About Team SA

Team South Africa proudly dons the iconic green and gold national sporting colours, symbolising their representation at the highest levels of multi-coded sporting events. The diversity of competitions they are involved in include: the Olympic Games, Paralympic Games, Commonwealth Games, World Games, African Games, Olympic Youth Games, Commonwealth Youth Games and AUSC Region V Games.

South Africa competed at 12 Olympics from 1904 to 1960 before being banned until 1992 due to the country’s apartheid policy. They won 10 medals at each of the 1920 and 1952 Games.

Since returning from isolation in 1992, South Africa has won 44 medals from the nine Games attended, winning 12 golds, 21 silvers and 11 bronzes and earning 10 medals in London 2012.

South Africa competed at four Paralympics from 1964-1976 and won 112 medals during that time. Since 1992, South Africa has won 198 medals from nine Games; winning 84 golds, 56 silvers and 58 bronzes. Their most successful haul since returning from isolation being Sydney 2000, where 38 medals were won.

Medals won at the Olympics
from 1992 to current.

Medals won by Team SA at the 2000 Paralympics,
their best return at a single Games.

Different athletes to win medals for Team SA
at the Olympics since 1992

Gold medals won by Team SA at the Paralympics
since 1992

To become a representative of Team South Africa is the culmination of a thorough identification and selection process. Individual National Federations play a crucial role by submitting the names of their chosen athletes to the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) for consideration, while adhering to sport-specific selection criteria.

SASCOC then checks all criteria has been met before rubber-stamping the eligible athletes as received from the National Federations. SASCOC then delivers those athletes to multi-coded events under the Team SA umbrella.

Selection and representation is an endorsement of the athletes’, or teams’, excellence on the international stage.