Address by the Deputy Minister Peace Mabe on the occasion of the tabling of Budget Vote 37: Sport, Arts and Culture
House Chairperson
Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Hon Gayton McKenzie,
Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee for Sport, Arts and Culture, Hon. Joe McGluwa,
Honourable Members,
The acting Director-General of the Department, Dr. Stella Khumalo and her Executive,
Chairpersons, Board Members and CEOs of our Entities.
Representatives of the various sporting, arts and cultural bodies
Distinguished Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen
House Chair,
The department’s primary objective is to develop, transform, preserve, protect and promote sport, arts and culture at all levels of participation to foster an active, creative, winning, socially cohesive and unified nation.
Our goals align with the objectives outlined in the South African National Development Plans. By aligning our efforts with these overarching frameworks, we strengthen our commitment to national priorities and ensure that our work has a lasting and sustainable impact on the lives of our fellow citizens.
Honourable Members,
The allocation of R 6.31 billion for the year 2025/26 is aimed at expediting service delivery through strategic interventions to:
Develop and promote sport, arts and culture at all levels.
Promote social cohesion and facilitate nation building.
Create job opportunities to contribute to economic growth.
Developing and promoting sport and recreation
The Recreation Development and Sport Promotion programme receives R4.1 billion of the department’s budget over the medium term. This allocation demonstrates our commitment to enhancing mass participation, talent development, and infrastructure support to strengthen sport and recreation across South Africa.
Honourable Members,
On the 16-July-2024 we made a commitment in this house to promote healthy lifestyles and physical activity in line National Development Plan .
Through Active Nation programme we support the provision of mass participation opportunities in sport and recreation. I am pleased to announce that in the financial year 2025/2026 the department has budgeted R24.Million for the construction of 30 community outdoor gyms and Children’s Play Parks in municipal open spaces.
Athlete development
Our teams and athletes have set the sporting scene ablaze with their performances and achievements.
We are proud of the achievements of Team South Africa that proudly hoisted our flag at the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, in Paris, France. The brilliant team and individual performances by Akani Simbine , Bayanda Walaza, Dricus Du Plessis encapsulates the No DNA, Just RSA! Phenomenon.
Akani Simbine continues to dominate the international tracks achieving extraordinary results, this shows what determination, discipline and opportunity means.
Once again, our heroines Banyana Banyana are hoisting our flag very high at the WAFCON, We congratulate the team for reaching the quarterfinal of the WAFCON Tournament. We must condemn the treatment that team faced with challenges on payments. We will not tolerate any wage disparities when it comes to our teams, equal pay is non-negotiable. We welcome the progress made in renewing the Sponsorship for the team with SASOL.
Honourable Members,
We made a commitment to revive school sport . We believe that each child in school, must be a child in sport. The Departments of Sport, Arts and Culture and Basic Education have signed the Memorandum of Understanding which addresses the challenges that prevent the establishment of well-coordinated and seamless sport, arts and culture programmes as a critical factor in the development of young people of our country.
I am also pleased to announce that the Department budgeted (R53.5) to support 208 School Sport programmes at the District level, enhancing school-based leagues and competition and a further R 72 million to enable 5000 learners to participate in the National School Sports Championships.
Arts and Culture Promotion and Development
Honourable Chair,
The promotion and develop of arts and culture is crucial for heritage preservation, promoting diversity and social cohesion.
For the 2025/26 financial year the Cultural and Creative Industries Development is allocated R32 million to facilitate access to local and international markets
The Mzansi Golden Economy (MGE) strategy fosters job creation, economic transformation, and inclusivity. We aim to create 10,000 job opportunities through financially supporting 27 projects that facilitate local and international market access, empowering artists and creative practitioners to expand their reach.
The allocation of R350 million in 2025/26 for the creative industries stimulus is expected to create 25 000 jobs.
Honourable Members,
We are creating opportunities and breaking into the new international markets. Amapiano is taking the world by storm. The historic triumph of South Africa’s dynamic DJ duo, TxC – (Tarryn Reid and Clairice Hefke), at the 2025 BET Awards in Los Angeles marks not only a personal achievement but a monumental step for the South African Amapiano music scene. They won the Best New International Act, Their sound, energy, and authenticity have resonated globally, proving that our culture and creativity know no bounds.
By promoting Cultural diplomacy, we will create opportunities for artists to collaborate with international artists and further boosting their exposure and access to international markets .supporting artists, we promote creativity, cultural heritage, and social impact, while also contributing to the growth and development of individuals and communities.
Copy Rights Amendment Bill and Royalty Collection
The signing into law of the Copyrights Amendment Bill will ensure protection of copy rights for our artists, this crucial for musicians as it protects their creative works and provides exclusive rights to control usage and distribution.
We are engaging with the various Royalty collection organisations to ensure that our artists get what is fairly due to them Royalty collection and payments involve various organizations and processes, depending on the type of royalty.
By protecting musicians' creative works and providing a framework for fair compensation, the Copyright Act plays a vital role in promoting musical creativity and innovation.
DESIGNER IMBIZO
Honourable Members,
We also pay tribute the incredible talent and dedication of Ms Vanya Mangaliso, a true visionary in the world of fashion. Her designs have not only captivated audiences but have also inspired a new generation of fashion enthusiasts.
With every stitch, every cut, and every detail, she brought her unique perspective to life on the runway and beyond.
As we chart the way forward, one of the key focus areas is the development and elevation of the design industry in South Africa.
