MBABANE – South Africa has been named as the next host of the Southern Africa Inter-Municipal Sports Association (SAIMSA) Games after Eswatini staged this year’s historic edition.
Eswatini hosted the games, which ran from Sunday, September 20 to Friday, September 25, 2026, and marked the 20th anniversary of the tournament featuring Eswatini, Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia and South Africa. It was the fourth time the Kingdom held them.
The competition concluded last night, Friday September 25, 2026 with a glamorous closing ceremony held at the Mavuso Sports Centre in Manzini, where podium finishers across the various sporting codes received their medals, with overall winners taking home even trophies.
However, ahead of the awards ceremony, which was attended by the Minister for Housing and Urban Development, Appolo Maphalala, SAIMSA President Sam Rametsi announced that the Republic of South Africa will host the 2027 games.
Rametsi said the exact dates and main host city or province will be announced in due course for the competition, which is held annually in September.
For Eswatini’s edition, 55 municipalities took part, while over 70 participated in the 2025 edition hosted by Lesotho.
Among this year’s winners was South Africa’s Buffalo City Metropolitan, which beat hosts Nhlangano Town Council 1-0 in the final to lift the football trophy.
Meanwhile, Eswatini’s Matsapha Town Council defeated the Municipality of Walvis Bay from Namibia 3-1 in the third-place play-off to retain a podium finish, similar to Lesotho last year where they were runners-up.
Furthermore, Buffalo City also won the netball trophy after defeating the Municipal Council of Manzini, who were among the hosts’ best performers, winning even the overall best performer trophy in road running.
Walvis Bay of Namibia was also among the dominant cities, with Namibia returning home with over 10 trophies from the municipalities it sent to the games.
The games featured an array of sports, including golf, darts, chess, pool, cycling and angling, among others.
Provisional results;
Soccer
• Champions: Buffalo City Metropolitan (South Africa)
• Runner-up: Nhlangano Town Council (Eswatini)
• Third place: Matsapha Town Council (Eswatini)
Netball
• Champions: Buffalo City (South Africa)
• Runner-up: Manzini (Eswatini)
Volleyball
• Champions (Male): Maseru City Council (Lesotho)
• Runner-up (Male): City of Windhoek (Namibia)
• Third place (Male): Mbabane (Eswatini)
Snooker
• Champions (Singles): Manzini (Eswatini)
• Runner-up (Singles): Berea (Lesotho)
• Third place (Singles): Buffalo City (South Africa)
Darts
• Champions: Municipality of Walvis Bay (Namibia)
• Runner-up: City of Windhoek (Namibia)
• Third place: City of Cape Town (South Africa)
Table Tennis
• Champions (Singles M): Henry Arends (City of Cape Town)
• Runner-up (Singles M): Kempho Nxeeku (Gaborone Team)
• Third place (Singles M): Sikhumbuzo Mavuso (Manzini)
Lawn Tennis
• Champions (Singles M): Buffalo City (South Africa)
• Runner-up (Singles M): City of Windhoek (Namibia)
• Third place (Singles M): Greater Tzaneen (South Africa)
Golf
• Champions (Male): Ezulwini (Eswatini)
• Runner-up (Male): Greater Tzaneen (South Africa)
• Third place (Male): City of Cape Town (South Africa)
Fishing
• Champions: Buffalo City (South Africa)
• Runner-up: City of Windhoek (Namibia)
• Third place: Municipality of Walvis Bay (Namibia)
Athletics
• Champions (Male 100m): Johannes Hautiku (Walvis Bay)
• Runner-up (Male 100m): Shiimi Ambrosuis (Walvis Bay)
• Third place (Male 100m): Bheki Mntjali (Mankayane)
Tug of War
• Champions: City of Windhoek (Namibia)
• Runner-up: Swakopmund Municipality (Namibia)
• Third place: Mahlosana
Cycling
• Champions: Terence (City of Cape Town)
• Runner-up: Francious (City of Cape Town)
• Third place: Sibusiso (Mbabane)
Chess / Draft
• Champions: Manzini (Eswatini)
• Runner-up: Buffalo City (South Africa)
• Third place: City of Mbabane (Eswatini)
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