and shares her knowledge with us.”

Shongwe said his team’s job is to make sure that the turf is ready for the players and all the games hosted there.

“As a team, Talking Turf makes sure that the surface is up to standard,” he explained.

“There are various departments. The grass-growing team is responsible for nutrition, the irrigation team manages the sprinklers and watering, and the workshop team, maintains our machinery.”

According to Shongwe, keeping the grass green and ready is not a one-day job: “We have steps that we follow daily to make sure that the grass stays green. We don’t only start preparing a few days before a game.”

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He shared some memorable moments, including how the late Antony Ndlovu played a role in his career. Ndlovu, also a groundsman, was reported missing on June 28, 2021, and was later found deceased. Shongwe said he learnt a lot from him, especially about mowing the lawn in a straight line along with vital mowing equioment knowledge.

During his interview with Mpumalanga News, Shongwe dismissed some myths about keeping the grass green. Some people think they use chicken manure, but Shongwe laughed and explained that the grass actually receives proper nutrition.