LAUGHTER, cheering and some fierce competition filled the Hillcrest High School sports field as 575 gogos from communities across eThekwini took part in the Hillcrest Aids Centre Trust’s (HACT) 11th Gogolympics recently.

Returning for the first time since the 2023 Gogolympics, the much-loved event brought together members of HACT’s Gogo Support Groups for a day of indigenous games, sport, friendship and celebration, while also marking the 20th anniversary of HACT’s Gogo Support Group Programme.

The programme was established in 2006 at the height of the HIV and Aids epidemic, when grandmothers across the Valley of 1000 Hills were increasingly finding themselves caring for children orphaned or made vulnerable by HIV.

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Twenty years later, much has changed in the response to HIV, but not the role these women play, said HACT CEO Candace Moolman. “Our Gogos are at the heart of so many families. They are caregivers and providers, but they are also growing food, helping with homework, saving together, generating income and encouraging healthier choices within their families.

“The Gogolympics is our chance to celebrate everything they do, but just as importantly, to give them a day that is about them, their health, their friendships, plenty of laughter and, as we saw on the field, some very serious competition!”

The 2026 Gogolympics saw teams representing 15 communities compete in a colourful programme of traditional and recreational games, with the day also providing important opportunities to promote health and well-being among older women.

Alongside HACT’s own health tent, a mobile clinic was on site while PinkDrive offered breast health examinations. McCafé kept participants refreshed, Hello Poppy NPC helped promote the event and got the Gogos moving with the morning warm-up, and Virgin Active Hillcrest added to the energy with a Zumba instructor. The eThekwini Department of Sport, Arts and Culture also supported the event through the Golden Games programme for participants aged 60 and older.

Beyond the medals and competition, the event promotes active and healthy ageing, social connection and dignity among older women.

From one support group to more than 65

HACT’s Gogo Support Group Programme was founded by retired professional nurse and community leader Cwengekile “Ma Cwengi” Myeni, who recognised the enormous physical, emotional and financial burden being carried by grandmothers during the HIV and Aids epidemic.

What began as one support group grew into a network of more than 65 groups, which over the years has supported thousands of women through health education, psychosocial support, savings initiatives, food gardens, income-generating activities and community leadership.

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After working alongside Ma Cwengi for many years, HACT’s Phindiwe Mashiloane took over leadership of the programme in 2021, carrying its work forward with grandmothers and their families across local communities.

The Gogolympics was launched in 2011 to challenge perceptions around ageing and encourage grandmothers to remain active, connected and healthy.

What happens on the sports field is only part of its impact. In preparation for the event, gogos walk, exercise and practise together, encouraging regular movement and strengthening the friendships and support networks that are at the heart of the Gogo Programme.

“The world around our gogos has changed considerably over the past 20 years, but their resilience and importance within their families have not,” Moolman added.

“The Gogolympics reminds us that ageing should never mean becoming invisible. Our gogos have wisdom, energy and skills, and they still have so much to contribute. When we invest in their health and well-being, that impact reaches far beyond one woman. It strengthens the children they care for, the families who depend on them and ultimately, the communities they call home.”

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