This dynamic sector encompassing fashion, industrial design, digital innovation, architecture, and more, plays a critical role in entrepreneurship, job creation, innovation, and the shaping of our cultural identity.
Yet, despite its immense potential and growing impact, the design industry remains largely underdeveloped. It lacks sufficient policy support, institutional infrastructure, and access to targeted resources needed to thrive and to meaningfully contribute to our socio-economic objectives.
In recognition of this gap, we will be convening a National Designer Imbizo, a strategic engagement platform that will bring together designers, innovators, academic institutions, industry leaders, and government stakeholders whose purpose would be to amplify the voice of the sector, foster inclusive dialogue, and jointly create a progressive, responsive policy framework that will unlock the full potential of the design economy.
This initiative forms part of a broader vision to position the creative industries at the centre of South Africa’s economic recovery, youth employment strategies, and global cultural competitiveness.
Promoting social cohesion and facilitating nation building
In recognition of the supreme sacrifices for the freedom we enjoy today. We will implement the next phase of the repatriation programme which has successfully repatriated the remains of the 42 Freedom Fighters previously buried in Zambia and Zimbabwe.
We continue to support initiatives that are advancing South Africa’s ongoing social cohesion and nation building programmes. R83.3 million is allocated for commemorating National Days to ensure that we collectively honour our shared heritage and milestones in history.
Heritage
Honourable Members, we are fostering a culture of reading and support national memory through constructing, upgrading, maintaining, repairing and renovating departmental buildings.
To transform the national heritage landscape of South Africa to be inclusive, we are developing new monuments and heritage sites.
In recognition of our rich heritage, South Africa has two new UNESCO World Heritage Sites, inscribed in July 2024.( The Pleistocene Occupation Sites of South Africa which comprises three archaeological locations that provide insights into early human cognition and behaviour and the Human Rights, Liberation and Reconciliation: Nelson Mandela Legacy Sites highlighting South Africa's journey toward democracy and human rights).
Our World Heritage sites will play a critical role in hosting, educating and entertaining our international guests this year as we host the G20 countries. The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture is working closely with the Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Environment to ensure that our World Heritage Sites are ready and are part of the programmes of the Working Groups of the G20 members.
The Heritage Promotion and Preservation programme receives 45.6 per cent (R8.8 billion) of the department’s budget over the medium term and to expand access to knowledge and information, the department plans to complete building 54 libraries over the next 3 years at an estimated cost of R584.6 million.
Van Toeka Af
On the 5th of July 2025, the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, through its Van Toeka Af Living Legends Recognition Series, hosted landmark tribute concert in honour of the iconic Mama Abigail Kubeka — celebrating an extraordinary 68-year career in South Africa’s music, arts, and cultural landscape. As we raise awareness of our musical heritage, it is essential to celebrate the living icons among us, acknowledging their relentless contributions while they still grace us with their artistry.
The tribute concert formed part of the broader “Van Toeka Af” initiative which is an important programme designed to celebrate South Africa’s musical and cultural legends, while preserving and showcasing our rich artistic heritage.
In light of this, we intend to expand this initiative into a national programme, under the sub-theme: “The Legendary Tour.” Through this, we will honour other cultural icons across our provinces—fostering pride, preserving legacy, and importantly, creating income-generating opportunities for veteran artists—many of whom are struggling to secure gigs or performance opportunities.
Honourable Members,
We are all acutely aware of the financial constraints currently facing our country. The Mama Abigail Kubeka tribute concert demonstrated the profound impact that strategic partnerships between the public and private sectors can have.
As we look ahead, the sustainability and growth of this programme will rely on fostering similar collaborations, built on mutual commitment and collective effort.
Let us, as a nation, truly honour our legends—and give them their flowers while they can still smell them.
Honourable Chairperson,
As part of our department’s continued commitment to heritage preservation, remembrance, and international solidarity, we hosted the Joint Commemoration Lecture in honour of the Battle of Cuito Cuanavale—an historic engagement that remains one of the most defining moments in the struggle for liberation on the African continent.
The event brought together a distinguished gathering of diplomats, military veterans, scholars, and members of the public.
This commemorative lecture served not only as a reminder of the bravery and sacrifices made during the battle, but also as a powerful reaffirmation of the enduring ties between South Africa, Angola, and Cuba.
The event highlighted the spirit of unity, discipline, and international solidarity that defined the battle and shaped the course of our shared history
The continued support and participation in this programme reaffirm the importance of sustained remembrance efforts and international cultural cooperation as part of our department’s mandate.
Honourable members
Through increased collaboration, we aim to eradicate duplications of efforts and harness our collective expertise and resources for maximum impact.
Our focus is on building a thriving arts, culture and heritage sector contributing to sustainable economic development, leveraging on partnerships for a socially cohesive nation. Let us move forward with renewed determination and a shared vision and create a South Africa that leaves no one behind.
Our resolve in dealing with GBVF remains unshaken, we will continue working with the Golekane GBVF awareness programme which is crucial for addressing and preventing violence against women and girls. This programs aim to promote gender equality, challenge harmful gender norms, and provide support to survivors.
We fully endorse the National Dialogue that seeks to bring together South Africans from all walks of life to rekindle people’s power and promote participatory democracy.
I extend my deepest appreciation to Minister Gayton Mckenzie, the department, stakeholders, partners, and dedicated individuals who continue to ensure that service delivery is not just a lofty ideal but a lived experience for the people.
Honourable Chair and Honourable Members, I hereby support and put this budget to this honourable house for approval.
Thank you.
