The President of the Africa Golf Confederation, Mr. Johnson Omolo, has stated that junior golf is the future of the sport on the continent and must therefore be supported by governments and the private sector.

He made the observation after attending events where African juniors showed how it is done at the 2025 All Africa Junior Team Championships (AAJTC), held at The Residence Golf Course in Tunisia, and later at the Toyota Junior Golf World Cup in Japan.

In Tunisia, youngsters from South African and Morocco won the boys’ and girls’ titles respectively, while at the World Cup, South Africa’s boys finished in the top 10.

Omolo thanked Tunisia for hosting a successful event and also thanked a record 12 countries for participating and explained why it’s important for young African golfers to get involved.

“African countries must continue to demonstrate that they are developing golf in Africa by competing in such interventional events if they are to qualify for development grants from the R&A. Participation confirms a countries commitment,” Omolo said.

Across the continent, junior golf programs, academies, and foundations are creating structured pathways for young African athletes to learn and excel in the sport of golf.

Historically, golf in many parts of Africa has been a niche and exclusive sport. However, organizations are now making the game more accessible to a wider demographic, including children from underprivileged communities.

By providing coaching, equipment, and access to facilities, these programs are identifying and nurturing competitive talent from a young age.

This pipeline has proved crucial for producing a new generation of skilled, competitive golfers who can represent their countries on the world stage, thereby elevating the profile of African golf internationally.

“As a sovereign continent, we must mobilise resources from our governments and the private sector in Africa if Africa is to grow sports. We can’t keep begging for ever from Europeans,” Omolo noted.

Furthermore, by introducing the game to a broader audience and fostering a sense of community, thus helping to de-stigmatize golf and make it a more inclusive and widely embraced sport across the continent.

“Africa’s future is bright if we continue at the current pace of development of Junior golf talent,” Omolo noted. Omolo added that they have launched a junior charter in all the five regions and Mauritius will host the inaugural Region-4 Junior Golf Team Championship at the Tamarina Golf Course from August 24 to 28th, 2025, aimed at helping to grow competition at an international level in Africa.

Six countries have confirmed participation at this event, namely; Mauritius, Madagascar, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Réunion. Other regions would launch the same event from next year, with such competitions being seen as crucial to building young talent’s exposure so as to improve their competitiveness.