Sport, Arts and Culture on World Surf League event at Jeffreys Bay

The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC) has noted numerous public statements attributing responsibility for the loss of the World Surf League’s Championship Tour event at Jeffreys Bay to the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture and DSAC. This includes an official statement from a major political party directly criticising the Minister and the Department for the decision made by the World Surf League to shift the event to New Zealand.

The Jeffreys Bay event is a privately owned and promoted event that formed part of the professional global surfing circuit since the mid-1980s. It featured on the Championship Tour calendar for more than 30 years.

Many of the commercial realities around sustainably promoting and holding this event have changed, however, leaving the organisers searching for sources of funding that were not needed in the past. It must be noted that the World Surf League event was hosted in South Africa for many years without the involvement of, or direct financial support from, the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture.

The public narrative being spread now, by contrast, appears to suggest that the Minister has withdrawn support from the event, leading to its demise. This is highly inaccurate.

Factually, anyone wishing to apply for funding for such an event must do so in line with the Bidding and Hosting of International Sport and Recreational Events Regulations, which set out the prescribed process to be followed by organisations intending to bid for and host international sporting events in South Africa.

In terms of these Regulations, event organisers are required to submit a formal application to the Department whenever they bring international competitors to South Africa for a sporting event. The Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture considers such applications and may approve or decline them. Where an application includes a request for national government funding, guarantees, or services from other government departments, the Minister is required to submit the request to Cabinet for consideration and approval. The Regulations exist to ensure that international events hosted by South Africa are properly planned, financially viable, and implemented in a sustainable manner, with due regard to available resources.

In the case of the World Surf League event, the Department and Ministry did not receive any formal application submitted in accordance with the Regulations.

As no request for national government funding, guarantees, or associated services was formally submitted for consideration, no funding decision was therefore taken at national level. All public comments that are now seeking to place the blame at the feet of the Minister for the inability to secure a WSL event in 2026 are misguided, a form of deflection and unjustified scapegoating.

The Department continues to support the development of the sport through the provision of an annual grant to Surfing South Africa, in line with an approved three-year funding agreement and subject to the availability of funds.

DSAC remains committed to supporting sport development and the hosting of international events in South Africa through transparent, lawful, and sustainable processes.

For media enquiries:

Ms Zimasa Velaphi, Head of Communication and Marketing: Department of Sport, Arts and Culture │Email: ZimasaV@dsac.gov.za 
Cell: +27 72 172 8925

Ms. Stacey-Lee Khojane, Spokesperson: Office of the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture
Email: StaceyK@dsac.gov.za 
Cell: +27 77 608 7579

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