Akani Simbine Transforms from Host to Competitor at Inaugural SuperSport Simbine Classic
Akani Simbine, South Africa’s fastest man and a multiple‑medal Olympian, will step onto the track not only as the race director but also as an athlete hoping to out‑sprint the international stars he invited to his own meeting. The inaugural SuperSport Simbine Classic – the first World Athletics Continental Tour silver‑label meet held in South Africa – takes place on Tuesday afternoon at Pilditch Stadium in Pretoria.
Background and Vision
Simbine launched his foundation several years ago with the goal of developing athletics locally and keeping talented athletes in the sport after high school. He explained that many young athletes lose sight of a career in athletics because they only see elite competition on television.
“We lose a lot of kids when they get out of high school because they don’t see anything physically; they don’t see anything like that. They watch the tours on TV and that’s far from their minds. Bringing that here will make the dream more accessible.”
— Akani Simbine, press conference, April 21, 2025
The SuperSport Simbine Classic is intended to showcase that African and South African athletics belong on the world stage. Simbine, who anchored the South African 4×100 m relay to Olympic silver at Paris 2024 and won individual gold at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, hopes the meet will inspire the next generation to pursue athletics domestically.
Event Details and Participants
The meeting is scheduled to begin at 15:45 local time. It features a blend of sprint, middle‑distance, hurdles, jumps and throws events, drawing both international stars and South African talent.
- Men’s 100 m: Akani Simbine (host) vs. Andre De Grasse (Canada, seven‑time Olympic medallist) and Emmanuel Eseme (Cameroon, African champion).
- Women’s 100 m Hurdles: Nia Ali (USA, Olympic silver medallist) vs. Cyrena Samba‑Mayela (France).
- Men’s 800 m: Ferguson Rotich (Kenya, former Olympic silver medallist) vs. Noah Kibet (former world indoor champion).
- Women’s 1500 m: Prudence Segkodiso (South Africa).
- Shot Put: Aiden Smith (South Africa) vs. Zane Weir (Italy, former South African).
- Women’s Javelin: Sara Kolak (Croatia, Olympic champion) vs. Freya Jones (Great Britain, former US college champion).
- 300 m: Zakithi Nene (South Africa) vs. Muzala Samukonga (Zambia, Olympic bronze medallist).
- 3,000 m: Tshepo Tshite (South Africa) vs. national record holders Jerry Motsau and Luan Munnik.
The prize pool for the meet is reported to be almost €1.5 million, with the overall organization costing “many millions,” according to Simbine’s remarks at the press conference.
Financial Commitment and Organization
Securing funding proved challenging because the planning coincided with the close of many companies’ financial years. Nevertheless, Simbine noted that the firms that came on board decided to support the venture.
“On the financing side, it was a challenge. It was a little difficult, but I think that’s because we also came to it very late. It fell on the other side of the companies’ financial years. But the companies that participated decided to work with us.”
— Akani Simbine, April 21, 2025
SuperSport has been named the title sponsor, and the event is sanctioned by World Athletics as a Continental Tour silver‑label meet, marking a historic first for South Africa on the global athletics circuit.
Impact on South African Athletics
By bringing a high‑profile international meeting to Pretoria, Simbine aims to:
- Provide local athletes with the opportunity to compete against world‑class opponents without traveling abroad.
- Increase visibility of athletics in South African media and encourage sponsorship at grassroots levels.
- Demonstrate that the country can meet the organisational and financial standards required for top‑tier athletics events.
- Inspire youth to stay in the sport by showing a tangible pathway from school competitions to international meets hosted at home.
Simbine expressed his ambition to grow the SuperSport Simbine Classic into a gold‑label Continental Tour event and, eventually, a Diamond League fixture.
“I hope we can make this a bigger competition… I would like to see it become a Gold Label league and eventually a Diamond League.”
— Akani Simbine, April 21, 2025
As the countdown to race day continues, athletes, fans and officials alike await the moment when the host becomes the challenger on the track—a symbolic step toward establishing South Africa as a permanent fixture on the world athletics calendar.
