By Selloane Ntshonyane
- The City of Johannesburg postponed its public pool season from 1 September to 1 October, with only 36 of 57 pools set to reopen.
- Swim teacher Boitumelo Maepa says the delay, announced a day before pools were due to open, could cost her business R50,000.
The City of Johannesburg has delayed the opening of its public swimming pools by a month, and it’s not yet clear if all of them will open at all this season.
The city’s 2026/27 swimming season was due to start on 1 September. It has now been pushed back to 1 October. MMC for Community Development Thapelo Amad said the delay is needed to carry out maintenance and meet outstanding health, safety and operational requirements before the pools reopen.
Johannesburg has 57 municipal pools. Only 36 are currently planned to reopen in October, in a staggered process. The city has not yet published which pools will be included, saying the list will only be released once October begins. Last year, a similar pattern played out: 35 pools opened on time, with 18 more following later in the season.
To make up for the shorter season, the city said it will extend the usual 31 March closing date into April 2027, depending on weather and demand.
For Boitumelo Maepa, who runs private swimming lessons at Pimville indoor pool, the delay has already hit her business hard.
Maepa offers private lessons in learning to swim, stroke correction and coaching, for both adults and children. She charges R400 for four lessons for children and R500 for adults, excluding registration, with prices rising to R1,100 for more sessions.
She only found out about the delay on 31 August, a day before the pools were due to reopen.
“The postponement has significantly affected both the business and clients because some clients have certain deadlines to meet. These are clients going on school camps, vacations and work interviews and assessments, and had made specific arrangements to meet their goals of learning to swim,” Maepa said.
She has about 30 clients and estimates the delay could cost her business between R40,000 and R50,000. She has arranged an alternative venue in the northern suburbs for clients able to travel there.
Maepa said the city should have given more notice.
“I wish this was communicated two months prior instead of one day before the scheduled opening,” she said.
She believes pools should be maintained during the off season to avoid exactly this kind of delay.
“The City needs to take all these factors into account because livelihoods are being affected,” Maepa said.
Pictured above: A swimming pool.
Image source: Soweto Swimming Academy
