How a 20-Member Karoo Tennis Club Continues to Thrive
Open Google Maps and search for Rietbron. You'll probably need to zoom in a few times before you find it.
It's a tiny Karoo town surrounded by the dry, earthy landscape that defines this part of South Africa. There isn't a lot of green to be seen. And then something catches your eye: beautifully maintained green tennis courts.
From above, they almost look like a beacon in the Karoo. And those courts tell a remarkable story.
Rietbron Tennis Club has only around 20 members, yet while tennis clubs in much bigger towns and cities are struggling, and some are closing altogether, this small club continues to keep tennis alive.
How Do They Do It?
With only 20 members, membership fees alone aren't enough to maintain a tennis club. Instead, Rietbron relies heavily on fundraising, donations and community support.The club runs two major fundraising events each year. These aren't simply tennis tournaments. They bring together players, residents, businesses, sponsors and supporters, raising vital funds while also making the tennis club an important part of the wider community.
One of these is the Grootkaroo Tennis Spankompetisie, taking place on 17 October 2026. Teams compete during the day, with breakfast and lunch included, followed by an evening of food, dancing and an auction. There are also prizes worth more than R10,000.
It's a simple idea that seems to work: the tennis club survives because the community wants it to survive.
Download GrootKaroo Tennis Spankompetisie Inskrywingsvorm
A Lesson for South African Tennis
There is something particularly impressive about a club with around 20 members managing to keep going when clubs in major cities have thousands of potential players living nearby.Rietbron shows that the strength of a tennis club isn't only measured by the number of members on its database. Fundraising, sponsorships, donations, events and, most importantly, people who care about their club can make an enormous difference.
At Open Active, we work with tennis clubs across South Africa, and we believe clubs like Rietbron are worth supporting. South African tennis isn't only about the big clubs in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban and Pretoria. It's also about small communities making sure there is still somewhere for the next generation to pick up a racket and play.
Help Keep Those Courts Green
We'd love to see the wider South African tennis community get behind Rietbron Tennis Club. You can support their events, contribute prizes or sponsorship, or simply make a donation directly to the club.Rietbron Tennisklub
Bank: ABSA
Account type: Cheque
Account number: 154 014 1521
Branch code: 632005
Reference: Donation + Your Name
The banking details above are the club's published ABSA details from its Grootkaroo competition entry form.
You don't need to contribute a fortune. If enough tennis players around South Africa give a little, it can make a real difference.
Those green courts in the middle of the Karoo are worth keeping green.
What Other Tennis Clubs Can Learn From Rietbron
The Rietbron story shows that membership fees don't necessarily have to be the only thing keeping a club alive.Fundraising events, sponsorships, donations, social functions and local partnerships can all contribute towards making a club sustainable.
It also shows the importance of creating a club that means something to the community around it.
When people feel that something belongs to them, they are far more likely to fight to keep it.
And that appears to be exactly what is happening in Rietbron.
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