The 76th South African National Archery Championships concluded to great acclaim at Marks Park Sports Club on March 29.
Hosted by the South African National Archery Association (SANAA) and the Marks Park Archery Club local organising committee, the three-day competition brought together 151 archers from across South Africa and three international nations – delivering a world-class display of skill, sportsmanship, and competitive spirit.

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The championships showcased competition across a full range of archery disciplines, including recurve, compound, barebow, standard bow, and para-archery events, spanning individual and team formats. A total of 96 medals were awarded across eight provinces and international delegations, with 42 gold, 31 silver, and 23 bronze medals presented over the three days.

Archers from Kenya, Zimbabwe, and Namibia added a truly international flavour to the competition, with all three nations contributing to the overall medal tally and reinforcing the event’s standing as one of the premier archery events on the African continent. SANAA president, Frans van Kradenburg, extended his gratitude to these countries for once again supporting these nationals. “Your participation contributes greatly to making this a truly world-class event.”

In his opinion, sport is one of the few things that can truly unite a diverse group of people. This event was yet another testament to how this beloved sport of archery brings old friends together and creates new, lifelong friendships.

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Gauteng dominated the medal table with an outstanding 20 gold, 14 silver, and eight bronze medals across individual and team events, achieving a total of 42 medals – well clear of second-placed Western Cape on 16. Eastern Cape finished third with 12 medals, while Namibia impressed internationally, claiming seven medals, including six silvers. Gauteng achieved a remarkable clean sweep of the compound U18 men podium, with Armandt Human (gold), Armand Vivier (silver), and Tristan Roxmouth (bronze) all representing the province. Catharina Whitehead was a standout performer, contributing to the recurve women’s team silver, the recurve mixed team gold, and an individual recurve women’s silver.

The participation of Kenya, Zimbabwe, and Namibia was warmly welcomed, with archers and management from all three nations contributing meaningfully to the competitive atmosphere. Kenya’s Samira Fazal claimed silver in the recurve 50+ women, while Zimbabwe’s Bryce Hill and Matthew Gratwicke both reached the podium in the recurve U21 men event. Namibia’s contingent also performed strongly across multiple disciplines.

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