Special Issue Editor(s)
- Prof. Kiran Odhav, North West University, Mahikeng, South Africa
kiran.odhav@gmail.com - Prof. Chris Bolsmann, California State University, Northridge, United States
chris.bolsmann@csun.edu
Three decades after the end of Apartheid, South African society remains characterised by high levels of inequality and economic disparities. These inequalities are primarily but not exclusively experienced through race, class and gender. These differences are also experienced in the realms of sport, recreation and leisure in South Africa. Sport in particular, is often touted as a panacea for divisions and conflict in societies by politicians and public commentators amongst others. This is evidenced in South Africa since 1994 through the hosting of several billion US dollar mega events. The long-term material legacies of these events are often negligible. At the elite professional sporting levels in men’s rugby and women’s soccer in particular, South Africa has excelled. The controversial Apartheid era rugby Springbok emblem has been reappropriated and rebranded as an inclusive unifying symbol. While women’s sport recently receives more exposure and relative funding, it lags behind their male counterparts. In addition, sport, recreation and leisure facilities remain woefully underfunded and neglected at the amateur, junior levels and most significantly in disadvantaged areas across the country.
This special issue is interested in but not limited to papers that address some of the structural and societal inequalities in post-Apartheid South African sports, recreation and leisure landscapes.
Submission Instructions
Please follow the standard journal guidelines found on the Instructions For Authors page (see below).
We invite 400-500-word abstracts to be sent to kiran.odhav@gmail.com by 30th April 2025. Completed manuscripts of (5000-8000) words should be submitted via the SARS submission system by 30 November 2025. Please select the Special Issue title from the drop-down menu when submitting your paper.
Tentative timeline towards publication:
Feedback on abstracts, submitted by 30th April deadline, will be provided by 21st May 2025. Complete manuscripts (5000-8000 words) must be submitted by 31st August 2025 to kiran.odhav@gmail.com for the first internal review process.
Reviewer feedback will be sent to authors within 4-6 weeks of submission. Authors to revise their papers and resubmit directly on the ScholarOne platform for SARS (30th November 2025).
Second stage double blind external review process: about 8 weeks. Reviewer comments will be provided by mid-February 2026. Final revised submissions must be done by 31st March 2026 on ScholarOne (guidance will be provided).
Please note that final decisions about publication lie with the editorial collective of SARS. All submitted manuscripts are subject to initial appraisal by the Editors and, if found suitable for further consideration, to peer review by independent, anonymous expert referees. All peer review is double anonymised.
Instructions for Authors Submit an article
