December is here, which means that 2026 is just around the corner. 2025 was an interesting year for South African and African sports in general, and it seems like 2026 will be the same. There are many different sports events that will take place in the upcoming year, so it’s time to go through each one and learn more details about them.
2026 ICC Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup
One of the first major events we can expect in 2026 will be the ICC Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup. It is the premier international championship for this sport and the competition has been around since 1988. This year’s event will feature 17 teams and it will be held between January 15 and February 6. People wishing to watch the matches in real-time have to go to Zimbabwe and Namibia.
Cricket enthusiasts will see a total of 41 matches played in the 50-over format. There will be a Group Stage, followed by a Super Six and a Knockout Stage.
The good news is that the 2026 ICC Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup will feature all of the heavyweights. We will see the likes of South Africa, India, England, Pakistan, New Zealand and Australia. An interesting fact about the latter is that it is the current defending champion.
The 2026 ICC Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup will definitely be worth watching for cricket fans. Historically speaking, this competition has been a “launching pad” for future international stars.
It’s also worth mentioning that the 2026 ICC Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup will be a solid option for betting. People in South Africa and other countries on the continent are famous for being huge cricket betting fans. That’s why we would not be surprised if local bookmakers prepare interesting surprises for them.
2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations
Another hot sports event that South Africans and people from other countries will be interested in is the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations. The competition will be held around two months after AFCON 2025 comes to an end and we expect it to be as exciting. As for AFCON 2025, the event starts in December this year.
The 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations will be the first tournament of its kind to feature 16 different teams. This represents a significant change, as we previously saw only 12 teams. Fortunately, the Confederation of African Football is doing what it can to develop women’s football across the continent.
Another key factor you should know about the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations is that it will be the qualifier for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup. In other words, the teams that perform best will receive a slot for that event. It will be interesting to see if the South African squad can go up against the likes of Morocco and Nigeria.
2026 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations
While we are on the topic of the Africa Cup of Nations, we must mention the U-17 competition. Like the women’s event and the men’s tournament, this one will be in Morocco and the event will serve as the African qualification path for the FIFA U-17 World Cup.
Since age is a consideration here, only players born after January 1, 2009, are eligible to participate. This competition is an important stepping stone for young African players because it gives them international exposure.
An important thing about this event is that the qualifiers are still ongoing across the continent. Only a few teams have qualified so far, but there will be 16 in total, so we will have to wait to see what’s going to happen.
Dakar 2026 Summer Youth Olympic Games
The next of the 2026 events that people in South Africa should look forward to is the Dakar 2026 Summer Youth Olympic Games. This will be the 4th edition of the Summer Youth Olympic Games and will take place between October 31 and November 13, 2025, in Dakar. What makes the event so important is that it is the first Olympic-affiliated competition that will be held on African soil.
Based on the information, more than 2,700 athletes are expected to participate in the event. The games themselves will be across 25 different sports like basketball, boxing, cycling, judo, and many more.
It is no surprise that the Dakar 2026 Summer Youth Olympic Games are important for everyone who likes online betting. Since it offers so many sports, bookmakers in Africa will do what they can to allow people to bet on it. Locals can expect to find good odds and even special types of bonuses, such as odds boosts.
These games promise gender equality, so it’s definitely going to be interesting.
2026 World Athletics Relay
The last tournament that we believe will be worth paying close attention to is the 2026 World Athletics Relay. People interested in this competition should know that it will take place in Gaborone, the capital city of Botswana. This will be the 8th edition of the Relays, and it will be between May 2 and 3.
Similar to some of the other competitions mentioned so far, the 2026 World Athletics Relay marks a historic moment. Botswana will become the first African country to host the World Athletics Relay and it will draw attention to the country in many ways. It also reinforces Africa’s growing role and visibility in global athletics.
It’s no secret that athletics is not the fan-favorite when it comes to betting. While we do not expect to see a massive boom, the fact that Africa welcomes the competition for the first time could mean we may see additional options.
Closing Thoughts
Alongside all of these events, Africa and South Africa in particular will be involved in loads of other competitions. We’ll have access to the annual football events, as well as the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Although the competition is not in Africa, it has a total of 9 teams from the region, including South Africa.
