Childhood Games in South Africa

KGATI / INGQATHU

Kgati is a popular game all across South Africa.

GAME MATERIALS
A skipping rope.
Traditionally, different materials were used to make such a rope.
It’s therefore not unusual to see a rope made from tied-together pieces of clothing or stockings.
The rope length usually ranges from 3 to 5 meters.

WHERE IS IT PLAYED?
On a hard, flat surface.

GAME RULES
Kgati is played with rhythm and rhyme.
All players sing along and support their teammates while playing.

Kgati used to be popular mainly among girls, but today boys also enjoy playing it.
The game requires fitness and coordination.

There are national competitions. Teams of 8 players (4 boys and 4 girls) have 15 minutes to show their skills and are scored based on the following criteria:

Fitness and flexibility

Coordination

Traditional clothing

Traditional songs in any language

Style variation

DIKETO / UPUCA

Upuca or Diketo is a game played with many small stones and one larger stone. It can be played by several people.

The small stones are placed in a circle drawn on the ground.
The person whose turn it is holds the larger stone in their hand.
Then the larger stone is thrown into the air. While it’s in the air, the player quickly pulls the small stones out of the circle using the same hand.

The larger stone is then thrown into the air again. While it’s in the air, a certain number of small stones must be pushed back into the circle using the same hand.
Depending on the level of the game, one or more stones must remain outside the circle each round.

The goal of the game is not to drop the larger stone and to collect the correct number of small stones outside the circle for each level in every round.
In Level 1, one stone must be placed outside the circle per round.
In Level 2, for example, two stones must be collected per round.

If the larger stone is not caught, the next person takes their turn.
The player who collects the most stones from the circle wins.

CHESS OUTDOORS

Chess is played in many rural areas and townships in South Africa.
There are even national competitions.

OUR ADVISOR

Hi my name is Innocent Serepe Tshishonga

I am from South Africa, currently living in Cape Town. I am a business management student, I hold a diploma in theology, leadership courses and community development programs.

I’ve been working as a community developer for almost all my life and passionate about assisting homeless youth and I worked as youth coordinator in Pretoria.

I got an opportunity to volunteer in Germany and that was when I met Sonja (GNG Berlin) and decided to work with her full time. I worked with her in youth development programs and we have built a healthy relationship ever since.

I started developing an interest in entrepreneurship and am now a Managing director at Meetsi Business enterprises (Pty) Ltd and Somebody Cares NGO in South Africa.