19 October 2026
Hundreds of people from senior citizens’ clubs from around Cape Town participated in a sports tournament at the NY49 Gugulethu stadium on Friday. The event was aimed at promoting active lifestyles among elderly people. Above shows Nomalanga Magona winning the 100m race. Photos: Mary-Anne Gontsana
Seventy-two-year-old Nomalanga Magona from Gugulethu, Cape Town, has been an active member of the local Sunflower Senior Club since 2024, after retiring as a clerk at Home Affairs. Now she is heading off to represent the Western Cape at this year’s Golden Games in Bloemfontein, along with 15 other provincial representatives in different sports codes.
The National Golden Games is an annual government initiative which brings together citizens aged 60 and older from all nine provinces to compete in sports, traditional indigenous games, and fun physical activities.
Magona was one of hundreds of pensioners from across the metro who donned their active wear and showed off their skills at a sports tournament held at the NY49 Gugulethu stadium on Friday. Participants came from different senior clubs in communities such as Khayelitsha, Masiphumelele, Athlone, Heideveld, Langa and Gugulethu.
Magona competed in the 100m run for the second year in a row and won. But this will be the first time she competes nationally.
“I have always enjoyed running and walking,” said Magona.
Nomalanga Magona celebrates her win with another resident on Friday.
Magona, who has diabetes, said events like this encourage elderly people to be more active and help many of them manage their chronic illnesses.
Now she has a few days to prepare for the Golden Games held from 29 October to 1 November. “It’s an exciting opportunity because we will also be meeting other seniors from other provinces. I cannot wait,” she said.
In the senior club, they do sewing, knitting, crocheting, exercises and play games. She said she lives a quiet but active life in Gugulethu, where she shares a home with her older sister. Magona said she regularly walks around the community with a group of ladies in the summer.
Event MC Ludwe Nkomo encourages one of the participants during the soccer skill game.
Organised and hosted by the Gugulethu Sport Council, the event is aimed at encouraging active living among senior citizens, but more so it was a day of pure enjoyment. A DJ entertained the crowd and some participants took the stage to show off their dance moves.
The event also coincided with national Older Persons month.
Vice chairperson of the Gugulethu Sport Council, Miranda Mfeketho, said organising the event was not an easy task due to funding constraints. “We reach out to many organisations and businesses during the planning stage, and we have been lucky in managing to host this event successfully.” The council started hosting the annual event in 2025.
The games included “throw the hoop”, where participants must throw a small hoop and make sure it lands on a stick.