The Most Popular Sports in South Africa: Football, Cricket and Rugby
A Look at the Most Popular Sports in South Africa
The South African cricket team celebrates a victory!
Sports play an important role in South African national pride and culture - but what are the top 3 most popular sports?
Read on to find out more!
Sports in South Africa help to unite people, fostering national pride and providing opportunities for individuals to showcase their talents on both a national and international level.
Post-apartheid, sports played a large role in the formation of the new South African identity - but sports have experienced lots of ups and downs throughout the years.
The South African Sporting Boycott
As much as we don’t like to talk about politics alongside sports, in South Africa’s case, it is important to mention the political scene.
The apartheid, class and racial divisions all affected sports, athletes and their performance - as well as the popularity of South African sports.
The apartheid in particular has had a significant impact on the sports scene, and even though it is now in the past, some of its consequences still affect South African sports today.
The country experienced a unique sporting boycott during the apartheid era. It started in the 1960s, with the Summer Olympics placing a ban on the country in 1964, and it lasted well until 1992.
This sporting boycott was due to the country’s inhumane and discriminatory apartheid policies.
During this period, sports people and athletes from various fields (like Kepler Wessels and Zola Budd) had to leave the country in order to compete internationally.
However, some still chose to stay and compete solely in South African championships. There were also some sports teams who tried to tour South Africa as "Rebel Tours.”
In 1977, as part of the international campaign against apartheid, there was a general consensus that South Africa’s contact with other countries should be limited.
All of this isolated the country from the world of sports for a while.
After the apartheid, the country’s sports scene was supported by various sports organisations, governing bodies and facilities that promote and develop talent at all levels.
Most notable is Sport and Recreation South Africa (SRSA) – a governmental department responsible for the promotion, development and coordination of sport and recreation activities in South Africa.
Sport became a unifying factor for the whole country, breaking boundaries and aiming to move past harmful prejudices.
South Africa’s Sports Future
The sports and outdoor segment in South Africa is expected to experience significant growth in the next few years.
Namely, Statista reports that it is “projected to grow by 9.12% (2023-2027) resulting in a market volume of US$151.70m in 2027.”
So, let’s take a look at the sports scene of South Africa and discover a bit more about South Africa’s most popular sports.
How did they become so popular, who are their most famous players and what are their biggest achievements?
The Most Popular Sports in South Africa
Even though originally, President Nelson Mandela’s fierce support of the Springbok rugby team back in 1995 fiercely unified the country like never before, football is actually the most popular sport in South Africa today.
In 2015, IPSOS led a study in which they conducted 3,564 interviews with adult South Africans, and this revealed that sport is still a great source of national pride.
Specifically, their analysis showed that South Africans favour their national sporting teams, with over 95% favouring one of just three teams: the Springboks (rugby), Bafana Bafana (football) and Protea (cricket).
The study also showed that around 77% of South Africans stated that they are proud of their national teams, regardless of the sport.
This is even more prevalent among younger age groups, specifically 18-24-year-olds.
This study confirmed that football seems to be the country’s go-to sport, as the Bafana Bafana football team emerged as the undisputed crowd favourite, commanding an impressive 53% of the fans who expressed a preference for a specific team.
Notably, the majority of these fervent supporters hailed from the black South African community, solidifying their allegiance to the national squad.
However, it is worth noting that, as much as sports have been used to unify South Africa, there have still been many scandals and controversies, with racial and class divisions throughout the country.
Differences in social and economic status continue to impact sports players - and there is still much racial discrimination, not only when it comes to sport preference, but also among sports fans and players.
Notably, the previously mentioned IPSOS study showcased this fact, stating that the black population favours football as their favourite sport, while the white population shows a preference for rugby.
1. Football (Soccer)
Doctor Khumalo is one of the most famous South African football players
South Africa hosted the 2010 FIFA World Cup
81% of people in South Africa are interested in football
As we have seen, football (also referred to as soccer) is the most popular sport among the overall population of South Africa - and it’s also one of the most popular sports in the world!
Football was first introduced to South Africa during the late 19th century by the British, who colonised the country.
The first non-racial, singular football association in South Africa was the South African Football Association (SAFA), formed in 1991.
This body controls both national football teams, Bafana Bafana (the men’s team) and the women’s team, Bayana Bayana.
During the apartheid, football was mostly played nationally by white civilians.
