Cape Dreams News from in and around the Cape
A multi-million-rand infrastructure upgrade in the offing, thanks to Hollywood Foundation
HERMAN GIBBS
3 September 2026 – The South African horse racing landscape is set for a significant transformation following the Hollywood Foundation’s substantial investment in the South African Jockey Academy (SAJA) at its Summerveld campus.
This investment, which includes a multi-million-rand infrastructure upgrade, marks the start of Phase 1 of a long-term strategy to revitalise the sector.
The comprehensive renovations are focused on modernising the academy’s dormitory facilities, which play a crucial role in the education and training of aspiring jockeys. The upgrade not only seeks to enhance the living conditions of trainees but also to cement the academy’s reputation as a premier institution for professional jockey training in South Africa.
According to officials from the Hollywood Group, this initiative is about more than just upgrading infrastructure. It is a commitment to fostering economic growth in KwaZulu-Natal and equipping a new generation with the skills needed to excel in the racing industry. With the world-class educational programs offered at the SAJA, the upgraded facilities will greatly support students in realising their potential within the competitive field of professional horse racing.
“This project is not simply an investment in infrastructure. It is an investment in people, opportunity and the future of South African horse racing. Through funding, the Hollywood Foundation is creating an environment where young people can live with dignity, receive a quality education, develop their horsemanship and riding skills, and ultimately enter the racing industry as trained and qualified professionals,” says SAJA) chief operating officer, Tarryn Mason.
Speaking at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for phase one of the multi-million-rand upgrade of the facility at Summerveld, in Durban, Mason said that the total revamp of the international and female apprentice dormitories would go a long way to realising SAJA’s mission of developing world-class jockeys.
Already, the 69-year-old campus has trained jockeys that have gone on to win big races and championships on every continent, including in countries such as the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Macau, Mauritius, Singapore, Japan and Australia.
Phase one is the first of a four-phase comprehensive infrastructure upgrade at Summerveld and forms part of the Hollywood Group’s R500-million investment in the long-term rescue of horse racing in KwaZulu-Natal.
Hollywood Group brand and communications manager, Devin Heffer, said that this initial phase created approximately 30 direct employment opportunities through the project’s main contractor and specialist subcontractors, including Msomi T Projects, Thaidon Flooring, Suburban Roofing, NK Furniture and Rooted Electrical.
It also supported indirect economic opportunities through purchases from local suppliers and specialist service providers, including plumbers, tree fellers, and other local services. While these indirect opportunities are more difficult to quantify accurately, the project contributed to local economic activity by supporting additional businesses, trades, and service providers.
The Hollywood Foundation’s commitment to the horse racing sector also includes funding full bursaries for previously disadvantaged apprentices. Thirty-five apprentices have already benefited, with 15 having qualified as professional jockeys and nine becoming work riders and stable managers.
The academy – which includes the main Summerveld Campus as well as satellite campuses in Gqeberha, Cape Town and Johannesburg – is the only institution in South Africa that offers an apprenticeship programme for professional jockeys. As one of the potential casualties of the Covid-19 pandemic, it was on the brink of closure just five years ago.
It operates as a boarding school and provides both comprehensive academic education and practical riding training for the 40 future jockeys that are currently at the institution. This includes 18 apprentices from South Africa, two from Hong Kong, five from South Korea, two from Qatar, 12 from Mauritius and one from Hungary.
Four apprentices are female in a previously male-dominated space.
The new intake of female jockeys in 2027 will be housed in Block C, which forms part of the first phase of the upgrade.