Informal sport spaces as beacons of social cohesion: A case study of informal sport in "Chicago", Western Cape, South Africa

Anele Horn^*Willis Marais

• Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa

This paper presents research conducted in an informal settlement in Paarl, Western Cape (South Africa). The settlement is colloquially referred to as "Chicago" by the local residents, and its location is demonstrated in Figure 1 and 2. The research demonstrates the importance of team sport activities as an instrument to encourage community cohesion. It does this by demonstrating how sport facilities are planned for and provided in low income communities, and what the challenges are with regards to the provision, accessibility and maintenance of such facilities. The research concludes that while policies exist to provide for sport and recreation in lower income communities, financial, institutional and logistical challenges cause these facilities to fall short in terms of communities' requirements. However, the importance of sport both as participants and spectators have been recognised by community members themselves, consequently leading to the utilisation of informal spaces as community-driven informal sport venues.