With 12 clubs hosting events across seven provinces, this year’s challenge brings young skippers together while keeping the competition fair and connected.
South Africa (26 August 2026) – The 2026 edition of Skipnation is officially underway, with young rope-skipping athletes across South Africa preparing to put their speed, skill and stamina to the test.
The action kicked off in the Free State on 1 August, where Saltatore and WeJump Rope Skipping Clubs brought together 55 athletes from two clubs and 10 schools for the first provincial leg of this year’s challenge.
The province wasted no time setting the benchmark, with its leading skipper recording 90 steps in the Speed Run and 92 in the Double Under.
But the numbers are only part of what makes this year’s Skipnation different.
Since Gymnastics South Africa launched the initiative in 2021, the challenge has grown from a small school-based activity into a national fixture. This year, it is taking a much bigger step by bringing the competition directly into communities across the country.
Rather than one online challenge or a series of individual entries, the 2026 edition is being hosted live and simultaneously by 12 identified clubs, with surrounding schools involved across seven provinces.
Throughout August, clubs from Jump It in the Western Cape to Amajuba Gymnastics Hub in KwaZulu-Natal will stage their own provincial events using the same competition format.
Athletes will compete in three disciplines: Basic Jump, Speed Run and Double Under. Beginners from participating schools will take on the Basic Jump and Speed Run, while more experienced skippers will compete in the Speed Run and Double Under.
And while the events are happening in different parts of the country, the competition remains connected through standardised judging.
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For Gymnastics South Africa, the aim goes beyond competition.
“Skipnation has always been about getting more young people active, fit and healthy,” says Marti Heri, Gymnastics South Africa’s Development and Education Manager.
This year, the organisation hopes the live, community-based format will make the challenge even more engaging while encouraging more young people to get moving.
The Western Cape hosts its leg from 8 August, with Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal, North West, Gauteng and Limpopo following throughout the month.
For now, the Free State has put down the first marker. The question is: which province will jump higher?
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