McKenzie salutes Team SA after 28 Commonwealth Games medals
· The South African
Team South Africa has returned from the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games with 28 medals after producing one of the country’s strongest performances at the multi-sport event.
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The team claimed seven gold, 11 silver and 10 bronze medals to finish 11th on the medal table.
Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie congratulated the team, saying the athletes had made the country proud.
“Twenty-eight medals, and the remainder of our athletes are still racing tonight. This team went to Glasgow and did us proud,” McKenzie said.
Swimmers dominate Team SA’s medal haul
Swimming once again delivered South Africa’s biggest medal return. The squad won 22 of the country’s 28 medals.
Pieter Coetzé emerged as one of the stars of the Games. The 22-year-old swept the men’s backstroke events, winning gold in the 50m, 100m and 200m races. He also broke six Commonwealth Games records.
Chad le Clos added another milestone to his career. He left Glasgow as the most decorated athlete in Commonwealth Games history with 21 medals across five editions of the Games.
McKenzie described Le Clos as an athlete who “will live in the hearts and minds of South Africans forever.”
Lara van Niekerk defended her women’s 50m breaststroke title, while Aimee Canny and Erin Gallagher each collected four medals. Michael Houlie, Kaylene Corbett, Olivia Nel and South Africa’s relay teams also contributed to the medal haul, with several relay squads setting African records.
Historic moments on the track
Sinesipho Dambile delivered one of South Africa’s standout performances by winning the men’s 200m title in 19.96 seconds. He became the first South African to win Commonwealth gold in the event.
“It took sixty-eight years. That is how long this country has waited for any medal in that event, and Sinesipho then went out and won the whole thing,” McKenzie said.
Donné Breytenbach also made history after claiming bronze in the women’s under-57kg division. Her medal marked South Africa’s first Commonwealth Games podium finish in judo.
Para-athletes add five medals
South Africa’s Para-athletes contributed five medals to the overall tally.
Nathan Hendricks, Christian Sadie, Danika Vyncke and Masala Makatu all reached the podium during the Games. McKenzie praised their achievements and the example they set for aspiring athletes across the country.
The minister also thanked the coaches, support staff and athletes’ families for their contribution to the campaign. He confirmed that his department will host an official reception once the full South African team returns from Glasgow.