The South African Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie visited Hollywoodbets Kenilworth headquarters on Thursday 3 October and engaged with Cape Racing Chairman Greg Bortz on the future of the sport in the country, and specifically in the Western Cape.
Racing in the Western Cape is undergoing a dramatic transformation under the Hollywoodbets and Bortz ownership, with the Hollywoodbets Kenilworth racing facility unrecognisable from 18 months ago when the sport was in serious danger of closing its doors.
Cape Racing Chairman Greg Bortz welcomes Gayton McKenzie (Pic – Supplied)
In their fruitful meeting, Bortz gave Minister McKenzie a tour of the facilities and explained the growth that was still being planned, and what had been achieved so far.
Hollywoodbets Kenilworth has become more than a venue exclusively for horseracing. It is evolving into a multi-faceted ‘sportstainment’ hub designed to benefit the broader community, which includes serving as an events and functions hosting venue. The Ultra Electronic Music Festival has already been staged at the venue for the past two years.
The politician looks at Politician! Greg Bortz shows Gayton McKenzie a champion of the past (Pic – Supplied)
Other expansion plans will give rise to many more employment opportunities, on top of the significant number of jobs already created by the horseracing industry.
These new plans include the introduction of Padel, Fives Futbol, leisure areas, and restaurants, with the facility destined to become a seven-day-a-week destination.
Minister McKenzie applauded Cape Racing’s drive to make the sport accessible to all South Africans through its owners’ syndicate scheme, which makes the sport more affordable for a wide range of new owners. This, together with the sizable capital investments being made into Cape Racing’s properties, will help drive foot traffic to our racecourses and elevate the sport’s standing.
Cape Racing COO Donovan Everitt chats to Gayton McKenzie (Pic – Supplied)
“Racing’s future depends on greater inclusivity,” Bortz said. “We want to change the perception that this is an exclusive sport and open the gates for all South Africans to enjoy. We’re committed to evolving our venues into spaces that serve the wider community and drive economic growth.We are grateful to Minister McKenzie for giving us so much of his time, and for his commitment to help support our efforts. The lack of government involvement in our sport was noted by the Minister with concern and accompanied by a commitment to do everything in his power to help our critical industry not only survive but thrive.”
- Media release by Cape Racing on Tuesday 8 October 2024
