Cape Town to host inaugural WKS African kickboxing event
MMA
Up and coming combat sports star Frank Ngoka will showcase his talents in the Kickboxing ring this coming weekend. | Lee Johnson MzansiMMA
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Cape Town has long played — and continues to play — a significant role in shaping African combat sports.
As 2025 draws to a close, the Mother City is set to host one of the year’s final major events. This Saturday, the World Kickboxing Series (WKS) will stage their inaugural African event at the Italian Club in Milnerton, showcasing some of the continent’s finest amateur kickboxing talent. The event aims to strengthen Africa’s current and future talent pipeline.
The card features 14 bouts, including two four-man elimination tournaments for the WKS African Championship. The tournament will follow traditional K-1 rules, with athletes competing for a place in the 2026 WKS World Tournament. Qualifiers from WKS Africa will earn their spot on Team Africa, captained by 18-time world champion Anissa Meksen.
The 2026 tournament will unite teams from around the globe, each led by internationally renowned stars such as Lerdsila Chumpairtour, Andy Souwer, Duane Ludwig, Regian Eersel and Gabriel Varga — all vying for the prestigious WKS World Tournament title.
This year, MMA has surged in popularity across South Africa, particularly in Cape Town, where new promotions such as Undisputed MMA continue to emerge while established brands, including Barebones MC, flourish. These platforms offer martial artists invaluable opportunities to grow as combat sports steadily push into the mainstream.
Riding this momentum, Cape Town-born K-1 legend and WKS Africa Director Wade Hammond is working to elevate kickboxing across the continent.
“The goal is to develop kickboxing from the ground up and give athletes opportunities, starting right here in South Africa,” Hammond says.
“We have big names involved, including former world champion Andy Souwer, who co-owns WKS, and former GLORY star Jonathan Ruiz, also a co-owner and multi-time champion in the United States.”
Hammond is passionate about returning the sport to its roots, insisting kickboxing remains one of the most electrifying combat codes. He believes too many modern promotions focus on social media metrics at the expense of genuine competition.
“There are so many promotions now that care more about likes and followers than the substance of a fight,” he says.
“We’re here to put on high-quality, competitive bouts — to build a platform the old-school way and give real fighters a place to showcase their talent and grow with the sport. That starts with this first amateur event this weekend.”
He adds: “We’re excited to bring back traditional K-1 rules, where athletes can catch kicks, sweep and more. It’s a more dynamic and exciting style of fighting.”
Tickets are available via Webtickets, priced from R300 for general admission to R500 for ringside seats. For more information, contact +27 71 274 6378.
Fight Card
Alexandre Ribeiro v Chaz Picolo (Middleweight)
Damon Mckenzie v Shannon Mbanje (Lightweight)
Wanda de Beer v Alec Abdinor (Featherweight)
Rachelle Seyfferdt v Zoe Klaasen (Featherweight)
Kiran Jeffrey v Thabiso Cingo (Featherweight)
Kabongo Tony v Cameron Welgemoed (Featherweight)
Robert Sam-Kputu v Thierry Pingiyabu (Light Heavyweight)
Kenneth Wallace v Cruz Wyngaard (Welterweight Pro-Am)
Thando Mahlangu v Jiyaad Diedericks (Bantamweight Elim Pro-Am)
Khululekani Zenani v Denzil Mahove (Bantamweight Elim Pro-Am)
Brett Heslop v Jeetesh Maharoo (Featherweight Elim Pro-Am)
Jean Claude Dixon v Rais Hoosain (Featherweight Elim Pro-Am)
Frank Ngoka v Magloire Mago Mutabi (Middleweight Pro-Am)
Ahmed Alghari v Bafana Moseke (Welterweight Pro-Am)