Pietermaritzburg already has three swimming clubs. Is there demand for another one?
AquaPark Aquatics launched quietly, almost naturally – born out of demand from the community rather than a grand boardroom plan. As Theo Verster, the club’s Director of Coaching and CEO, put it at the club’s first Information evening: “That was never on the agenda to start our own club.”
And yet here they are.
The club is housed at AquaPark – the only facility in South Africa featuring a Myrtha competition pool (the same system used at the 2023 Fukuoka World Championships), 2.8 million litres of water filtrated every four and a half hours, and infrastructure built by a South African team. Seven to eight thousand people have already walked through the doors – from opening their doors in February 2026, and before the official grand opening.
The club’s origin is a familiar one in aquatics. A facility opens. People start asking about squad swimming. Then water polo. Then masters. Then parents of local swimmers ask, “Have you thought about starting a proper club?” Before long, a club is registered, you’ve got nearly 50 registered members, a Constitution, and a coach with five Paralympic Games under his belt.
The club is structured to be genuinely inclusive. Masters swimmers, water polo players, para athletes, school swimmers – all are welcome. The facility is configured flexibly, meaning the 50-metre competition pool can be set up as a 25-metre pool when school water polo begins, making it accessible for younger athletes and for squad training to continue in the other half of the pool.
AquaPark Aquatics is also working to register with SARS as a recreational club, ensuring its financial structure benefits members as much as possible. A full AGM is planned before year-end, as well as updates to the Constitution and new Bylaws.
Crucially, the club’s arrival doesn’t signal competition with Pietermaritzburg’s three other swimming clubs. The stated goal is collaboration: shared district galas, joint development, and a rising tide that benefits the whole region. The facility is available for all clubs to book and experience what it has to offer.
The Midlands Winter Water Polo League – a regional first – is about to begin at the end of July. Bids have been submitted for a selection of Swimming South Africa events through KZN Aquatics. International and national teams, including para swimming squads, have already made enquiries about training camps at the facility. The club’s own timing system has already been installed.
AquaPark aims to start Learn-to-Swim soon (they have developed platforms for the younger kids to stand on within the pool), and are in discussions with Lifesaving SA and KZN with the aim to begin running courses in the near future. They hope to include a safe place for runners and cyclists to park and run/ride from, and introduce a coffee shop for athletes and parents to enjoy refreshments. Future bathrooms will be added on ground floor and in the pavilion, and future office space made available for members or parents to utilise or rent.
For a club that wasn’t meant to exist, AquaPark Aquatics is moving fast.
See our AquaPark Aquatics FAQ page for more details covered in the Information evening.
Interested in joining? Contact us at apa@aquapark.co.za or call 060 412 4860.
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