SOUTH AFRICA CAN POINT TO two of its own in Major League Baseball in the form of Gift Ngoepe and Taylor Scott, but the president of the country’s baseball union, Marc Moreau, admits that developing a steady stream of stars has proven a challenge.
Baseball is considered a minor sport in South Africa despite having had an active federation since 1935 and strong participation numbers – Cape Town alone has 23 clubs operating in age-groups ranging from Under8s and up.
The country is competitive on the global stage as well, despite all national team players being amateurs with jobs away from the game, and who have to self-fund their trips when they play outside the nation’s borders.
“Baseball in South Africa is not where it should be, that is a fair comment to make,” Moreau admits to FORBES AFRICA. “In the context of the African continent, we are the champions and far ahead of other nations, though I am personally involved in trying to grow the game in Africa too.”
The reasons why baseball is lagging behind other sports is not due to a lack of natural talent or desire to play the game. It comes down to logistics and cold, hard cash.
“As the national federation, we have a dual responsibility,” Moreau explains. “On the one side, we need to develop the game and make it available to all so there are equal opportunities.
This story is from the December 2019 - January 2020 edition of Forbes Africa.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the December 2019 - January 2020 edition of Forbes Africa.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Down To Earth
A new era in satellite technology offers space-down insight. Here are some fascinating world views.
Could A Digital Twin Save Your Life?
Human digital twins are quickly moving beyond manufacturing and into the medical world advancing cancer care, soeeding up drug development, personalizing clinical trials, and much more.
The All-Rounder In Ecotourism
An exclusive interview with renowned Kenya-born landscape architect and pioneer of sustainable tourism Hitesh Mehta. His other fascinating career? Representing East Africa and Kenya in first-class cricket and playing in three ICC World Cup tournaments in the late 1970s and 1980s.
Wheeler-Deeler
Alex Bouaziz’s HR company became the fastest-growing software startup in Silicon Valley history by promising to take the pain out of overseas hiring. But in its rush to a $12 billion valuation, regulators worry it may have been cutting the very compliance corners it’s supposedly maintaining.
Culture Couture
Niger designer Alia Baré, also the daughter of a former president, is working to weave together a positive narrative of her country through fashion.
'We Can Build A Real Unicorn Out Of Africa, Creating Impact'
Manish Sardana, the Nairobi-based co-founder of edtech startup Craydel, wants to democratize access to higher education in Africa and eradicate the study-abroad agent market.
A Record Year For Elections, 2024 Will Determine Global Geopolitics
We are all hopeful that 2024 will definitely bring better sense to people, particularly to those in power to make sincere amends to the lapses of the past.
For The Record
A Brazilian producer and a Kenyan singer came together to create a song last year that sOared ujp music charts globally, and in collaborating With a an India-born director for the video, it is NOW a milestone for African sound.
The Best Game
SA20 Commissioner and former South African cricketer Graeme Smith on the ambition to create the biggest league outside of India, and why putting on a show off the pitch is as important to attract a new audience.
Cream Of The Crop
Food is the future and these proactive startups are focused on shifting agricultural practices to prepare for what is to come.
