The Hardap Region is set to benefit from increased investment in sports infrastructure, with regional authorities committing millions of dollars towards the development of facilities aimed at supporting athlete development and community sport.
The update was provided by Hardap Regional Governor Riaan McNab during his State of the Region Address. Governor McNab says sport remains an important vehicle for youth development, noting that many talented athletes begin their journeys on informal playing fields with limited facilities. He said the lack of standard sporting infrastructure continues to be one of the challenges facing aspiring athletes across the region. According to McNab, informal soccer pitches are a common sight in both urban and rural areas across the region, where most sports talent is born on dusty, makeshift fields. He noted that many promising athletes fall through the cracks because the growth and commercialization of local sports are held back by a lack of standard facilities. To address this, an initial 10 million dollars was allocated through his office for basic sports facility development in Aranos and the Rehoboth Urban East constituency, with the original funding of 5 million dollars each now increased to 7.5 million dollars per project.
McNab also provided an update on the planned construction of the facilities, acknowledging delays in the project while assuring residents that work is expected to begin soon. He said the region remains committed to delivering quality infrastructure that can serve communities for years to come.McNab apologized to the public for the delay following the groundbreaking ceremony in March 2026, explaining that the project was temporarily halted to finalize the bill of quantities. He emphasized that these technical steps are necessary to ensure the sports fields meet proper, long-lasting quality standards. The Governor guaranteed that construction will intensify soon, targeting a completion date of November 2026, with the project currently standing at 5% completion.
Beyond infrastructure development, the Governor highlighted several community-based initiatives aimed at expanding access to sport and creating opportunities for young people across the region. These include sports field upgrades, employment opportunities through development programmes, and grassroots training initiatives.
The Governor shared that the Hardap Regional Council has already fenced the sports fields in Gochas through the Cash for Work programme. Additionally, the initiative funded the de-bushing and establishment of a new sports field in the Kries Settlement, creating short-term employment for 50 jobless youth at a cost of 21,600 dollars. Furthermore, under the G2G programme, 22 young people were trained in grassroots sports development in Schlip.
The Hardap Regional leadership says these investments form part of broader efforts to improve access to sport, strengthen grassroots development, and create pathways for young athletes across the region.