SA beach wrestling sets sights on Jeffreys Bay as its long-term home

Whereas 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 out before their eyes.

With half his face covered in coarse white sand, Siya Mkita (19) picked himself up. He had just lost a point in his toughest match of the day and would have to claw his way back to make up the three points that would secure him a gold medal.

Without wasting any time, he quickly changed levels, shot in under his opponent, lifted him off the ground and dumped him into the sand for a clean takedown and an instant three-point victory.

The young athlete from Nelson Mandela Bay walked away with three gold medals at the South African Beach Wrestling Championship in March, winning all his matches in 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 the 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 Championship took place in Richards Bay in 2025 with 150 entries competing in 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 the South African Wrestling Federation has thrown its support behind us to see if we can secure J-Bay for the next five years and grow the event even more.”

Beach wrestling gains ground

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

Athletes compete in a 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 onto the back, scores three points. The first person to reach three points wins the match.

Each match has a three-minute time limit, but it seldom lasts to the final buzzer. Male and female athletes compete in all the age divisions, starting at under-8, with the senior divisions divided into varying weight categories.

Nell said the South African Wrestling ­Federation has given EP Wrestling the go-ahead to negotiate a long-term deal with the Kouga Local Municipality and is hoping to sign an agreement that will result in the national championship returning to J-Bay for the next five years.

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

“From an organiser’s perspective, all the facilities that 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.

“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 discussions for a possible long-term agreement were taking place. “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.

“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 said.

Discipline and dedication

Of the 300-plus matches that took place on the day, few athletes drew as much attention as Gqeberha’s Mkita. And although one might expect a cocky attitude from someone who won all 12 his matches, nothing could be further from the truth.

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

Competing in the under-70kg weight category, Mkita secured gold medals in the under-20 division, senior division and president’s division (all athletes 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 said.

He joined a mixed martial arts (MMA) club that same year and fell in love with combat sports. In 2023 he was ranked as the top amateur flyweight in South Africa and finished ninth in the World Amateur Championship.

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

The new environment paid off, and in just a few short months he won a South African wrestling title, secured gold in the SA Beach Wrestling Championship 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 better 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 skill set to the test. All combat sports complement each other, and this tough wrestling style will definitely come in handy as I prepare for a career in MMA,” Mkita said. DM

This story first appeared in our weekly DM168 newspaper, available countrywide for R35.