National context of sports development in South Africa
- The national budget for arts, culture, sport and recreation is R6.1 billion in 2024/25, constituting 0.3% of the consolidated government expenditure of R2.37 trillion for the year. The budget allocation for the Recreation Development and Sport Promotion Programme under the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC) is R143 million, including R40 million for supporting 90 community-based sport and recreation activities, and R78 million for sports equipment and attire to schools, hubs and clubs.
- In September 2024, the DBE and DSAC signed an MoU to establish a collaborative framework between the departments to implement extracurricular programmes, including school sports programmes, throughout the country.
- In April 2023, DSAC published a draft Women in Sport Policy Framework, aiming to address gender disparities in participation, leadership, governance and visibility.
- According to the Brookings Institute, the sports economy worldwide is estimated at 5% of GDP, but only 0.5% in Africa, indicating a significant opportunity for growth. It has been estimated that the sports industry contributes more than R50 billion to the South African economy annually, creating employment, bringing new investments and boosting sports tourism. According to Future Market Insights, the demand for sports tourism in South Africa is forecast to increase at a robust 9% growth rate through to 2032.
- At the 2024 Paris Olympics, South Africa was represented by 138 athletes. The team managed to secure a total of six medals: one gold, three silver and two bronze.
Overview of CSI spend
Sports development was supported by 23% of companies and received 1% of average CSI expenditure.

Sporting code supported
Average % CSI sport development spend 2024 n=9
33% Multidisciplinary(i.e. multiple codes
22% Soccer
11% Cricket
10% Basketball/netball
10% Athletics
8% Rugby
6% Water-based sports (including swimming, paddling, etc.)
- Multidisciplinary sports received the highest percentage of sports CSI funding (33%), a notable increase from only 8% in 2023.
- Soccer was the second most funded sporting code, at 22% of average sports expenditure in 2024. This compares with the 45% of CSI spend allocated to this sporting code in 2023.
- Cricket received the third-largest share of CSI funding in this sector in 2024 (11%), although this dropped from 16% in 2023.
Find out more about sports development:
- Read the 2023 case study Promoting Pan-African social change through sport | Sport for social change network Africa
Source: The original version of this article was published in the Trialogue Business in Society Handbook 2024 (27th edition).