South Africa

=== Sports ===
{{Main|Sport in South Africa}}
<!--- Note to editors: per [[WP:ENGVAR]], do not change "soccer" to "football", at least not without prior discussion on the talk page. --->
[[File:South Africa - Cape Town Drieankerbaai from Lion's head.jpg|thumb|alt=Aerial view of the Cape Town Stadium in Cape Town, South Africa|[[Cape Town Stadium]] is the 5th-largest stadium in South Africa, with a capacity of 55,000]] 
South Africa's most popular sports are [[association football]], [[rugby union]] and [[cricket]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.southafrica.info/about/sport/sportsa.htm|title=Sport in South Africa|publisher=SouthAfrica.info|access-date=28 June 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100629152527/http://www.southafrica.info/about/sport/sportsa.htm|archive-date=29 June 2010}}</ref> Other sports with significant support are swimming, athletics, golf, boxing, tennis, [[rugby league]], [[ringball]], [[field hockey]], surfing and [[netball]]. Although football (soccer) commands the greatest following among the youth, other sports like basketball, judo, softball and skateboarding are becoming increasingly popular amongst the populace.<ref>[https://www.topendsports.com/world/countries/south-africa.htm Sport in South Africa] topendsports.com, accessed 3 December 2020.</ref>

Association football is the most popular sport in South Africa.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://businesstech.co.za/news/lifestyle/103113/blacks-like-soccer-whites-like-rugby-in-sa/|title=Blacks like soccer, whites like rugby in SA|access-date=27 May 2021|archive-date=25 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210525104157/https://businesstech.co.za/news/lifestyle/103113/blacks-like-soccer-whites-like-rugby-in-sa/|url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.enca.com/south-africa/sa-sport-not-unifier-it-once-was-survey|title=SA sport not the unifier it once was: survey|access-date=27 May 2021|archive-date=25 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210525101120/https://www.enca.com/south-africa/sa-sport-not-unifier-it-once-was-survey|url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://punditarena.com/football/thepateam/cant-south-africa-produce-better-football-team/|title=Analysis: Bafana Bafana Struggling To Make Needed Improvements|date=11 June 2016|access-date=27 May 2021|archive-date=25 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210525101142/https://punditarena.com/football/thepateam/cant-south-africa-produce-better-football-team/|url-status=live }}</ref> Footballers who have played for major foreign clubs include [[Steven Pienaar]], [[Lucas Radebe]], [[Philemon Masinga]], [[Benni McCarthy]], [[Aaron Mokoena]], and [[Delron Buckley]]. South Africa hosted the [[2010 FIFA World Cup]], and FIFA president [[Sepp Blatter]] awarded South Africa a grade 9 out of 10 for successfully hosting the event.<ref>{{cite web|last=Cooper|first=Billy|title=South Africa gets 9/10 for World Cup|url=http://www.mg.co.za/article/2010-07-12-sa-gest-910-for-world-cup|website=[[Mail & Guardian]]|date=12 July 2010|access-date=9 September 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100715063001/http://www.mg.co.za/article/2010-07-12-sa-gest-910-for-world-cup|archive-date=15 July 2010 }}</ref> Player Benni McCarthy is also a first-team coach for the English football club [[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Benni McCarthy appointed as first-team coach|url=https://www.manutd.com/en/news/detail/benni-mccarthy-joins-manchester-united-as-coach|website=ManUtd.com |publisher=Manchester United |first=Adam |last=Marshall|date=30 July 2022 |access-date=30 July 2022 }}</ref> It hosted the [[1996 African Cup of Nations]], with the national team [[South Africa national soccer team|Bafana Bafana]] going on to win the tournament. In 2022, the [[South Africa women's national soccer team|women's team]] also won the [[2022 Women's Africa Cup of Nations|Women's Africa Cup of Nations]], beating [[Morocco women's national football team|Morocco]] 2–1 in [[2022 Women's Africa Cup of Nations Final|the final]]. The women's team went on to reach the last 16 at the [[2023 FIFA Women's World Cup]], beating [[Italy women's national football team|Italy]] and tying with [[Argentina women's national football team|Argentina]] in the group stage.

