A town in South Africa's North West Province is to benefit from the construction of Platinum City, one of the world's most unusual and innovative theme parks.
According to a report in South Africa's Mining Weekly, the theme park will be built in Rustenburg, which is home to the two largest platinum mines in the world.
The platinum theme park will be designed via a collaboration between Rustenberg Local Municipality and Archway Projects, both of which are hoping to achieve a tourism attraction that is at least as impressive as Gold Reef City and the Big Hole.
Mining Weekly has learned that Platinum City could well be open to the public by 2010, which would provide a huge boost to the region during the eagerly-anticipated Football World Cup.
It is hoped that football fans will be tempted to explore the theme park and find out more about the role platinum has played in the jewelry industry.
Platinum jewelry has been one of the biggest talking points in fashion magazines this year, with many of the world's most recognizable stars attending red carpet events wearing platinum rings, bracelets, necklaces and earrings.
Platinum City will presumably build on this success and capitalize on soaring demand for platinum jewelry in the years ahead.
Lebo Mabale, a partner in Archway Projects, told Mining Weekly that the platinum theme park would be extremely beneficial to South Africa as a whole.
"The Department of Minerals and Energy has on several occasions expressed its desire to initiate projects that beneficiate South African minerals and we would like Platinum City to be a hub for local designers to showcase their talents and manufacture jewelry products in platinum and other metals, which in turn can be sold to visitors," he said.
