FREE TO READ | Inside Sport magazine finds reasons for joy

For all SA’s challenges, such as persistent load-shedding and a struggling economy, sport has always found a way to bring much-needed relief and joy to this nation, and 2023 has been no different.

While gloom continues to overshadow our beloved country — with an unstable power grid and depressing social issues — we should always look to the sporting fields for solace. Inside Sport is our attempt to help lift your mood amid all the cynicism.

There’s a lot to look forward to on the sporting front, not least the Netball World Cup which Cape Town will host in July and August. Our Proteas face huge pressure in the tournament, but we trust that, just like their namesakes in cricket — the women’s team who reached the ICC T20 Cricket World Cup final in February — they will make us proud. In September, our world-champion Springboks will seek to defend their title when they go to France, and it’s only a matter of time before we see the green jersey populating our streets ahead of the tournament. It's a pity injured skipper Siya Kolisi is a huge doubt for the event.

Earlier in 2023, the SA20 — a domestic T20 tournament contested by six teams — kept us captivated as almost every match was sold out, a major fillip for our cricket that had in the past endured negative headlines. It was also helpful that our Proteas men's side finally booked a ticket to the World Cup that takes place in India later in the year.

In more exciting soccer news, Bafana are headed to the Africa Cup of Nations finals in Ivory Coast in January. We wish Banyana Banyana all the best as they trek to Australia and New Zealand for the Fifa Women’s World Cup this winter.

All in all there’s reason to be optimistic on the sporting front. This, dear reader, is why we have produced this magazine: to attempt to show you light amid the dispiriting day-to-day challenges.

Browse through the full magazine below (zoom in or go full screen for ease of reading):