Local Champions are the people who dominated their sport in local competitions. Here are some Local Champions from each era.
NOTE: This is gleaned from the little information that is publicly available.
South African sports events can be divided into three eras: before the sports boycott (1900 - 1961); during the boycott (1962- 1991), and since re-admission to international competition in 1992.
The first local champion was Rupert Marais, who won the first 100 yard national Championship in 1900.
In 1901, the arrival of Australian soldier Ted Wearin began a period of dominance, as he won the races for 5 years, and continued to compete at the national championship for over two decades.
In 1912, George 'Looper' Godfrey from Natal became the first swimmer to receive Springbok colours when he was selected to represent South Africa at the Helsinki Olympic Games.
Since the 1950s, athletes from southern Africa (South Africa, Rhodesia/Zimbabwe, South West Africa/Namibia) have left the country to compete overseas. Some returned, while many never did, instead choosing to become exiles from their home countries.
See an incomplete list (no record has been kept of who went, or where they ended up) of swimmers, divers and water polo players who won scholarships to compete for American universities.
After the sports boycott of South Africa ended in 1992, some athletes had to return and compete locally to gain selection to South African teams competing at international events like the Olympic Games and the World Championships.
At the 2025 nationals in Port Elizabeth, seven swimmers qualified for the World Championships in Singapore. Michael Houlie and Rebecca Meder, who live in the USA and New Zealand, respectively, returned for the SA championships. The other five qualifying swimmers were all based in South Africa. Duné Coetzee, who swims for the University of Georgia, won four events, although she did not swim a qualifying time. Local swimmers Pieter Coetzé and Matthew Sates both won 5 titles.