South Africa at the 2026 Winter Olympics

South Africa at the 2026 Winter Olympics
Flag of South Africa
IOC code	RSA
NOC	South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee
Website	www.sascoc.co.za
in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy 6 February 2026 (2026-02-06) – 22 February 2026 (2026-02-22)
Competitors	3 (2 men and 1 woman) in 2 sports
Medals	Gold 0 Silver 0 Bronze 0 Total 0
Winter Olympics appearances (overview)
1960 1964–1992 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022 2026

South Africa will compete at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, from 6 to 22 February 2026. If the country participates, it will be its first participation in the Winter Olympics since 2018.

Competitors

The following is the list of number of competitors participating at the Games per sport/discipline.

Sport	Men	Women	Total
Alpine skiing	1	1	2
Cross-country skiing	1	0	1
Total	2	1	3

Alpine skiing

Main articles: Alpine skiing at the 2026 Winter Olympics and Alpine skiing at the 2026 Winter Olympics – Qualification

South Africa qualified one female and one male alpine skier through the basic quota. ^{[1] [2]}

Cross-country skiing

Main articles: Cross-country skiing at the 2026 Winter Olympics and Cross-country skiing at the 2026 Winter Olympics – Qualification

South Africa qualified one male cross-country skier through the basic quota. ^[3] 34 year old Matt Smith qualified to represent the country in the sport. ^[4] Smith had only taken up the sport two years ago after moving from South Africa to Norway. ^[5] This will mark the country's first participation in the sport in 16 years, after last competing at the 2010 Winter Olympics. ^[6]

References

1. "Alpine Skiing quotas list for Olympic Winter Games 2026". International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS). Retrieved 28 December 2025.
2. Isaacson, David (16 March 2025). "Rising ski star Lara wants to put South Africa on winter sport map". Sunday Times . Johannesburg, South Africa: Arena Holdings . Retrieved 14 June 2025.
3. "Cross-Country quotas list for Olympic Winter Games 2026". International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS). Retrieved 28 December 2025.
4. "South African skier qualifies for 2026 Winter Olympics". www.dailyfriend.co.za/. Johannesburg, South Afirica: Daily Friend. 5 April 2025. Retrieved 28 December 2025.
5. "How South Africa's 'Snowbok' booked Winter Olympics spot". BBC News . London, England. 1 April 2025. Retrieved 28 December 2025.
6. "Matt Smith becomes South Africa's first winter Olympian in years". Africa News. 18 November 2025. Retrieved 28 December 2025.