Road to Santiago Starts Now for Special Olympics South Africa Athletes

Photo Credit: Special Olympics South Africa (Facebook)

More than 800 athletes will compete in the North West next August, with places at the 2027 Special Olympics World Games in Chile up for grabs.

Johannesburg, South Africa (12 July 2026) – The countdown to the 2026 Special Olympics South Africa National Summer Games has officially begun following the unveiling of the event’s new logo.

The reveal marks the start of the journey towards one of the country’s biggest celebrations of inclusive sport, with more than 800 athletes from all nine provinces set to compete in the North West from 28 to 30 August 2026.

The National Summer Games will bring together athletes with intellectual and developmental disabilities to compete for national honours and the chance to wear the green and gold at the 2027 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Santiago, Chile.

For many athletes, the Games represent far more than a competition. They are an opportunity to showcase their talent, determination and resilience while proving that sport has the power to break barriers and challenge perceptions around disability.

The road to Santiago also carries added motivation after Team South Africa’s outstanding performance at the 2023 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Berlin, Germany, where the team returned home with an impressive 49 medals.

Special Olympics South Africa Chief Executive Officer Ancilla Smith says the unveiling of the logo marks an exciting new chapter for the organisation and its athletes.

The 2027 World Summer Games will be another historic occasion, with Santiago becoming the first city in Latin America and the Southern Hemisphere to host the event. More than 6,000 athletes and Unified partners from over 170 countries are expected to compete.

Smith adds that the organisation hopes the team selected in the North West will build on the success achieved in Berlin and continue flying the South African flag with pride.

The countdown is officially on as South Africa prepares to welcome hundreds of athletes for a celebration of sport, inclusion and opportunity next August.