How community sports can rebuild South Africa’s economy and future

In a nation where more than 60% of the unemployed are under the age of 35, South Africa stands at a defining crossroads. Yet hidden beneath the grim statistics lies a playbook for hope - one that doesn’t begin in boardrooms or policy briefs but on the dusty fields, township courts, and school playgrounds where dreams are born daily.

South Africa’s global sporting triumphs - our back-to-back Rugby World Cup wins, world-beating track stars like Wayde van Niekerk, and champions like Dricus du Plessis - are not isolated miracles. They are symbols of a deeper truth: we are a nation brimming with raw, untapped talent.

But talent alone is not enough. What South Africa needs now is a bold, coordinated national effort to invest in community sports as a driver of youth engagement, job creation, and economic growth. Just as the sports academies of New Zealand, Brazil, and Kenya have created pipelines of global excellence and industry ecosystems, so too can South Africa turn its sporting passion into prosperity.

Sport Is Not Just a Game - It's an Industry

The global sports economy is worth over $600 billion. From training academies and nutrition specialists to media rights, data analytics, merchandise, and tourism, sport is a full value chain.

Yet community sports - particularly in under-resourced areas — remain informal and fragmented in South Africa. By formalising and funding grassroots sport, we can unlock a new generation of jobs: coaches, referees, sport psychologists, event planners, physiotherapists, equipment suppliers, content creators, and youth development officers.

The township netball coach becomes a mentor and entrepreneur. The football tournament organiser becomes an SMME owner. Multiply that by 100 communities, and you ignite an entire ecosystem.

Youth Belief is Built Through Play

We don’t just have an unemployment crisis - we have a belief crisis. Many young South Africans no longer believe they have a future.

But sport restores that belief.

Community sports teach discipline, teamwork, goal setting, and resilience. Studies show that youth who participate in sport are 40% more likely to finish school, and significantly less likely to engage in crime or substance abuse.

Through structured sport, we provide not only activity but identity and aspiration. We turn passive youth into active citizens - and even future leaders.

A Strategic Investment, not a Charity Case

Investing in community sports should not be seen as CSI - but as nation-building infrastructure, no different from roads, hospitals, or broadband.

A scalable community sport strategy could include:

• Youth Sport Hubs: Multi-purpose venues in townships, rural areas, and inner cities, combining sport with skills development, coaching certification, and entrepreneurship incubation.
• Local Sport Festivals: Monthly tournaments backed by municipalities and sponsors, generating jobs for event managers, vendors, and performers.
• Public-Private Partnerships (PPP): Corporate sponsors fund community leagues in exchange for talent pipeline access, brand exposure, and tax incentives.
• National Volunteer Corps: Train and pay stipends to thousands of youth as community coaches, referees, or equipment managers, similar to how the health or teaching sectors use auxiliaries.

The economic multiplier effect is enormous: each youth employed in a community sport role supports multiple dependents, reduces social burden, and contributes back into the economy.

From Kicking Balls to Creating Startups

The sports value chain is a gateway to entrepreneurship.

With the right digital tools, a young sports photographer in Soweto can build an Instagram portfolio, land gigs, and eventually employ others. A teen who organizes a 5-a-side tournament can learn logistics, sales, budgeting, and branding.

This is where platforms like mobile payments, content creation apps, AI coaching tools, and livestreaming meet the grassroots hustle of our youth.

What’s needed is not just funding, but access to networks, mentors, equipment, and technology. And this is where business, government, and civil society must collaborate.

Legacy Lessons from 2010 - and Now LIV Golf

We’ve seen this work before.

In the build-up to the 2010 FIFA World Cup, South Africa launched a nationwide Brand Ambassador Programme, training over 500 000 service employees in the hospitality sector. Community involvement skyrocketed, and the boost to local tourism and infrastructure left a lasting footprint.

Now, with the announcement of LIV Golf’s arrival in South Africa in 2026, we have another golden opportunity. But the true win lies not in the luxury hospitality suites - it lies in linking the elite tournament to grassroots golf development, caddie training, tourism SMMEs, and township youth clinics.

It’s time we move beyond one-off events and build sustainable sport-to-economy pipelines.

Conclusion: It’s Game Time for South Africa

Community sport is not a panacea - but it is a catalyst. When structured, supported, and scaled, it becomes one of the most cost-effective ways to combat unemployment, reignite belief, and build inclusive prosperity.

We already have the passion. We already have the talent.

Now we need a national game plan - one that doesn’t just develop players, but builds communities, businesses, and futures.

Because when the whistle blows, it won’t be the scoreboard that matters most - it will be how many young South Africans still believe they can win.

Action steps for government, business and communities

For government:

• Allocate 5% of infrastructure budget to building Youth Sport Hubs in underserved areas
• Offer tax incentives for companies that fund community leagues and sport-based job creation
• Integrate sport entrepreneurship modules into TVET and school curriculums

For business:

• Adopt-a-Club model: sponsor one local club with kits, coaching, and branding
• Build sport-related supply chains (printing, nutrition, marketing) around tournaments
• Offer internships and mentorships for sport-adjacent roles: social media, analytics, event planning

For communities:

• Register local clubs and leagues with provincial federations
• Collaborate with schools to run shared sport programs and weekend leagues
• Use WhatsApp and social platforms to showcase talent and attract sponsors

Dr Nik Eberl is the founder & executive chair: The Future of Jobs Summit™ (Official T20 Side Event). He is the author of Nation of Champions: How South Africa won the World Cup of Destination Branding.

*** The views expressed here do not necessarily represent those of Independent Media or IOL.

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