Even though South Africa formed a confederation for African football, it wasn’t until the demolition of the regime and the formation of a new, multi-racial football association that the country was readmitted to FIFA.
In 2010, South Africa even hosted the FIFA World Cup.
According to a TGM Global Cup Survey in 2022, South Africa’s team has participated three times in the FIFA World Cup - and their football team have scored 11 goals in FIFA World Cup history.
81% of people in South Africa are interested in football, with 71.8% of the South African population interested in watching the Qatar FIFA World Cup in 2022.
Additionally, 60% stated that they plan on watching every match of the World Cup.
76% of women in South Africa stated that they are interested in football and 64% of those are extremely fascinated by the sport.
These numbers explain the high number of clubs across the country. There are currently over 900 clubs in South Africa and over 1,469,410 registered football players.
Mamelodi Sundowns Football Club, nicknamed Sundowns, is the South African professional football club with the most title wins in the country – 12. This club also has the most points in the season in the national league, the South African Premier Division.
During the 2022/23 season of the Premier Soccer League, an approximate average of 1,169,277 spectators attended each game.
In total, across 232 matches, the combined attendance reached 2,338,316.
All nine South African provinces are invested, but the Gauteng province seems to be the one that follows it the most, with usually 30-40% of the viewership coming from this province alone.
There are a few great football players from South Africa.
Doctor Khumalo
Khumalo is a national hero after winning the African Cup of Nations.
He was the first Bafana Bafana player to score an international goal following independence, scoring the sole goal of the game in South Africa’s victory over Cameroon in 1992.
Patrick Ntsoelengoe
He had the ability to stand alongside the finest players of the 1970s, but due to the apartheid, he couldn’t compete in international competitions at FIFA in his prime.
This limited his international record only to one match. However, he played in the USA and had a remarkably successful career there.
Benni McCarthy
McCarthy is the only South African player to have ever won the European Cup/Champions League.
Lucas Radebe
Radebe is a great player, one of the Nation Builders who claimed the African crown in 1996.
He also represented Bafana Bafana at the 1998 and 2002 World Cup - and he is a football legend in Yorkshire.
Neil Tovey
Neil Tovey was South Africa’s first-ever captain and the first-ever player to reach a half-century of caps for the national side!
Other famous South African players include:
Percy Tau
Aaron Mokoena
Ronwen Williams
Themba Zwane
Mihlali Mayambela
Kamohelo Mokotjo
Siyabonga Nomvethe
Read more on our football blog
2. Rugby Union
South Africa won the Rugby World Cup in 1995, 2007, 2019 & 2023
There are 651,146 registered rugby players in South Africa
South Africa hosted the 1995 Rugby World Cup
Joost Van Der Westhuizen is one of the greatest South African rugby players
Rugby is another sport introduced to South Africa by the British colonists and later reinforced by ex-International British players.
The South Africa national rugby union team, commonly known as the Springboks, was founded on July 30, 1891.
As a sport, rugby is popular to watch in South Africa. Super Sport reports that “the Vodacom United Rugby Championship can confirm that the audience for the entire 2021-22 season reached a high mark of 34.6 million across 7 000-plus hours of coverage.”
Currently, as World Rugby reports, there are 651,146 registered rugby players in South Africa, of whom 121,663 are adults, 204,119 are teens and 325,364 are pre-teens.
These numbers show great interest in rugby among young people but bear in mind that these are just the registered players. People who play the sport as a hobby or just enjoy watching it are not included in those numbers.
South Africa’s national team stands as one of the strongest and greatest rugby teams in the world, consistently securing a position within the top seven of World Rugby Rankings since its establishment in 2003.
South Africa proudly hosted and won the 1995 Rugby World Cup, and they also came out as winners in the 2007 World Cup and 2019 Rugby World Cup.
There are many famous rugby players from South Africa.
Naas Botha
Named the greatest rugby player of the year on four occasions, Botha held the record as South Africa’s leading point scorer until 2004.
Unfortunately, most of his Springbok career was not on the international scene due to the apartheid.
Francois Pienaar
He captained the victorious Springboks to World Cup glory in 1995 - helping to unite a nation. In fact, you might remember Pienaar from the famous moment when Nelson Mandela presented him with the trophy.
He wasn’t an international player for long, but nonetheless, during that time he spearheaded South Africa’s World Cup campaign.
