JEFFREYS BAY – Jeffreys Bay will not host a World Surf League (WSL) event in 2026 after the national Department of Sport, Arts and Culture failed to provide confirmed funding, forcing the prestigious surfing competition to relocate to New Zealand.
The disappointing announcement was made by Kouga Executive Mayor Hattingh Bornman, who cited insufficient financial backing as the primary reason for losing the international event that has become synonymous with the coastal town’s tourism calendar.
“It is with regret that we announce the World Surf League will not host an event in Jeffreys Bay in 2026,” said Bornman.
“The absence of a confirmed funding commitment from the national Department of Sport, Arts and Culture has led to this decision.”
Despite the municipality’s continued support for the event, local funding alone proved inadequate for an international competition of this scale.
“Despite Kouga Municipality’s ongoing support, the municipal contribution alone is insufficient for an event of this magnitude,” said Bornman.
The WSL has confirmed it will move this leg of the tour to New Zealand, where organisers have secured the necessary funding to host the event.
The loss represents a significant blow to the local economy, with the WSL event traditionally bringing substantial tourism revenue and international exposure to Jeffreys Bay, one of South Africa’s premier surfing destinations.
However, Bornman remains hopeful about the future.
“This is disappointing news, given the positive economic and tourism impact that the WSL event brings to our community. We remain optimistic that, with the necessary support, the event will return to Jeffreys Bay in 2027,” said Bornman.
He further emphasised the municipality’s commitment to economic growth through major events.
“We will continue to prioritise growing our local economy through events like this and many others to come.”
In a press release, WSL stated that in order to maintain a 12-event CT format this season, Jeffreys Bay will not feature on the CT schedule for 2026.
WSL CEO Ryan Crosby said, “We love J-Bay and the community there, and we’re really grateful to them for welcoming us for so many years.”
“It’s undoubtedly one of the best waves in the world, and we will continue to explore ways to return in the future. That said, we have made the difficult decision to pull Jeffreys Bay from the 2026 CT calendar. We did our very best to make J-Bay work in 2025, but the financial support isn’t there to make it viable this year.”
Crosby said that their goal is to set professional surfing up for long-term success and make sure the world’s best surfers have the platform to keep advancing the sport for many years.
“Achieving this goal requires making decisions that prioritise the health of the overall business,” said Crosby.
