Despite note-worthy results of its top sportsmen and women and despite the fact that about half of its almost 50 million strong population is under the age of 35, South Africa has very low mass participation in sport.
Part of the reason is the way sports are organised in schools. Those schools that do have physical education usually only have one compulsory PE class per week. Many schools in poorer areas do not have even that, because they lack resources and suitably trained teachers.
As for adult South Africans, their sporting activities depend on the depth of their pockets. The affluent segment of the population has at is disposal top-class gyms and fitness centres, swimming pools and tennis courts (either at own home or in country clubs), golf terrains, etc. The most popular sporting activities are:
Running
Swimming
Cycling
Tennis
Riding
Hiking
Fly fishing
However, the majority of South Africans is too poor to afford any kind of structured sport as a recreational activity. It therefore comes as no surprise that most of the budget of the South African Department for Sports and Recreation is earmarked for the increase of mass participation in sporting activities.
In 2005, the Syiadlala Mass Participation Programme was launched to facilitate access to sport and recreation by as many South Africans as possible, especially those from historically disadvantaged communities. The SRSA launched the programme with a budget of R20 million. The department entered the third year of the programme with a budget of R79 million.
In 2007-2008 period, 2.7 million people participated in sport and recreation due to opportunities provided by the Mass Participation programme.
Also see:
Affording the masses an opportunity to play
Image: Surfing, Umhlanga Rocks, KwaZulu-Natal. Photo: Graeme Williams. Source: MediaClubSouthAfrica.com
