Altus Sport

What Altus Sport does

Altus Sport is a South African non-profit organization founded in 1994 that uses sport as a vehicle for youth development and community empowerment. Headquartered in Pretoria (128 Glen Eagles Drive, Silver Lakes), the organization operates four age-tiered structured programs: Go & Grow Club (ages 6-9), Olympism Club (ages 11-14), Life's a Ball Club (ages 9-17), and Leadership Club (ages 18-35). Each club integrates sport skills with life skills, Olympic values, and leadership development, creating a continuous youth development pipeline rather than discrete offerings. All programs are delivered free at the point of delivery.

The organization has reached 289,672+ youth across 1,050 schools with 68.4% of participants being girls, operating primarily in Gauteng Province, South Africa. Service delivery is direct-to-schools through field-based program staff, with no proprietary technology platform, app, or API disclosed; the "technology" is a structured sport-pedagogy framework combining Olympism philosophy with life-skills curricula. The organization employs 51-100 staff including a Managing Director and a Projects and MEL (Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning) Manager.

The business model is grant-funded non-profit, with no fees charged to participants. Revenue is sourced from a diversified portfolio: corporate partners (Standard Chartered, Nike), international foundations (Comic Relief, Laureus Sport for Good, Women Win, Future Makers/Standard Chartered Foundation), multilateral bodies (UNICEF, GIZ, FIFA Foundation), and South African government and lottery sources (National Lotteries Commission, City of Tshwane, City of Johannesburg, Gauteng Department of Sport). Annual reports for 2023-2025 are publicly disclosed, with an expense allocation of approximately 35% sport & life skills programming, 35% Olympism programming, 25% Youth Sport Leader capacity building, and 5% operations.

Name

Altus Sport

Legal name

Altus Sport

Website

https://altussport.co.za

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Altus Sport is a South African non-profit founded in 1994 that delivers sport-based youth development programs across four age-tiered clubs (ages 6-35). Operating from Pretoria, it has reached 289,000+ youth across 1,050 schools, funded by foundations, corporations, and government partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Development Services / Sport for Development

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts, Sports & Recreation-Based Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth & Scholastic Sports Organizations (K–12, AAU, Club Leagues) (MPAKACAF), Youth Athlete Development & Long-Term Athlete Development (LTAD) (HSADAEAE)

Keywords

• Youth development programs
• Sport for development
• Community sports programs
• Leadership development programmes
• Nonprofit youth services

Headquarters

HQ city

Pretoria

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Altus Sport delivers free, structured sport-based youth development programs across South Africa through four age-segmented clubs (Go & Grow ages 6-9, Life's a Ball ages 9-17, Olympism ages 11-14, and Leadership ages 18-35). Programs are provided at schools and community venues, combining sport skill training with life skills, Olympic values, leadership development, and gender-inclusive participation, reaching 289,672+ youth across 1,050+ schools over 31+ years.

