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Sport as an empowerment ritual: The case of a sport for development organisation in South Africa
Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2026.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2026
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| _version_ | 1867613738665771008 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Luvuno, Ndabuko Banele |
| author2 | Fakier, Khayaat |
| author_browse | Fakier, Khayaat Luvuno, Ndabuko Banele |
| author_facet | Fakier, Khayaat Luvuno, Ndabuko Banele |
| author_sort | Luvuno, Ndabuko Banele |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2026. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/136277 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:40:55.520Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| publishDateRange | 2026 |
| publishDateSort | 2026 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/136277 Sport as an empowerment ritual: The case of a sport for development organisation in South Africa Luvuno, Ndabuko Banele Fakier, Khayaat Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Sociology and Social Anthropology. Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2026. Luvuno, N. B. 2026. Sport as an empowerment ritual: The case of a sport for development organisation in South Africa. Unpublished masters thesis. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/05f5e18c-1671-42de-9a2f-6c9ac6beeaf0 South Africa has one of the most developed economies on the African continent; however, many young people struggle to participate in and contribute to this economy. From the outside looking in the country’s aesthetics and global sporting triumphs can mask the consistent crises facing its youngest citizens, who confront poverty, high unemployment rates, inequalities and limited access to opportunities. This discussion looks at how sports’ cultural and social power can be mobilised to address these compounding youth crises, and what the limitations are when pursuing this end through sporting interventions. Working with Momentum, a sport-based NGO in the Western Cape which focuses on township schools for their interventions, as a case study, this research endeavour used focus groups with school-going youth, interviews with the organisation’s coaches and management staff and extended observations during my Momentum internship. My insider perspective with Momentum allowed me to develop a detailed picture on how development operates and is constrained in such contexts. My analysis is primarily informed by Randal Collins’s interaction ritual chain theory, Paulo Freire’s educational philosophies and Cora Burnett’s critiques of the South African sport for development space. These lenses reveal how Momentum manages to generate micro-level boosts in confidence, social capital and health-promoting behaviours through ritualised sporting interactions. Simultaneously, macro-level constraints are revealed pertaining to State neglect, donor-driven agendas and embedded racialised inequalities, which ultimately limit transformation potential for Black youth. My findings suggest that although Momentum cannot compensate for or replace a State-led youth development strategy, its sports-based, community-focused model holds promise for developing youth actors in key competencies. I suggest deeper contextualisation of programme content and a greater focus on dialogical learning would further extend the sustainable development potential of Momentum’s initiative. This study connects micro-level ritual processes with the political economy which structures youth sport-for-development work and looks to add to the current sociology of sport discourse in southern Africa through integrated discussions. Masters 2026-04-30T11:59:56Z 2026-04-30T11:59:56Z 2026-03 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/136277 en Stellenbosch University 73 pages application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Luvuno, Ndabuko Banele Sport as an empowerment ritual: The case of a sport for development organisation in South Africa |
| title | Sport as an empowerment ritual: The case of a sport for development organisation in South Africa |
| title_full | Sport as an empowerment ritual: The case of a sport for development organisation in South Africa |
| title_fullStr | Sport as an empowerment ritual: The case of a sport for development organisation in South Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | Sport as an empowerment ritual: The case of a sport for development organisation in South Africa |
| title_short | Sport as an empowerment ritual: The case of a sport for development organisation in South Africa |
| title_sort | sport as an empowerment ritual the case of a sport for development organisation in south africa |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/136277 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT luvunondabukobanele sportasanempowermentritualthecaseofasportfordevelopmentorganisationinsouthafrica |