Nearly 1 000 athletes set to compete at Sonop Interhigh
The Sonop Interhigh is one of the top athletics meets in the province and offers great preparation for the three Lowveld schools ahead of the BUCO Lowveld Interhigh.
With one eye on the prize and the other on putting together a top event, Hoërskool Lydenburg (LHS) will welcome seven schools from Mpumalanga and Limpopo this weekend as they host the Sonop Interhigh for the first time.
The 2026 LSK Engineering Sonop Interhigh will see nearly 1 000 athletes from every corner of the province taking to the track and field at LHS on Saturday, February 21.
The school is also expecting roughly 5 000 spectators to make their way to the event to enjoy some of the finest athletics talent Mpumalanga and Limpopo have on offer.
The Sonop event was previously known as the Highveld Interhigh, but changed its name in recent years since LHS and Hoërskool Rob Ferreira joined the list of participating schools.
In addition to these two schools, the roster is made up of Hoërskool Ermelo, Hoërskool Middelburg, HTS Witbank, Heidelberg Volkskool and debutants at the Sonop Interhigh this year, Hoërskool Ben Viljoen and Hoërskool Bergvlam.
It will be the first time ever that Lydenburg hosts the interhigh, and they are eager to make their supporters proud on home turf.
Having won the event in 2024, LHS relinquished the crown to Ermelo in 2025 and had to settle for second, with Rob Ferreira in third.
The continued growth of both Ermelo and Lydenburg’s respective athletics programmes has ensured the Sonop Interhigh is a spectacle every year.
Middelburg has also shown improvement this year, and this weekend looks set to be a truly special athletics meeting.
The wildcards, Bergvlam and Ben Viljoen, will undoubtedly add pace and excitement to the event.
Recognising the significance and importance of the event, Lydenburg has spent plenty of time and resources upgrading their facilities, adding tartan tracks to their long jump, high jump and javelin areas.
“The Sonop Interhigh is more than just an athletics meet. We are looking to the positive impact that the event will have on the greater Lydenburg community – from economic injection to the pride of hosting an event of this stature at LHS,” the school said.
The Sonop Interhigh precedes the BUCO Lowveld Interhigh, which will take place at Lowveld High School on February 28, where Lydenburg, Rob Ferreira and Bergvlam will be participating again.
