The Gauteng Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation successfully hosted the 2026 OR Tambo – Soncini Social Cohesion Games from 24 to 25 October 2026 in three different venues in the province. The games brought together young athletes from Gauteng’s five corridors and the City of Reggio Emelia in Italy for a weekend of competition, cultural exchange and international engagement.
The games afforded the two counties a moment to celebrate the relationship between OR Tambo and Giuseppe Soncini and serve as a reminder that meaningful relations can go beyond national borders, language and culture.
The participants from different areas first had to knock each other out in their respective corridors to make it to the teams that represented their municipalities at this level. The games further gave the young athletes an opportunity to showcase their talent, be inspired and embrace the values of teamwork, discipline, respect, perseverance and fair play, as these same attributes extend beyond sport and are influential in building cohesive, inclusive and resilient communities.
The different sports codes were played as follows in three different areas:
• Athletics: Ruimsig Stadium
• Football: Trezona Park
• Rugby: Hoërskool Florida
The City of Ekurhuleni took top honours as they were declared the overall tournament Champions, whilst the City of Johannesburg secured the second spot and West Rand taking the third position.
