Sidelines to Headlines: Launch your career in Sport Journalism in South Africa
Are you passionate about sport and storytelling?
Do you dream of becoming a sports journalist, interviewing players and sharing the excitement of South Africa's favourite games with the nation?
Look no further! A career in sport journalism awaits, with a plethora of job opportunities in one of the country's fastest-growing industries - sports news.
The State of Sport in South Africa
With a wide variety of well-liked sports like rugby, soccer, cricket, and netball, South Africa is well known for its rich sporting history. The South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) reported that the nation's sports sector generates about R60 billion in GDP per year (SASCOC, 2020). This startling statistic demonstrates how important sports are to South Africa's economy.
Job Opportunities in Sport Journalism
The demand for skilled sports journalists in South Africa is on the rise, especially at radio stations. With the growth of digital media, online publications, and sports broadcasting, the industry is experiencing an influx of job opportunities and sports editors are in high demand. According to a report by the South African National Editors' Forum (SANEF), the sports journalism sector is expected to grow by 10% annually over the next five years (SANEF, 2022).
This means that by 2027 the demand for skilled sports journalists writing for sports pages in South Africa is projected to increase significantly, providing numerous job prospects for aspiring sports journalists and creating a need for quality education and training programmes to equip them with the necessary skills to excel in the industry.
This is exactly why the UXi Sport Health & Fitness Professionals Academy (HFPA) has developed a Sport Journalism elective to complement our Higher Occupational Certificate: Journalist, to ensure that students are equipped with the necessary skills, knowledge, and expertise to capitalise on these opportunities and succeed in the rapidly evolving sports journalism landscape, producing high-quality, engaging, and informative content for social media and other platforms.
Popular Sports in South Africa
Rugby, in particular, is a beloved national pastime, with the Springboks, South Africa's national rugby team, boasting a massive following. According to a survey by the South African Rugby Union (SARU), over 3 million South Africans participate in rugby at various levels, making it one of the country's most popular sports (SARU, 2020).
At UXi Sport we offer a high-performance individual rugby player development programme that provides talented young rugby players with a comprehensive and holistic development experience. The programme combines rugby training and competition with academic and personal development opportunities, aiming to produce well-rounded, skilled, and dedicated rugby players who can succeed at the highest levels of the sport. Student athletes attending the UXi institutes enrol in qualifications such as the Sport Journalism qualification and obtain their workplace integrated learning as part of their academic qualifications, while still doing what they love, attending sporting events or – PLAYING RUGBY!
Netball is another rapidly growing sport in South Africa, with the national team, the Proteas, competing in international tournaments. According to Netball South Africa, the sport has experienced a 25% increase in participation over the past three years, with over 100,000 players nationwide (Netball South Africa, 2022).
UXi Sport has also recently launched the UXi Netball Institute, a high-performance netball development initiative designed to identify, develop, and nurture talented young netball players. The programme provides a comprehensive and holistic development experience, combining netball training and competition with academic and personal development opportunities. All Netball Institute student athletes complete a HFPA qualification as part of their academic development. With this qualification they can become sports writers for the institute as part of their practicals to hone their writing styles or report on real time netball tournaments hosted by the institute.
The fitness industry is also thriving, with a growing demand for health and wellness content. According to a report by the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA), the South African fitness industry was valued at R4.5 billion in 2020, with over 1.5 million gym-goers nationwide (IHRSA, 2020).
Sport Journalism Successes in South Africa
South Africa has produced some of the most talented and renowned sports journalists in the world. One notable example is Robert Marawa, a celebrated sports broadcaster who has worked with top media outlets such as SABC and SuperSport. Marawa has covered numerous high-profile sporting events, interviewed sporting starts at many a press conference, including the FIFA World Cup and the Olympic Games.
Another success story is that of Udo Carelse, a seasoned sports journalist reporting and anchoring, Carelse has been a fixture on South African television, providing in-depth analysis and commentary on various sports.
Launch Your Career in Sport Journalism
If you're passionate about sports and storytelling, now is the perfect time to launch your career path in sport journalism. With the growth of the sports industry and the increasing demand for skilled sports journalists, the job opportunities are endless.
How do I get started?
To pursue a career in sport journalism, you'll need to:
- acquire the necessary skills and training
- enrol in our Sport Journalism programme
- obtain workplace experience at one of our 9 sport institutes in 7 of the country’s provinces
This will provide you with a solid foundation in journalism principles, as well as specialised knowledge and skills in sports reporting.
Conclusion
The need for skilled sports journalists has never been greater as the sports industry continues to change and enthral viewers everywhere. For those who are passionate about sports and storytelling, a career in sports journalism offers an unmatched opportunity because of its distinctive fusion of excitement, inventiveness, and storytelling.
In addition to being able to observe historic events personally, pursuing your passion as a career will enable you to significantly influence the sports narrative for future generations. Take advantage of this opportunity and become one of the top sports journalists who are revolutionising the relationship between storytelling and sports.
Our Sport Journalism qualification kicks off in July 2025 on campus or online. Contact us today to speak with a career guidance consultant and get the ball rolling!
References:
IHRSA (2020) 2020 IHRSA Health Club Consumer Report. International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association. [Online] Available from: https://www.healthandfitness.org/about/media-center/press-releases/ihrsa-report-worldwide-health-club-membership-now-183m-strong/ (Accessed on 10 March 2025)
Netball South Africa (2022) Netball South Africa Annual Report 2022. Netball South Africa. [Online] Available from: https://netball-sa.org.za/netball-south-africa-annual-report-2021-22/ (Accessed on 12 March 2025)
SANEF (2022) The State of Newsrooms in South Africa 2022. South African National Editors' Forum. [Online] Available from: https://sanef.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/State-of-Freeance-Jounalists-in-South-Africa.pdf (Accessed on 12 March 2025)
SARU (2020) South African Rugby Union Annual Report 2020. South African Rugby Union. [Online] Available from: https://www.sarugby.co.za/general/annual-reports/ (Accessed on 11 March 2025)
SASCOC (2020) SASCOC Annual Report 2020. South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee. [Online] Available from: https://www.teamsa.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/SASCOC-Annual-Report-2020-2021.pdf (Accessed 10 March 2025)
