BUILDING A HEALTHY SPORTING CULTURE IN SOUTH AFRICA: COMMON SENSE STRATEGIES

Image credit: Reg Caldecott

With the 2024 Paris Olympics now well underway, you may be wondering how certain

countries seem to have found the recipe for performing so well in their chosen events.

What amazes me is how the most successful nations consistently excel at every Olympic

Games. Take China, for instance, which (according to the Aspen Institute) ranks third among

the world’s leading sport systems. And then, of course, we have the United States of

America, with its number 1 ranking in the Olympics. These two powerhouses couldn’t be

more different when it comes to how they manage their sports programmes. In China, sport

is fully supported and influenced by government policy and funding. The US, on the other

hand, takes a more grassroots approach, with volunteers, communities, colleges, Olympic

Committee and universities shouldering the responsibility of sports organisation.

So what is the secret to the success of nations like these? Clearly, they’ve spent years fine-

tuning their programmes, systems, and processes to create a strong sporting culture. But

what ingredients do they have in common that South Africa could add to its own recipe for

success? I would argue that it’s largely a matter of common sense.

Common Sense Strategy #1: Supporting and Governing Sport

Notwithstanding the extreme levels of poverty and lack of sports infrastructure in South

Africa, government at all levels must invest in sport programmes in schools and

communities. The poverty gap is simply too huge for parents, athletes/players, and sport

volunteers to fill on their own. It’s high time that government stepped up to the plate and

level the playing field. As South Africa marks 30 years of democracy, it’s disheartening to

witness its failure to develop the holistic and integrated approach to sports that the country

deserves. We only need to compare ourselves with smaller countries that continue to excel

in international championships to realise how far we fall short.

Common Sense Strategy #2: Getting Back to Basics

If we are to do well, we need to go back to the basics of the sports development continuum

with its four levels: FOUNDATION, PARTICIPATION, PERFORMANCE, AND

EXCELLENCE. This starts with local government waking up to the fact that the road to

sporting excellence, whether in schools or the community, starts at a ward level. It is at this

local government level that sport needs to be organised and supported.

Of course, there are the few who have been fortunate enough to receive great support from

their parents, gone to schools with exceptional sports programmes, benefited from

universities with a strong athletic focus, or have somehow been exposed to top-notch

community sport programmes. But they are a minority.

In the mid- to late 1990s South Africa dedicated considerable effort to introducing a

comprehensive sport development and performance framework, modelled after Australia’s

system. This framework was adopted as the Junior Dipapadi and Siyadlala sport

development programmes. These programmes aimed to promote physical activity and sport

participation among all South Africans, particularly targeting children and youth in

underprivileged communities.

Common Sense Strategy #3: Continuing Where Others Left Off

Sadly, the excitement of the Junior Dipapadi and Siyadlala programmes are a distant

memory for those who were there in the mid-to late 1990s. Why? Because each new

administration introduced its own programmes and agenda, abandoning existing

programmes in favour of their own.

If the seventh administration were to continue where the sixth left off, it would be able to

optimise and expand on the work of the previous administration. This continuity, had it been

practiced by previous administrations, might have prevented the current predicament we

face in our sports development.

In 1999 the then Honourable Minister of Sport and Recreation, the Late Mr Steve Tshwete

wrote in the foreword of the White Paper on Sport and Recreation what he referred to as “the

first official policy of sport and recreation”— that “the DSR [the then Department of Sport and Recreation] has set the following objectives for itself, which gave rise to the ‘getting the

nation to play’ theme:

- Increasing the levels of participation in sport and recreation activities.

- Raising sport's profile in the face of conflicting priorities.

- Maximising the probability of success in major events.

- Placing sport in the forefront of efforts to reduce the levels of crime.”

Which of these objectives is out of place today? In my humble opinion, none. Each one

remains important and relevant. And yet none of them have been fully realised. I certainly do

not believe levels of participation in sports have increased. Nor do I think we have raised

sport’s profile in the face of conflicting priorities. One just needs to consider the matter of

Lottery funding. Supposedly, the National Lotteries Commission has injected over R4 billion

into the development of sport and recreation over the past 16 years. But where is the

evidence of this?

Mr Tshwete’s foreword in the White Paper added that “the lack of a strategic vision and

policy for the development of sport and recreation” will prevent South Africa from “getting the

nation to play”.

