The 2026 Lifesaving World Championships are heading to Gqeberha after Morocco was forced to pull out — and now the Bay is bracing for a huge international splash, with thousands of athletes from 75 countries set to touch down in the city.
The prestigious event will inject hundreds of millions of rand into the metro via direct spend alone and at the same time promote the city on a global stage.
The news was confirmed this week by Lifesaving SA and the metro after a letter to the lifesaving fraternity from the International Lifesaving Federation was posted to social media.
Nelson Mandela Bay-based Lifesaving SA director of sport Craig van Rooyen confirmed that the Bay had received the thumbs up from the federation.
“It’s very big news,” he said.
“We have been liaising on this with the federation since the world championships in Australia in August last year, so it has been a long road.
“There were site visits here by the federation’s general secretary and obviously important engagements with our municipality, but it was looking good for us for the past two weeks — and then we got the formal email [on Wednesday].”
Van Rooyen said the event would be hosted by Lifesaving SA and the International Lifesaving Federation.
He said they would be releasing the exact dates for the event at the end of August after further consultations with the metro.
“We are expecting representation from 75 countries and a total of 6,000 competitors, and other delegates.
“The event will take place over 21 days in the Kings Beach surf and at the Newton Park pool, and we are anticipating it will generate in the region of R385m for the city,” he said.
Van Rooyen said SA had only hosted Lifesaving World Championships twice since the event was founded in 1971, and the last time was in Durban in 1996.
“This will be the first Lifesaving World Championships in SA in 30 years — and the first in the Eastern Cape.”
He said the good news followed years of successful lifesaving events in Nelson Mandela Bay.
“We have been hosting SA champs for the past eight years bar one year when it went to Durban, and we have got it again next year.
“So 2026 will be huge for us and this metro, with SA champs in March, which alone will generate about R50m for the city, and the international event at the end of the year.”
He said hosting the world championships was a huge opportunity for SA lifesaving as a whole.
“We have 82 clubs countrywide and this event gives them a huge opportunity to compete on a world stage at a low cost because it’s happening here in SA.
“It’s going to have a significant impact on the growth of the lifesaving movement in SA.”
In his July 30 letter to Lifesaving SA and sister organisations around the world, International Lifesaving Federation president Graham Ford said the 2026 world champs had been scheduled to take place in the Moroccan city of Agadir.
However, the federation had received communication from the Moroccan lifesaving organisation that, due to structural stability issues, the construction of the requisite Olympic swimming pool would not be ready in time.
Ford said in response, under his direction, the general secretary of the federation had visited a number of alternative potential host cities to assess where the event could best be relocated.
“The decision is that Lifesaving World Championships 2026 will be held in the City of Port Elizabeth — Nelson Mandela Bay.
“The city has agreed that International Lifesaving may use this place name instead of Gqeberha, primarily for phonetic and international recognition reasons.
“The championships will be held at the end of November until the beginning of December 2026.
“This is the best period to guarantee steady waves, good weather and acceptable water temperatures.”
Discover Mandela Bay project manager Shaun van Eck said the event would be a huge boost for the Bay.
“Events are one of the best ways to market a destination because you get the occupancy and also many people who will visit, who would otherwise not have done so, and who then may return,” he said.
“You also get the media coverage, and in this case it will be international.
“Last, you get the competitors and family members who have accompanied them posting their impressions on social media, which is an incredibly powerful marketing tool.
“So we are thrilled that we will be hosting the Lifesaving World Championships. It is a huge win for our tourism and our economy in general.”
Bay mayor Babalwa Lobishe said it was a proud moment for the metro and SA.
“We are fully committed to ensuring that our city is ready to host a world-class event that will leave a lasting legacy, not just for lifesaving but for our people and economy.
“We are excited to welcome the world to our shores and show them the warmth and resilience of our city.”
Bay sport, recreation, arts and culture political head Sinebhongo Kwatsha said the event presented the metro with a great opportunity to position itself as a hub for international sports.
“We will work tirelessly with all partners to ensure our sporting facilities, volunteers and programmes are ready to meet the highest global standards.
“This is a win for sport, tourism and youth development in our metro.”
Metro spokesperson Sithembiso Soyaya said the city was honoured and thrilled.
“Together with other spheres of government, we will pull out all the stops to ensure our state of readiness meets and exceeds international standards,” he said.
“Hosting Lifesaving World Championships 2026 will not only boost our local economy through tourism, hospitality and related sectors but also inspire our youth to embrace water safety, lifesaving skills and healthy lifestyles.”
The Herald
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