Pretoria – More will be on offer in this year’s edition of the Nelson Mandela Sport and Culture Day, as netball and cricket will be included in the mix.

Delivering his Budget Vote Speech in Parliament on Tuesday, Sport and Recreation Minister Fikile Mbalula said: “We will once again honour the iconic Nelson Mandela through the Nelson Mandela Sport and Culture Day, which will take place in August.

“For the first time this year, we will expand the scope of the event to include netball and cricket as part of the festivities, and also conduct coaching clinics run by the visiting international teams,” he said.

The day is held in partnership with the Department of Arts and Culture, South African Rugby Union (SARU), the South African Football Association (SAFA) and other social partners.

The spectacular inaugural Nelson Mandela Sport and Culture Day was launched last year at FNB Stadium on Saturday, 17 August. For the first time in the history of South African sport, South Africans watched both rugby and football teams playing against their opponents at the same venue. The day ended with a music concert.