Famous [[combat sport]] personalities include Baby Jake [[Jacob Matlala]], [[Vuyani Bungu]], [[Welcome Ncita]], [[Dingaan Thobela]], [[Corrie Sanders]], [[Gerrie Coetzee]], [[Brian Mitchell (boxer)|Brian Mitchell]] and [[Dricus du Plessis]]. Durban surfer [[Jordy Smith]] won the 2010 Billabong J-Bay Open making him the highest ranked surfer in the world. South Africa produced [[Formula One]] motor racing's 1979 world champion [[Jody Scheckter]]. Famous active [[Grand Prix motorcycle racing]] personalities include [[Brad Binder]] and his younger brother [[Darryn Binder]]. Well-known active cricket players include [[Kagiso Rabada]], [[David Miller (South African cricketer)|David Miller]], [[Keshav Maharaj]], [[Quinton de Kock]], [[Rilee Rossouw]], [[Anrich Nortje]], [[Reeza Hendricks]] and [[Faf du Plessis]]; most also participate in the [[Indian Premier League]].

[[File:Bokke Webb Ellis-beker toer JHB 20191107 145608.jpg|thumb|The [[South Africa national rugby union team|Springboks]] on their tour of the country after winning the [[2019 Rugby World Cup]]]]
South Africa has produced numerous world class rugby players, including [[Francois Pienaar]], [[Joost van der Westhuizen]], [[Danie Craven]], [[Os du Randt]], [[Frik du Preez]], [[Naas Botha]], [[Frans Steyn]], [[Victor Matfield]], [[Bryan Habana]], [[Tendai Mtawarira]], [[Eben Etzebeth]], [[Cheslin Kolbe]] and [[Siya Kolisi]]. South Africa has won the [[Rugby World Cup]] four times, the most wins of any country. South Africa first won the [[1995 Rugby World Cup]], which it hosted. They went on to win the tournament again in 2007, 2019 and 2023.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union/67252413|title=New Zealand 11-12 South Africa: Springboks win record fourth Rugby World Cup in dramatic final|date=28 October 2023|work=BBC Sport|accessdate=1 November 2023}}</ref>

Cricket is one of the most played sports in South Africa. It has hosted the [[2003 Cricket World Cup]], the [[ICC World Twenty20|2007 World Twenty20 Championship]]. South Africa's national cricket team, the [[South Africa national cricket team|Proteas]], have also won the inaugural edition of the [[1998 ICC KnockOut Trophy]] by defeating [[West Indies national cricket team|West Indies]] in the final. The [[2023 ICC Women's T20 World Cup]] was hosted in South Africa and the [[South Africa women's national cricket team|women's team]] came in second place. [[South Africa national blind cricket team|South Africa's national blind cricket team]] also went on to win the inaugural edition of the [[Blind Cricket World Cup]] in 1998.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.blindcricketsa.co.za/|title=Blind Cricket South Africa|website=www.blindcricketsa.co.za}}</ref>

In 2004, the swimming team of [[Roland Schoeman]], [[Lyndon Ferns]], [[Darian Townsend]] and [[Ryk Neethling]] won the gold medal at the [[2004 Summer Olympics|Olympic Games in Athens]], simultaneously breaking the world record in the 4×100 [[Freestyle Relay]]. [[Penny Heyns]] won Olympic Gold in the 1996 [[Atlanta Olympic Games]], and more recently, swimmers [[Tatjana Schoenmaker]] and [[Lara van Niekerk]] have both broken world records and won gold medals at the Olympic and [[Commonwealth Games]]. In 2012, [[Oscar Pistorius]] became the first double amputee sprinter to compete at the [[2012 Summer Olympics|Olympic Games in London]]. [[Gary Player]] is regarded as one of the greatest golfers of all time, having won the [[Grand Slam (golf)|Career Grand Slam]], one of five to have done so.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.golfmonthly.com/features/players-won-golf-grand-slam-154520|title=Which Players Have Won A Golf Grand Slam?|author1=Mike Hall|date=18 May 2022|website=Golf Monthly Magazine}}</ref>
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