LIV Golf tees off at Steyn City in Johannesburg this week, making its first appearance on African soil and completing the league’s expansion to five continents. The four-day tournament, running from 19 to 22 March 2026, is the fifth event of the season and the biggest golf tournament South Africa has staged in more than two decades. Approximately 90,000 tickets have been sold for the four rounds, with the crowd expected to rival those seen at LIV Golf Adelaide — currently the league’s benchmark for atmosphere and attendance.
South Africa is projected to generate R800 million in economic activity from tourism, hospitality, local spending, taxation, and international exposure by hosting the event. South Africa’s Cabinet formally approved the hosting of the tournament, and as reported by SA Government News, the direct economic impact per event has been estimated at between R500 million and R800 million, with the broader projection reaching R1 billion once indirect activity is factored in. Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie framed the tournament as a demonstration of South Africa’s capacity to host global events, telling a media briefing in Pretoria that it carries a message about the country’s openness as a destination for sport, tourism, and culture.
Across its 14-event global schedule, LIV Golf says its tournaments have generated more than $1 billion (about R16 billion) in economic impact for host cities worldwide, reaching broadcast audiences exceeding 900 million households.
The Adelaide comparison is instructive: since its inception in 2023, LIV Golf Adelaide has injected more than $217 million into the South Australian economy, with the 2025 edition alone contributing a record $81 million and hotel occupancy rates climbing above 85% during tournament week.
South Africa’s tourism authorities are targeting a similar outcome. According to Now in SA, the timing of the Johannesburg event — just ahead of the Easter travel period — is being used to promote extended travel packages encouraging visitors to stay for between eight and 14 days, expanding economic activity well beyond the tournament footprint itself.
South Africa welcomed 10.48 million international arrivals between January and December 2025, a 17.6% year-on-year increase and well above the global average growth rate of 4%. Tourism currently sustains 1.8 million direct and indirect jobs nationally, with one job estimated to be supported for every 13 international arrivals. Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille noted that high-value visitors linked to major sporting events typically stay longer and spend more, extending their impact into accommodation, transport, food services, and local suppliers.
In Gauteng, the provincial government is aligning the tournament with its Growing Gauteng Together 2030 blueprint, with the Gauteng Tourism Authority identifying golf tourism as a high-value segment. Small and medium enterprises have been encouraged to design golf tourism packages combining LIV Golf tickets with township tours, safari experiences, and luxury stays, with the provincial government prioritising Black women and youth-owned operators in related services procurement.
The competitive field is the strongest to visit South Africa in a generation. The 57-player field includes 18 major champions holding a combined 28 major titles, among them Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau, Cameron Smith, Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, and Sergio Garcia.
As detailed on LIV Golf’s official event page, the all-South African Southern Guards team — comprising Louis Oosthuizen, Charl Schwartzel, Branden Grace, and Dean Burmester — were directly involved in bringing the tournament to their home country and provided input on course setup. Schwartzel, who won LIV’s inaugural event at Centurion Club in England in 2022, arrives with particular significance on home turf.
The Club at Steyn City, which stretches across 2,000 acres north of Johannesburg in the elevated Highveld region, is one of the largest golf complexes in South Africa. The Jack Nicklaus-designed course has been adjusted for tournament play, with fairways narrowed and rough grown out to add difficulty. The event follows LIV’s festival format, with a live music concert closing each day’s play — Friday and Saturday’s post-round entertainment features Black Coffee and Calvin Harris respectfully.
The total prize purse for the individual competition stands at $20 million (about R320 million), with the team competition carrying a separate $10 million pool. In a format change for 2026, all 13 teams now earn a share of that pool based on performance, replacing the previous structure in which only the top three teams received prize money. The winning team takes home $3 million. LIV has also committed $100,000 toward local community initiatives, including support for a soup kitchen in the nearby Diepsloot settlement.
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