20 Aug 2026

Botswana is set to host the 30th TAFISA World Congress next year, with organisers seeking to use the international gathering to promote sport for all while creating opportunities in tourism, business and economic development.

The congress will be held in Gaborone from October 18 to 20, with October 17 and 21 designated as arrival and departure days. 

It will be the first time Botswana hosts the global event and only the second time the congress has been held in Africa, following Cape Town’s hosting in 2001.

The Association For International Sport for All (TAFISA), is a global organisation that promotes sport and physical activity. Its World Congress brings together sports leaders, practitioners, researchers and representatives from different sectors to examine how sport can contribute to healthier, more inclusive and sustainable societies.

The organising committee chairperson, Molefhi Obenne, said Botswana’s hosting should be measured by the opportunities and long-term benefits it created rather than simply by the event itself.

“Our mission is not to simply say that we hosted a conference, but we want to say Botswana used the congress to create opportunities, stimulate business, build international relations, strengthen institutions and stimulate the economy,” he said.

The congress is expected to attract about 500 participants, giving Botswana an opportunity to showcase its tourism attractions, local businesses and capacity to host major international events.

Obenne said international visitors would spend money on accommodation, transport, food, entertainment, security and other services, creating opportunities for local businesses.

He said organisers would therefore have to ensure that local businesses benefitted from the increased economic activity.

“This means our procurement and programme design must deliberately ask how much of the value created by this can stay in Botswana,” he said.

He added that the congress would also challenge the traditional perception of sport as being primarily about competition, noting that sport for all should include people of different ages and abilities.

He cited examples ranging from children playing and older people walking to women feeling welcome in sporting spaces and persons with disabilities being able to participate.

Head of the 30th TAFISA Congress secretariat, Thuto Molebatsi, said Botswana was already benefitting from the association’s supported capacity building initiatives.

Molebatsi said the commission, through the TAFISA capacity building programme and its TAFISA CLC, had partnered with the Botswana National Sport Commission (BNSC) to provide training to at least 39 participants in Mahalapye, Mokgenene, Mabuo and Mahalapye Prison.

He said the programme was fully funded by TAFISA, demonstrating the practical benefits of Botswana’s engagement with the organisation. 

Molebatsi said hosting the congress would provide an opportunity to build on such initiatives while addressing physical inactivity and expanding participation beyond traditional sporting structures.

Although the congress will take place in Gaborone, he said organisers wanted its impact to extend to communities across the country. 

He said the event would further position Botswana as a destination for international meetings and events, strengthening its competitiveness in the events tourism sector.

Furthermore, he said the congress also aligned with the aspirations of Vision 2036, particularly the use of sport and creative industries to support sustainable development and human development.  ENDS