Product overview

Altus Sport is a South African non-profit organization offering four structured sport-based youth development programmes: Leadership Club (ages 18-35), Life's a Ball Club (ages 9-17), Olympism Club (ages 11-14), and Go & Grow Club (ages 6-9). These clubs form an integrated youth development ecosystem that uses sport as a vehicle to build leadership skills, promote gender inclusion (68.4% girls' participation), teach life skills, and create safe community spaces. All programmes are free at the point of delivery, operating across 62+ schools in South African communities, reaching over 289,000 youth.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Leadership Club A youth leadership development programme for ages 18-35 that combines sport with mentorship and structured leadership training to build confident community leaders who can coach, mentor, and positively influence peers. Delivered free at point of use across South African communities.
• Life's a Ball Club A sport and life-skills programme for ages 9-17 that uses ball sports, team activities, and positive values to build friendships, respect, and healthy habits in young people. Delivered free at point of use across South African schools.
• Olympism Club A programme for ages 11-14 that embeds Olympic values (excellence, respect, friendship) into sport activities, developing sports management skills and linking youth to broader community development opportunities.
• Go & Grow Club An early childhood development programme for ages 6-9 that uses structured, joyful play and movement activities to develop motor skills, coordination, confidence, and a lifelong love of physical activity.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• FIFA FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFIFA Foundation partnership supporting football for hope initiatives and international tournaments. Altus Sport received FIFA FFH Trophy in 2009 for International Kick-Off Tournament participation.
• Common GoalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommon Goal is a global football movement where teams and individuals pledge 1% of their earnings to drive progress towards the UN Global Goals. Altus Sport is listed as a partner organization.
• Sport for Social Change Network (SSCN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSSCN is a network of sport for development organizations. Altus Sport was named Sport's Ambassador in 2016 and won Best Quality Education Programme in Africa 2022. Also voted Best NGO to Invest In by members.
• Women WincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal leader in girls' empowerment that leverages the power of play to help girls build strong moral values and leadership skills. Partnered with Altus Sport on Compassion Conference and Re Mmogo Togetherness Conference.
• City of TshwanecoreOthersCity of Tshwane municipality partners with Altus Sport for community sport development programs in Pretoria communities.
• City of JohannesburgcoreOthersCity of Johannesburg municipality partners with Altus Sport for community sport development programs.
• Gauteng Sports ConfederationcoreOthersProvincial sports confederation working with Altus Sport on sports development initiatives.
• SASCOCcoreOthersSouth African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee partnership for Olympic values-based programs.
• SACOSSIcoreOthersSouth African Confederation of Sport affiliated organization partnering with Altus Sport.
• IOPAcoreOthersIOPA sports confederation partnership for sport development initiatives.
• UNICEFminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNICEF partnership supporting child protection and youth development initiatives.
• streetfootballworldminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal network coordinating Play Proud LGBTQ+ inclusivity program with grassroots football organizations in Europe, Africa, and Asia.
• Grassroot SoccerminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerImplementation partner for Play Proud LGBTQ+ inclusivity program.
• Slum SoccerminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerImplementation partner for Play Proud LGBTQ+ inclusivity program in India.
• Street LeagueminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerImplementation partner for Play Proud LGBTQ+ inclusivity program in UK.
• Impact InternationalminorOthersPart of Play Proud Programme team providing expertise in global sport for development.
• The Inclusion PlaybookminorOthersPart of Play Proud Programme team providing LGBTQ+ inclusion methodology.
• Football V HomophobiaminorOthersPart of Play Proud Programme team providing expertise on LGBTQ+ issues in football.
• Youth Football Club Rurka KalanminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerImplementation partner for Play Proud LGBTQ+ inclusivity program.
• Denis Law Legacy TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerImplementation partner for Play Proud LGBTQ+ inclusivity program.
• University of JohannesburgminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOlympic Study Centre partnership for Re Mmogo Togetherness Conference.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Common Goal: Global football-led movement where teams and individuals pledge 1% of earnings to drive social impact. Strategic partner of Altus Sport rather than a direct competitor, but operates in the same sport-for-development ecosystem.

Direct peers

• Women Win: Global nonprofit that advances gender equity through the power of play and sport. Directly comparable girls-and-women empowerment focus; also an active strategic partner of Altus Sport.
• Right To Play: Global sport-for-development organization that uses sport and play to educate and empower children and youth facing adversity. Closest analog in scale, methodology, and international funder base; Altus is also an implementation partner of Right To Play-aligned networks.
• Magic Bus: India-based youth-development nonprofit using sport and a structured activity curriculum to take children and young people from poverty to livelihoods. Comparable age-tiered program model and school/community delivery footprint.
• Street League: UK-based sport-for-development charity using sport to help young people from disadvantaged backgrounds move into education, training, and employment. Named Play Proud implementation partner alongside Altus.
• Grassroot Soccer: Global nonprofit that uses the power of soccer to educate, inspire, and mobilize youth to overcome health and social challenges. Directly comparable sport-for-development model serving youth in underserved communities with school-based delivery.
• Slum Soccer: Indian nonprofit using football to empower youth from slum communities with education, life skills, and livelihoods. Direct sport-for-development peer, also a named Play Proud implementation partner alongside Altus Sport.

Regional players

• Youth Sports Uganda: Ugandan NGO using sport to empower young people with life skills, education, and employability. Comparable sub-Saharan African sport-for-development peer with similar youth-focused curriculum.
• Kick4Life: Lesotho- and Southern Africa-focused sport-for-development organization using football to address HIV, health, and youth-empowerment outcomes. Regional peer operating in adjacent African geography with comparable methodology.

Broad incumbents

• Beyond Sport: Global organization that supports and convenes sport-for-development initiatives and awards. Comparable space, but functions as an umbrella network/incumbent rather than a direct grassroots-delivery peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCkX9btL9ZtWxigkseSDG97A
• Facebookfacebook.com/sportaltus
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/altus-sport
• Instagraminstagram.com/altussport

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Altus Sport