R500m racing lifeline helps save SA’s only jockey academy

A R500 million investment in KwaZulu-Natal's horse racing sector has safeguarded the nation's sole professional jockey training academy, five years after it faced closure due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Summerveld campus, a 69-year-old facility outside Durban, has undergone its first phase of a four-stage renovation as part of a broader initiative to bolster the province's racing industry.

This initial phase has focused on modernizing the academy's dormitories for international and female apprentices, with further construction planned as SAJA continues operating as a boarding school for 40 apprentices. SAJA currently has 18 South African apprentices and 22 international students from countries such as Hong Kong, South Korea, Qatar, Mauritius, and Hungary.

Four of the apprentices are women, representing a minority in a profession traditionally dominated by men. The academy's chief operating officer, Tarryn Mason, emphasized that the investment extends beyond merely upgrading infrastructure; it is an investment in people, opportunity, and the future of South African horse racing. The academy's five-year apprenticeship program combines academic education, riding instruction, horsemanship, and hands-on experience, ultimately preparing students for professional careers in racing.

Upon completion, apprentices receive a jockey license from the National Horseracing Authority of South Africa and a Diploma in Jockeyship from SAJA. The project, primarily funded by the Hollywood Foundation, has provided full scholarships to 35 previously disadvantaged apprentices, with 15 becoming professional jockeys, nine working as stable managers.

The Summerveld redevelopment is part of a R500 million investment aimed at stabilizing and rejuvenating horse racing in KwaZulu-Natal, encompassing racing infrastructure and racecourses throughout the province.