WADA extends agreements to locate its Africa office in Cape Town

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is pleased to announce the renewal of agreements with the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC) of the Republic of South Africa and the Western Cape Department of Culture and Sport (WCDCAS) to host the WADA Africa Office, which has been located in Cape Town since 2003.

To expand the opportunity to host a WADA Africa Office across the continent, April 2023WADA issued a Call for Expressions of Interest (EOI), which resulted in proposals from South Africa (Cape Town), Egypt (Cairo) and Morocco (Rabat). All three EOIs were assessed through a rigorous process, including review by the WADA Executive Committee (EXC) in November 2023, after which the EC directed WADA management to continue negotiations with the Republic of South Africa.

WADA Director General Olivier Niggli said: “WADA congratulates the authorities of the Republic of South Africa and the Western Cape on being selected to continue to host the agency’s African office. We would also like to thank Egypt and Morocco for their high quality proposals and cooperation throughout the entire process. The high level of interest is testament to the reputation of our Africa Office and the quality of work its team has been delivering since its inception in 2003. It also demonstrates the commitment of government authorities to WADA’s global joint anti-doping mission. -free sport and further development of the anti-doping system on the African continent for African athletes, for which WADA is grateful.”

Acting Director General of the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, Dr Cynthia Khumalo, said: “As the South African Government, we are truly pleased to continue to play a critical role in ensuring the success of anti-doping programs on our continent. by locating the WADA Africa Office in our country. The extension of the host agreement reinforces South Africa’s commitment to promoting international cooperation to protect athletes and sports ethics as a signatory to the International Convention against Doping in Sport. We look forward to a successful hosting experience.”

WADA Africa Office Director Rodney Swiegelaar said: “We are confident that with the extension of these host agreements, the South African authorities will continue to assist and support our efforts by providing the necessary recognition and tools to enable us to continue our work. on the African continent for all athletes. We look forward to further collaboration with the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture and the Western Cape Department of Culture and Sport in the coming years and thank everyone involved for the support they provide to our staff and our programmes.”

Western Cape Department of Culture and Sport Guy Redman said: “As the Western Cape Department of Culture and Sport, we are proud to continue to host WADA Africa, which plays a vital role in promoting clean sport throughout world. continent. This partnership is consistent with our commitment to promoting integrity and excellence in sport, and we look forward to working closely with WADA to support their efforts to provide a doping-free environment for all athletes. We remain committed to providing the necessary resources and infrastructure to ensure the continued success of the WADA Africa Office in Cape Town.”

About WADA Regional Offices

WADA’s regional offices in Cape Town, Lausanne, Montevideo and Tokyo play a key role for WADA in engaging with stakeholders in these individual regions of the world. Their activities are determined by the Agency’s strategic priorities. They primarily focus their efforts on collaboration and assistance to stakeholders. In particular, they liaise with government authorities and regional sports organizations, support regional stakeholders in developing their anti-doping programs, and in achieving and maintaining compliance with the World Anti-Doping Code.