Sports development was supported by 18% of companies and received an average of 2% of CSI spend in 2022. This is lower than in 1998 when 37% of companies supported the sector.
Support for sports development has declined over the years, from a high of 37% of companies supporting the sector in 1998 to 18% in 2022. It has always constituted a small portion of average CSI spend. Soccer remains the most popular sport to support, receiving over half of CSI sports development spend (57% in 2010 and 51% in 2022).
Type of intervention
- Soccer remained the most funded sporting code, with an average of 51% of sports expenditure.
- Cycling received more funding (11%) for the first time in recent years, up from 1% in 2020 and 2021.
The changing landscape of sports development in South Africa
The 1995 Rugby World Cup was hosted and won by South Africa. The World Cup was the first major sporting event to take place in South Africa following the end of apartheid. It was also the first World Cup in which South Africa was allowed to compete, following negotiations to end apartheid. This helps entrench sports in South Africa as a potentially powerful tool of social cohesion.
The White Paper on Sport and Recreation was released, the first official policy on sports and recreation since the establishment of this Ministry in 1994.
The National Sport and Recreation Act, 1998 (Act No. 110 of 1998) intended to promote equity and democracy in sports and recreation, and coordinate the relationships between the Sports Commission, national and recreation federations and other agencies, among other things.
The updated White Paper on Sport and Recreation took into account new developments in the sector and set out government’s vision, strategic objectives, policy directives, outcomes and outputs for promoting and providing sport and recreation.
The 19th FIFA World CupTM took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July, which added approximately 0.4% to the national economic growth, translating to R3.8 billion in 2010. FIFA committed to donate $100 million to the World Cup Legacy Trust to develop football in South Africa. The trust was formally established in April 2013.
-The National Sport and Recreation Plan was launched by the Department of Sport and Recreation as an eight- year implementation plan for the sports and recreation policy framework captured in the White Paper.
– The Transformation Charter for South African Sport guided the establishment of an accessible, demographically representative, sustainable and competitive sports system.
– The South African national women’s football team Banyana Banyana competed in the Olympics for the first time.
– The Department of Education released the School Sport Policy, which was intended to regulate the delivery of school sports for all learners based on the principle of equity and access, to promote healthy living.
A Discovery report titled ‘The Healthy Active Kids South Africa Report Card’ found that fewer than half of South African children and youth take part in organised sporting activities.
The Springboks won the Rugby World Cup for the third time in 2019.
Banyana Banyana won the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco, playing against the home country’s team.
