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The College Sports, Arts and Culture South Africa (CoSACSA) hosted the Women in Sports Dialogue on 1 November 2025. The event took place at the Birchwood OR Tambo Hotel in Kempton Park. It formed part of CoSACSA’s three-day Sports Indaba. The gathering brought together leaders, athletes, coaches, and youth representatives. They met to discuss the growth of women’s sports within the TVET sector.
What Happened
The dialogue focused on the challenges and opportunities facing young women in sport. Speakers emphasized gaps in funding, leadership representation, and access to training facilities across colleges. Attendees also reflected on how sport can improve confidence, leadership skills, and academic performance among young women.
The session formed a key part of the broader CoSACSA Sports Indaba, which aims to unite the TVET sector behind a shared national vision. The programme covers sports development, arts integration, culture promotion, and strategies to strengthen institutional partnerships.
Key Themes Discussed
Investment in Women’s Sport
Stakeholders called for increased funding to support coaching programmes, competitive leagues, and high-performance pathways for female athletes. They stressed that investing early creates more opportunities for young women to advance in sport.
Leadership and Representation
Speakers encouraged colleges to appoint more women to decision-making roles within sports departments and student structures. They noted that strong leadership is essential for improving visibility and strengthening institutional support for women’s sport.
Campus Safety and Inclusion
Participants emphasized the need for safer sporting spaces and stronger measures to protect female athletes from harassment and exclusion. They said campuses must build environments where young women can train, compete, and lead without fear.
Partnerships and Growth
The Indaba stressed new opportunities for collaboration between government, colleges, private partners, and national sports bodies. These partnerships aim to expand resources, improve facilities, and strengthen the overall development pipeline for women in sport.
Why the Dialogue Matters
CoSACSA noted that TVET colleges have thousands of young women with strong potential in athletics, netball, football, and other codes. Strengthening women’s sports can open access to scholarships, employment, and national competition pathways. In addition, the programme aims to use sport as a tool for empowerment, community development, and social cohesion.
Organisers’ Perspective
CoSACSA officials said the dialogue aligns with their long-term vision of using sport, arts, and culture to uplift young people and build thriving college communities.
“Our goal is to create systems that support talent and open doors for women across the sector,” an organiser said.
