This site is dedicated to everyone involved with competitive swimming and related aquatic Sports in South Africa. All the Champions and many others who competed, coaches, administrators and more are listed. The Results from 120 years of national championships and other swimming, water polo, diving, synchronized swimming, lifesaving, and bi/triathlon competitions. The Locales, or towns, pools, and schools in South Africa, Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and South West Africa (now Namibia). As well as many other Articles on related topics.

What do Arnold Schwarzenegger, Princess Charlene of Monaco, Lewis Pugh and Jonty Skinner have in common? They are all part of the International history of swimming in South Africa. →

Aquatic sports

Swimming

Diving

Water Polo

Synchronized Swimming

Life Saving

Bi/Triathlon/Biathle

Champions

of South African Aquatic Sports

18 times world breaker Karen Muir →

The world record breakers, Olympic and Commonwealth medallists, International stars and Local Heroes from southern Africa, as well as disabled swimmers.

Four swimmers from South Africa have been inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame - only 11 countries in the world have more. Despite a ban which kept an entire generation of swimmers out of international competition, swimmers from South Africa have set world records and won Olympic medals, and continue to do so.

Results from 100+ Years of SA Championships

Results and newspaper articles of the annual South African national aquatic championships.

Read results and articles

Sporting Provinces of South Africa

The original South African provinces that formed the basis of century-old rivalries, their towns and schools, the swimming pools and other places where South African aquatic sports history was made. Many - like the Transvaal - no longer exist, but continue today to compete under new names.

All the universities, colleges, and school pools; municipal, military and hospital pools; private club pools; dead and derelict pools; tidal pools and beaches; rivers and dams and international venues where aquatic sports history was made.

Click here to see the map. There are categories shown by different coloured pins - private schools and state schools; places with no pools and many with dead pools; open water locations, and some significant international places also.

The locations where aquatic sports history was made. Different colours indicate schools, beaches, dams, municipal swimming pools, dead pools, and more.

swimming history of South Africa Rhodesia South West Africa

See the map for the location of the swimming pools and select different layers. Zoom right in on each dot to see the location.

Articles

Besides the main topics listed above, many other aspects of aquatic sports history in South Africa warrant a chapter. Topics include World Records, Exiles, Springboks, Publications, Politics, Histories, Scrapbooks, Pools and Places, Mozambique, and more.

Read the articles