The South African Sports Confederation, Olympic and Paralympic Committee (SASCOC) has announced the appointment of Olympic rowing champion Sizwe Ndlovu as Chef de Mission for Team South Africa at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Senegal.
The fourth Summer Youth Olympic Games will take place from 31 October to 13 November 2026.
Dakar 2026 will be the first Olympic sports event staged on the African continent, making the occasion especially significant for Team South Africa and the wider African Olympic Movement.
As Chef de Mission, Ndlovu will lead the Team SA delegation and provide overall direction and support across the Games environment. His responsibilities will include helping to safeguard athlete welfare, strengthening team cohesion, supporting a high-performance culture and ensuring that South Africa’s young athletes are able to represent the country with pride, discipline and distinction.
Ndlovu brings the perspective of an athlete who has competed and succeeded at the highest level. He was a member of South Africa’s celebrated men’s lightweight coxless four that won gold at the London 2012 Olympic Games, alongside Matthew Brittain, John Smith and James Thompson. The achievement also made Ndlovu the first Black African rower to win an Olympic gold medal.
His appointment builds on his contribution at the ANOCA African Youth Games in Angola in December 2025, where he served as Deputy Chef de Mission and played a key role in supporting and guiding Team SA’s emerging athletes through an important continental multi-sport experience.
SASCOC President Barry Hendricks said: “It is a great honour for SASCOC to appoint Sizwe Ndlovu as Chef de Mission for Team South Africa at Dakar 2026. Sizwe is an Olympic champion who understands, at first hand, the commitment, sacrifice and responsibility required to represent our country on the international stage. Just as importantly, he has demonstrated a genuine passion for guiding and developing the next generation of South African athletes.
“This appointment reflects SASCOC’s deliberate focus on involving more of our former athletes in the delivery of Team South Africa. Their lived experience is invaluable: they understand the pressures of competition, the importance of athlete welfare and the power of a united team culture.
“We saw this approach in action with Alex Heath as Chef de Mission at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games and with Bongiwe Msomi at the recently concluded Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. Sizwe’s progression from Deputy Chef de Mission at the African Youth Games in Angola to leading Team SA in Dakar is another strong example of the pathway we are building for former athletes to contribute meaningfully to our Team Delivery mandate.
“Dakar 2026 is a historic moment for Africa and a defining opportunity for our young athletes. We have every confidence that Sizwe will lead with humility, purpose and excellence, and that his journey from Olympic champion to Team SA leader will inspire the young people entrusted to his care.”
Ndlovu’s appointment supports SASCOC’s broader commitment to athlete-centred leadership and to creating meaningful post-competition pathways through which former athletes can continue serving South African sport.