Locally, sports retailers are also seeing an upturn

Cape Town, W. Cape, SA - Generally there has been a more positive sentiment since the beginning of May. Team sports have started to begin again albeit in a staggered manner. Some clubs are training with only half the normal amount of teams on alternate days to keep the number of players on the field down to a minimum. Some clubs are only allowing spectators to watch games from the other side of the playing ground fences. Players have to arrive in their kit and shower at home and parents have to leave immediately after dropping off their kids at matches or training. Even with all these strict protocols in place for CV19 the players are determined to get out on the pitch and exercise in the fresh air.

Similarly with schools there are lots of protocols in place but the children are keen to play sport. Some sporting codes at schools have had an increased demand by children to participate compared to preceding years. So while things are generally looking more positive, in my opinion the sporting industry and especially team sports will not recover for a while yet.

 

Port Alfred, E. Cape, SA - We have seen a steady increase in equipment sales from February till now. Not only was last year a dismal year for equipment due to Covid, but it seems that most people want to get back on the field and track. Schools have opened sporting fixtures which have been a big boost for us and not only are there new children to consider, it seems that many kids have outgrown their sports equipment whilst not playing last year. It will be interesting to see what the winter trend will be. Many schools started with winter sports early this year and skipped summer sports due to the late opening of schools. Let’s see how this progresses.