TRACK & FIELD: Africa takes centre stage as global athletics comes home
As the global athletics season gathers momentum, Africa once again positions itself at the heart of elite track and field, hosting a rich spread of high‑profile competitions between April and May.
From World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meetings to senior continental championships and global relay showdowns, the coming weeks underline the continent’s growing influence, not just as a producer of champions, but as a reliable host of world‑class events.
This window is more than a calendar convenience. It represents Africa’s consolidation as a critical early‑season hub, offering athletes competitive opportunities, ranking points, and a return to the roots of high‑performance athletics.
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Africa's biggest sports broadcaster SuperSport brings you the action LIVE!
APRIL: A CONTINENT IN FULL FLIGHT
The Simbine Classic – Pilditch Stadium, Tshwane (28 April) - SS Variety 4, SS Africa 1 (3:15-6:15)
When the starting gun fires at Pilditch Stadium on Tuesday, it will mark a watershed moment for South African athletics.
The inaugural Simbine Classic, a World Athletics Continental Tour Silver meeting, is not merely another date on the international calendar, it is a long‑awaited return of elite, globally ranked track and field competition to South African soil.
The meeting becomes the first Continental Tour Silver event ever staged in South Africa, elevating the country’s athletics profile at a time when African athletes continue to shine in world sprinting, middle‑distance and relay events.
MEN’S 100 METRES
The men’s 100m will see meeting founder Akani Simbine lead a strong line-up that includes
Olympic 200m champion Andre De Grasse of Canada. One of Africa’s fastest men Cameroonian Emmanuel Eseme and World Championships relay medallist Shaun Maswanganyi, who will add local depth and experience.
MEN’S 200 / 300 METRES
De Grasse is expected to double up as part of his early‑season speed programme.
Local elite sprint group, including emerging South African speedsters targeting international qualification marks.
MEN’S 400 METRES
Zakithi Nene will lead a South African contingent in the 400m, that has World Championships bronze medalist Lythe Pillay.
MEN’S LONG JUMP
Luvo Manyonga (South Africa) – Former world champion and one of South Africa’s biggest field‑event names Luvo Manyonga will lead the lines in the men’s long jump, that will draw major local interest.
WOMEN’S 100 METRES HURDLES
African record holder and Olympic finalist, Marioné Fourie headlines the women’s 100m hurdles.
MAY: GLOBAL AND CONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIPS TAKE OVER
World Athletics Relays – Gaborone, Botswana (2-3 May 2026)
The spotlight intensifies in early May as Gaborone hosts the World Athletics Relays, one of the sport’s premier team events. Nations arrive battling not only for medals, but for qualification spots into later global championships.
Hosting the relays places Botswana and Africa squarely at the centre of global athletics broadcasting and logistics, reinforcing confidence in the continent’s capacity to deliver technically demanding championships.
CAA African Senior Athletics Championships – Accra, Ghana (12–17 May 2026) - SS Variety 3, Africa 1, Maximo 360 (1:55-5pm)
The competitive arc peaks with the African Senior Athletics Championships, staged in Accra. This flagship event determines continental supremacy across all disciplines and serves as a proving ground for Africa’s next generation of global stars.
For established names, it is an opportunity to assert dominance; for emerging athletes, it is often their first real test on a multi‑event continental stage.
COMPLETED EVENTS
Kip Keino Classic – Nairobi, Kenya (24 April)
Botswana Golden Grand Prix – Gaborone, Botswana (26 April)
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