So are Mr Tshwete’s words coming back to haunt us? Here we are in 2024 without a game

plan for the next couple of years. Let us not dwell on the fact that it took the second, third,

and fourth administrations to present a revised White Paper of Sport as a finalised policy in

2012. Instead, let us consider the wonderful foundations this paper presents: facilities, clubs,

sports councils, athletes’ commission, coaches’ commission, administrators and technical

officials’ commission, academy system, sport house, sport information centre, education and

training, volunteers, international relations, financial resources, and sport broadcasting and

sponsorships. All these are integral parts of successful sport programmes in other countries.

So why aren’t they happening here?

Indeed, we must celebrate the exceptions, the most notable being Banyana Banyana in the

recent past and the pleasantly surprising performance by both the men and women’s hockey teams at the 2024 Paris Olympics. And then, just a few days ago, we had Tatjana Smith claiming South Africa’s first Paris Olympic gold medal after her speedy finish in the 100m breaststroke event. And, of course, we certainly won’t forget the Springboks’ stellar rugby record, highlighted by their four World Cup victories.

Common Sense Strategy #4: Fulfilling Promises

It’s one thing to have policies, white papers, and public speeches by government leaders.

But unless the powers that be remember what was promised and follow that through with

action, they are doing little more than paying lip service to the aspirations of our nation's

athletes and sports enthusiasts.

A review of government policies such as the White Paper, and the initial prescripts of the

National Lottery Commission reveal how, as a nation, we have failed to follow through on our

commitments. Government has also failed to follow through on the proper implementation of

physical education in schools. Only a handful of schools have programmes that come

anywhere close to the way physical education is supposed to be offered—not through Life

Orientation but through well thought out programmes whose aims are to teach basic motor

skills (running, hopping, jumping, leaping, throwing, catching, kicking, and dribbling) and

their meaningful application in games and sports. Motivational speaker and former college

football player, Inky Johnson, said, “Commitment is staying true to what you said you would

do long after the mood you have said it in has left.” As a nation, we need to adopt that same

commitment mindset, following through what we said we would do with action.

Common Sense Strategy #5: Learning from our Successes

All is not lost. We have a few excellent programmes within our beautiful country. The

Springboks, South African universities, a few elite performers who represent our country at

an international level well. We can learn and should learn from them—we do not need to

reinvent the wheel. Yes, South African rugby has the privilege of enjoying extensive

sponsorship. But it is one of the codes that have been successful at the highest level of

competition by winning the IRB World Cup four times.

And we can learn from university sports programmes and systems that continue to produce

elite performers capable of representing South Africa at international competitions, some of

whom have won medals for South Africa. Such institutions are perfectly situated to be

incubators for young talent through outreach programmes and have the capability to nurture sporting talent all the way to elite levels. Although it’s true that not all South African

universities currently have great sport development and elite programmes, I believe that all

universities have the potential to play a bigger role in talent development if supported by

government and the National Lottery Commission of South Africa. What’s also needed are

schools that prepare learners with sporting talent to access higher education institutions with excellent sports programmes.

Common Sense Strategy #6: Developing a Culture of Learning from Others

Let me conclude by saying that we need to learn from other successful countries. Yes, the

circumstances of countries that are highly ranked differ from ours in their level of economic

and social development. Most are wealthy European, North American, or Asian countries.

But what sets them apart is their unshakable commitment to development and performing

excellently in sport at an international level. And they start with the basics (Common Sense

Strategy #2)—by investing in grassroots sports programmes in their schools and

communities, they are positioning themselves for success. We, too, can achieve that same

level of success if we start where we are. This means identifying and understanding what we

need to do, and how we need to invest in sport to ensure that we begin to live to our

strengths and potential. Time is slipping away and cannot be recovered, and our children will

be the big losers. Resources are scarce, but there are ways around this challenge. We have

a more than adequate brain trust of sporting specialists who can point us towards viable

solutions. We just need to put our heads together to define the systems, processes,

programmes, and resources that can and will lead to success. Going back to the basics is

not a show of our weaknesses; it is the key to finding our strengths.

Conclusion

Food for thought: legendary management consultant and writer, Peter Drucker, said that

“culture eats strategy for breakfast”. This suggests that while strategy is not unimportant, a

powerful and empowering culture is a surer route to organisational success. In the context of

South African sports, we need to nurture a national culture that transcends policies and

strategies, and that values sports, physical education, and athletic excellence at every level

despite our differences, whatever we perceive them to be.

R.I. Mulaudzi

30 August 2024