Beach wrestling looking to secure a home in Kouga

While half the crowd gathered on the promenade of Jeffreys Bay’s main beach let out a delighted cheer, the other half fell quiet as they looked on at the spectacle playing off in front of their eyes.

With half his face covered in coarse white sand, Siya Mkita picked himself up off the ground. He had just lost a point in his toughest match of the day and will have to claw his way back to make up the three points that will secure him a gold medal.

But without wasting any time, he quickly changed levels, shot in under his opponent to lift him off the ground and dump him into the sand for a clean takedown and an instant three-point victory.

The 19-year-old athlete from Nelson Mandela Bay walked away with three gold medals at the South African Beach Wrestling Championships last month, winning all of his matches across three divisions, and cementing his name as a rising star on the South African wrestling scene.

Mkita’s medal tally added to the 46 gold medals that Eastern Province team won against clubs from across the country, securing them a second title in the relatively new sport of beach wrestling.

The inaugural SA Beach Wrestling Championships took place in Richards Bay in 2025, with 150 entries competing across the various age and weight categories. This year, the J-Bay event grew to more than 300 entries, and the organisers hope they have secured a home for the event for the foreseeable future.

“We were blown away by the level of competition we saw among the athletes, and the amount of support from the wrestling community and the people of Jeffreys Bay,” EP Wrestling president Wouter Nell said.

“When there were 150 entries last year we thought it was a big event. This year we more than doubled those numbers and SA Wrestling Federation (SAWF) have thrown their support behind us to see if we can secure J-Bay for the next five years and grow the event even more.”

Global body United World Wrestling first recognised beach wrestling as an official discipline in 2005. Over the past two decades it grew in popularity, and while South Africans have been doing it informally for some time, this was only the second official national championship.

Athletes compete in a seven-metre diameter circle and score points by pushing each other out of the circle or forcing their opponent to the ground.

Pushing the opponent out of bounds, or forcing ground contact with anything other than their hands and feet, counts for one point. A clean toss, from the feet on to the back, scores three points. The first person to three points wins the match.

Each match has a three-minute time limit, but seldom lasts to the final buzzer.

Male and female athletes compete across age divisions, starting at under-eight, and senior divisions are divided into varying weight categories.

This year’s arena consisted of two rings running matches simultaneously, but if the event grows as anticipated, organisers will have to run four rings at a time.

Nell said SAWF has given EP Wrestling the go-ahead to negotiate a long-term deal with the Kouga Municipality, and they are hoping to sign an agreement that will see the national championship return to J-Bay for the next five years.

“After the event we spoke with coaches and referees that have travelled the world and they all agree J-Bay was one of the best tournaments they have ever attended.

“From an organiser’s perspective, all the facilities were made available to us were excellent and the tournament ran pretty much flawlessly. From a spectator’s perspective, the promenade provided the perfect view of the action, and there was no shortage of restaurants and shops nearby.

“And the amount of interest we got from people who just walked by was staggering, and we’ve already had more sponsors looking to come on board just through word-of-mouth,” Nell said.

Kouga municipality spokesperson Monique Basson confirmed that they are in discussions with the SAWF for a possible long-term agreement.

“The event was a resounding success and subsequently we have had positive engagements with the organising body, opening the door for Kouga to possibly host the championships for the next five years.”

She said necessary proposals will go through all the relevant channels, and a final decision will be communicated to SAWF and EP Wrestling in due course.

“In addition to delivering an exciting sporting spectacle, the event provided a welcome boost to the local economy, attracting athletes, support teams, spectators, and media to the region. This influx supported local tourism, hospitality, and retail sectors, while further positioning Kouga as a leading destination for sport and recreation,” Basson added.

Of the 300-plus matches that took place on the day, few athletes drew as much attention as Gqeberha’s Siya Mkita.

And while you may expect a brash and cocky demeanour from an athlete who won all 12 his matches in such a physical and violent setting, nothing could be further from the truth.

The soft-spoken 19-year-old from Rowallan Park sees no reason to beat his chest outside the arena, but relies on his discipline and dedication to speak for him.

Competing in the under-70 kg weight category, Mkita secured gold medals in the Under-20 division, Senior division, as well as the President’s division (all athletes from from the under-17 age group and up).

“Growing up, I tried playing rugby and cricket, but I just couldn’t find my spark. I was about 15 when I saw an old boxing match with Muhammad Ali, and something just clicked.”

He joined a mixed martial arts club that same year and quickly fell in love with combat sports. In 2023 he was ranked as the top amateur flyweight in the country, and finished 9th in the World Amateur Championship.

But he realised that his training environment and lifestyle was not conducive to a long and successful career, so in 2025 he sought out the team at PE Submission Fighting Academy (Pesfa), that has built a reputation as one of the leading MMA gyms in the SA.

“I was totally star struck when I first walked into Pesfa. I was learning from guys who have fought all over the world, and I quickly had to adapt to a completely different level of training than what I was used to.”

The new environment paid off, and in just a few short months he won an SA wrestling title, secured gold in SA Beach Wrestling last month, and will be heading to the SA Amateur MMA Championship again later this month.

Recalling his matches in J-Bay, Mkita said nerves almost got the best of him as one of his first opponents was someone he had trouble with at a wrestling event in Johannesburg last year.

“When I saw him in front of me he got in my head a little and I started overthinking the match. It wasn’t my best, but I managed to secure a win. From there the nerves calmed, and the matches got a little easier.”

His biggest physical challenge of the day came from Pesfa teammate Sisa Jungula, an amateur wrestler and professional MMA fighter. Mkita gave up two points in that match and had to dig deep to claw his way back to a 3-2 victory over his friend and training partner.

“Between training camps and preparation for fights, the Beach Wrestling Championship was a great platform to put a completely different skillset to the test. All combat sports compliment each other, and this tough wrestling style will definitely come in handy as I prepare for a career in MMA,” Mkita said.