Read the Netwerk24 article here: SA is gewis sportmal, met miljoene wat dit beoefen én kyk, wys peiling

25-million South Africans participate in some form of sport

South Africa delivered a one-two punch in Perth, Australia over the weekend. The Springbok rugby team won their second Castle Lager Rugby Championship Test against the Wallabies on Saturday.  The next day captain Siya Kolisi and vice-captain Eben Etzebeth walked mixed martial artist Dricus du Plessis into the ring where he retained the UFC middleweight title by defeating a former two-time champion, Israel Adesanya.

On the global stage, South African athletes also performed better at the recent Paris Olympics than they did in the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.  The final medal count of six was: Men’s Cross-Country Cycling bronze – Alan Hatherly, Men’s Rugby Sevens bronze, as well as men’s 4x100m Relay team and javelinist Jo-Ane van Dyk receiving silver.  Our Golden Girl Tatjana Smith won a gold in 100m Breaststroke and silver in the 200m Breaststroke.

❝ We unpack some interesting insights using data from MAPS, a nationally representative survey of 20 000 people produced by the MRF

South Africa’s leading consumer analytics and data science firm-Eighty20 Consulting, looks back at these recent sporting accomplishments in the context of a sports mad nation.  We unpack some interesting insights using data from MAPS, a nationally representative survey of 20 000 people produced by the MRF which measures interest in sports – both participation and attendance of sporting events.

Our internationally recognised athletes reflect our society.  “We are undeniably a nation passionate about sports, with approximately 75% of South African adults expressing interest in sports, and a staggering 25 million actively participating in a sport,” says Andrew Fulton, Director at Eighty20.

For both these metrics, the data is quite consistent across age with between 73% (those aged 15-24) and 76% (those aged 25-34) of all age groups interested in sport, and those participating ranging between 54% (those aged 50+) and 59% (those aged 25-34).

❝ Indian, coloured, and black individuals exhibit higher levels of interest and participation in sports

In terms of our population groups, Indian, coloured, and black individuals exhibit higher levels of interest and participation in sports compared to their white counterparts.

Gender differences are more notable, while women and men are equally interested in sport (74% and 76% respectively), men are outpacing women in participation, a significant 65% of men participate in sports, with only 50% of women saying the same.

Olympic Sport interest

There are many Olympic events that stoke the interest of more than a million South Africans, including perhaps some surprises, such as horseback riding/ show jumping, rock climbing, martial arts and volleyball.

 

Rugby

Winning Bronze in the Olympic Men’s Rugby Sevens event was a reflection of the impact of Siya Kolisi’s captaincy of the Springboks, and the transformation of rugby over the past 10 years.  And this is evident in the data. Among those expressing interest in rugby currently, 61% are black, up from 52% in 2014. Coloured rugby players now constitute 25% of all rugby participants, compared to 11% in 2014.

At least 800 000 people say they participate in rugby, with closer to 4 million saying they are interested in the sport.

Swimming

Just under a million people say they participate in swimming, with closer to 3.5 million saying they are interested in the sport. In a nation that has 1.3 million people claiming to have a permanent swimming pool, maintained by their household (5% of all houses), it is no surprise we’ve produced numerous Olympic champions.

MMA and other sports

Rounding up the other sports where South Africa outperformed in the Olympics, about half a million people say they participate in cycling, with closer to 1.4 million saying they are interested in the sport. For running, the numbers are 1.34 million people say they participate in Jogging/Park Running/Fitness Walking/ Trail Running, with closer to 4 million saying they are interested in this activity.

But our champion, Dricus is part of what some say is the fastest growing sport on earth when measured by participation and audience.  The most-watched UFC fight so far was the Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov bout which earned 2.4 million PayPerView buys back in 2018.  MAPS measures martial arts and puts interest at 1.7 million people which is nicely balanced with 42% female interest, and two-thirds under the age of 44, broadly reflecting South African ethnicity.

“South Africa’s sports scene is evolving at an incredible pace, with new disciplines capturing the hearts of a diverse and passionate nation. From the rise of Rugby Sevens to the growing popularity of mixed martial arts, our fields and arenas are becoming the stages for a new generation of athletes who embody the spirit of a changing nation, “concludes Eighty20.

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