Joost Van Der Westhuizen
The best international scrum half to have played for the S.A. Team, he is widely considered one of the greatest rugby players from South Africa of all-time.
He played 89 times for the Springboks and featured in three World Cups, including their victorious assault in 1995. Joost Van Der Westhuizen sadly passed in 2017.
Other famous rugby players from South Africa include:
Mark Andrews
Bryan Habana
Andre Joubert
Carel Du Plessis
Uli Schmidt
John Gainsford
Danie Gerber
3. Cricket
South Africa made their official international debut at the 1992 World Cup
South Africa’s Test cricket record gives them a cumulative win rate of 38.56%
Jacques Kallis is one of the most famous South African cricket players
Cricket is considered the only sport in South Africa to feature in the top two sports of all race groups.
Cricket, like football and rugby, arrived in South Africa with the British forces.
The first cricket match recorded in South Africa was in 1808 in Capetown, while the oldest cricket club in South Africa is the Port Elizabeth Cricket Club, founded in 1843.
Much like with the other two sports on this list, international cricket matches were also not allowed during the apartheid so South Africa made their official debut at the Cricket World Cup in 1992.
Nowadays, South Africa is widely regarded as one of the world's leading cricket-playing nations.
It holds the distinction of being one of the 12 countries officially sanctioned by the International Cricket Council to play Test Cricket.
As of Spring 2023, South Africa's Test cricket record comprises 459 matches, with 177 wins, 158 losses and 124 draws, giving them a cumulative win rate of 38.56%.
In 2012, South Africa made history by becoming the first team to secure the top spot in the ICC rankings across all three formats of the game.
The country has also been honoured with the opportunity to host significant cricket events.
In 2003, South Africa successfully organised the prestigious Cricket World Cup, showcasing its capability to host a global sporting spectacle.
Additionally, in 2007, it hosted the inaugural World Twenty20 tournament, contributing to the growth and popularity of the shorter format of the game.
Looking ahead, South Africa, along with Namibia and Zimbabwe, has been chosen to host the upcoming 2027 Cricket World Cup. This is an exciting development for cricket enthusiasts and a testament to the country's standing in the cricketing world!
Cricket South Africa (CSA) is the governing body for professional and amateur cricket in South Africa.
However, the body has experienced substantial turmoil and disorganisation in recent years, resulting in significant reputational damage within the country and internationally.
There are many incredible cricket players from South Africa.
Jacques Kallis
South Africa’s leading player in cricket: he is the only player in history to score 10,000 runs and take 250 wickets in ODI as well as the Tests.
Moreover, he has another world record of scoring over 24,000 runs internationally and taking over 500 wickets.
Shaun Pollock
He is considered the world’s 7th highest wicket-taker in all formats and South Africa’s leading wicket-taker in all formats with 823 wickets to his name.
Dale Steyn
The record breaker who dominated Test cricket by picking 439 Test wickets in just 93 matches. This made him South Africa’s highest wicket-taker in Test cricket.
More so, he was statistically the number-one bowler for an impressive 263 weeks.
Other famous cricket players from South Africa include:
Abraham Benjamin de Villiers
Hashim Amla
Kevin Pietersen
Quinton de Kock
Graeme Smith
Allan Donald
Makhaya Ntini
Faf du Plessis
Read more on our cricket blog
What Are the Most Popular Sports in Africa?
In South Africa, sports play a significant role in fostering unity and passion among its people.
While football, cricket and rugby take the spotlight as the most popular sports, there are several other beloved athletic pursuits that capture the nation's attention.
Athletics, netball, golf, tennis, swimming and basketball are also highly regarded and they have a dedicated fan base.
Unfortunately, the sporting landscape in South Africa has not been immune to the deep-rooted challenges posed by the apartheid.
The discriminatory policies of the past cast a long shadow over the development and inclusivity of various sports.
The apartheid restricted opportunities and participation for many talented individuals, particularly from marginalised communities.
However, the post-apartheid era has encouraged significant strides towards reconciliation and equality in sports.
Efforts have been made to address historical imbalances, promote diversity and create pathways for underrepresented groups to get involved in sports.
While the struggle against the legacy of the apartheid continues, the power of sports in breaking down barriers and fostering unity remains a beacon of hope for a more inclusive and equitable future!
