One coach’s determination to protect the legacy of his hometown club has grown into a partnership that’s creating opportunities, developing leaders and proving that collaboration can strengthen communities.
Cape Town, South Africa (10 August 2026) – What is today celebrated as a powerful partnership between Clifton Surf Lifesaving Club and Macassar Surf Lifesaving Club began with one coach’s deep love for his hometown club and a determination to protect its legacy.
After more than 40 years connected to Macassar, and having grown up just down the road from the club, Clifton Beach coach Adie Benjamin had witnessed both its proud history and the challenges it had faced in recent years.
Rather than watching that legacy fade, Adie wanted to find a way to strengthen the club for the next generation of lifesavers, surf athletes and community leaders.
In 2023, he approached Clifton Surf Lifesaving Club with an idea.
What began as a hopeful conversation between two clubs separated by 51.2 kilometres has since grown into a meaningful partnership built on shared knowledge, mutual respect and a belief that collaboration can create lasting opportunity.
What followed wasn’t about one club rescuing another. It was about two clubs recognising that they each had something valuable to offer, and that by working together, both could become stronger.
Since then, the partnership has quietly become a platform for opportunity, leadership and growth.
Five Macassar members qualified as lifeguards through Clifton’s education programme, laying the foundation for the club’s return to active patrols.
In 2026, Ridhaa Kuys became a qualified Surf Lifesaving Instructor, allowing knowledge gained through the partnership to be shared back within his own community. Since qualifying, he has already played a role in training more than 70 new lifeguards!
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“Being able to bring those qualifications back to Macassar and use them to help develop my home club is something I’m incredibly proud of.”
The partnership has also transformed the way athletes train. Throughout 2024, Clifton athletes made regular trips to Macassar, using its challenging surf, expansive beaches and steep sand dunes to prepare for the Lifesaving World Championships. The terrain offered some of the closest conditions in Cape Town to Australia’s Gold Coast, while exposing athletes to a completely different coastline and community.
But perhaps the greatest impact has come from the people.
Coaches have shared ideas. Committee members have mentored one another across media, finance, education and sport. Lifeguards have trained together. Friendships have formed.
The result has been two clubs learning from one another rather than one leading the other.
That spirit has also been reflected in competition. At the 2024 South African Lifesaving Championships, brothers Ridhaa and Robin Kuys stood on the podium in the Tube Rescue event, winning gold and bronze respectively while competing in separate Clifton teams. For the Macassar members, the medals represented more than personal success – they were among the first national championship medals brought back to their community in many years.
“Being part of both clubs has allowed me to experience lifesaving from two perspectives—volunteer patrols and high-performance competition,” says Robin Kuys, Chairman of Macassar Surf Lifesaving Club.
“For the future of Macassar, this partnership has shown what’s possible when clubs work together with a common purpose. It creates opportunities for young athletes, coaches and lifeguards, while giving young people something to aspire to.”
The next chapter is already underway.
Later this year, the two clubs will stand side by side at the 2026 Lifesaving World Championships on home soil in South Africa. Together, they will field a team of around 80 athletes, including dual members proudly representing both clubs on the world stage.
In a world where competition often takes centre stage, the partnership between Clifton and Macassar is a reminder that sometimes the greatest achievements come not from competing against one another, but by choosing to grow together.
Because stronger clubs don’t just create better athletes. They build stronger communities.
Sources: Supplied
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