Safe Sport Global Conference 2026
25–27 May | University of Cape Town, South Africa
SafeSport26 brought the global safe sport community together for three days of research, dialogue, collaboration and shared learning — advancing athlete safety through evidence, practice and global leadership.
Safe Sport Day 2026 in numbers
From 25–27 May 2026, researchers, practitioners, athletes, policymakers and sport leaders from across the world came together at the University of Cape Town to share knowledge, challenge practice and strengthen global collaboration around safer sport.
The learning continues
SafeSport26 was designed to do more than create three days of conversation.
The conference generated research, reflections and practical learning that continue to inform safe sport work across countries, organisations and sporting contexts.
Conference Summary 2026
A concise overview of SafeSport26, capturing the key themes, headline messages, impact, global participation and reflections from three days in Cape Town — and the legacy of moving from conversation to action.
Presenter Summaries & Notes
Key learning, reflections and practical insights from presenters across SafeSport 2026, capturing the ideas, challenges and priorities for the next phase of global safe sport practice.
Attendee Insights Report
Seven recurring themes emerging from attendee reflections, including policy into practice, athlete voice, trusted reporting, leadership and learning for action.
What SafeSport26 told us
Across three days of research, practice, lived experience and global dialogue, recurring themes emerged around culture, leadership, trusted reporting, athlete voice and the gap between policy and everyday experience.
The reflections captured through SafeSport26 raise an important question: what does safeguarding actually feel like to the people experiencing sport?
Alongside are five themes drawn from that wider conference learning — prompts for reflection rather than a formal model or checklist.
SafeSport26 also reinforced the importance of globally aligned principles being translated through local knowledge, context and leadership.
Explore the SafeSport26 programme
Across three themed days, SafeSport26 brought together research, practice, lived experience and leadership through keynotes, workshops, panels and stakeholder discussions.
Day 1 — Knowledge Mobilisation
How research, evidence and lived experience can strengthen safeguarding policy and practice.
Day 2 — African Leadership & Innovation
Locally led solutions, policy development, major event safeguarding and continental leadership.
Day 3 — Global Vision. Shared Solutions.
Leadership, accountability, athlete voice, reporting, emerging risks and the future of global safe sport.
Together, the programme connected knowledge with practice and strengthened collaboration around safer sport.
Contributors from across the global safe sport community
Three days of connection and collaboration
SafeSport26 created space not only for formal research, evidence-sharing and discussion, but for relationships to develop across countries, disciplines and sectors.
Bringing together people with different experiences, roles and perspectives helped strengthen connections across the global safe sport community, creating opportunities for continued collaboration, peer learning and shared problem-solving beyond the conference itself.
Those relationships continue through Safe Sport Connect, SSI’s wider international networks and the ongoing work to turn conference learning into practical action.
Safe Sport Awards 2026
Presented during SafeSport26, the Safe Sport Awards recognised individuals, organisations, researchers and athletes contributing to safer sport worldwide.
The awards recognised leadership, research, innovation and sustained commitment across the safeguarding in sport community.
They shine a spotlight on those working to strengthen safe sport systems, elevate athlete voices and develop solutions that prevent harm and support wellbeing across sporting environments.
The awards aim to inspire collaboration and recognise those driving meaningful change across sport worldwide.
SafeSport26 was made possible through the support and collaboration of organisations committed to advancing safeguarding, athlete safety and stronger international cooperation across sport.
Together, they brought expertise spanning policy, research, practice, community sport and global leadership — helping SafeSport26 connect different perspectives and create a genuinely international platform for shared learning and action. The conference was organised with core partners and supported by organisations from across the global and South African sporting landscape.
Conference partners
- Safe Sport International
- Sport for Social Change Network Africa (SSCN)
- African Union Sports Council (AUSC)
- University of Cape Town (UCT)
Supporters
- International Olympic Committee (IOC)
- UNESCO South Africa
- South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC)
- Global Observatory for Gender Equality & Sport
- Western Cape Government
- City of Cape Town
- South African Institute for Drug-Free Sport (SAIDS)
- Coca-Cola Peninsula Beverages
Their involvement reflects one of the central principles behind SafeSport26: meaningful progress in safeguarding depends on collaboration across organisations, sectors and regions.
The conference ended. The learning continues.
Explore the conference reports, revisit the key themes and continue the conversation through Safe Sport Connect — SSI’s global community for people working across safeguarding and safe sport.
Safe Sport Connect gives members access to ongoing discussions, expert-led sessions, practical resources, peer learning and opportunities to connect with others working across different sports, countries and contexts.
New members can also take advantage of the current free trial offer, giving you the opportunity to explore the community and experience the learning, events and professional connections available before committing to a subscription.