KuGompo City loses out to Mpumalanga for Steve Tshwete series launch
The hopes of KuGompo City serving as launch venue for the much publicised Steve Tshwete Boxing Series have fizzled out after authorities opted to kick it off in Mpumalanga in November.
After much fanfare with even sports Minister Gayton McKenzie punting the city in his numerous speeches since February 2025 boxing indaba at International Convention Centre, Boxing SA decided to take it to Mpumalanga province which accommodates Steve Tshwete Municipality.
“Yes due to logistics the Steve Tshwete Boxing Series will be launched in Mpumalanga with two tournaments on November 21 and 22,” BSA said.
BSA said the series would be held in only four provinces with KwaZulu-Natal next in line before Gauteng.
However Eastern Cape will not be left home and dry as it has been given the rights to host the finals in March 2027.
BSA provincial manager Phakamile Jacobs confirmed that the province will host the finals with KuGompo City targeted as the venue.
“After the rounds of elimination have been completed all the excitement will come down to the boxing hotbed of the country,” he said.
“We are excited to be given the finals when everyone will be here.”
The series which will include amateur boxers under SA National Amateur Boxing Organisation (Sanabo) umbrella will involve all nine provinces.
Initially planned to run on a league format, BSA chief executive Tsholofelo Lejaka said it had since been changed to an elimination series with losing boxers going home.
However the fielding of the number of boxers per province remains uncertain though BSA said the total number will be 48.
Jacobs said EC will field boxers in the mini-flyweight, flyweight and bantamweight divisions.
“I understand other provinces will also field boxers in the super-middleweight but we will not have any one in those divisions.”
The series will accommodate boxers with a maximum of three fights with emphasis on development promoters who are yet to make their mark in the promotion business.
“We want this series to serve as an apprenticeship for some of our developing licensees including promoters and ring officials,” said Lejaka.
Sanabo said 10 of its boxers per provinces would contest in a league format making the structure the biggest contributor of fighters in the series.
“We will focus on Olympic divisions because we want to use this series as part of the Olympic preparations,” the structure said.
McKenzie’s department has already advanced R1m to each province to cater for the tournaments, with BSA expected to decide on the boxers’ purses together with selected promoters.
Sanabo’s boxers will receive prizes on completion of the series following an amateur model adopted by the International Boxing Association (IBA), whose relations with the International Olympic Committee soured and finally ended for its failure to disclose the source of its lucrative prizes paid to its athletes.
Mesuli Zifo
theherald.co.za
