Survival Swimming Centres, South Africa

Survival
swimming centres
South Africa

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CASE STUDY

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Overview

In South Africa, drowning prevention is a critical concern, particularly in underserved communities where access to swimming facilities and water safety education is limited. To address this, the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) developed an innovative solution: the Survival Swimming Centre containers. These mobile pools, created out of standard 12-metre shipping containers, provide access to water competency and swimming education in areas lacking traditional facilities. By bringing survival swimming programmes directly to communities, the NSRI aims to reduce drowning incidents and promote water safety awareness.

“One problem that we have is that our children, after school, they just wander around and they go swim in the dams on the farms with no supervision.”

Brenton Cupido, Riebeek-Kasteel School Principal

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Points 
of interest

Approximately 1500 fatal drownings occur in South Africa annually.
Only 15% of the population know how to swim.
Skilled instructors teach children four essential water survival skills:
– Mastering breathing control
– Understanding body orientation in water
– Learning to float
– Navigating a minimum distance of 5 meters through the water

“Through introducing a culture of swimming, and a sense of worth and pride, we can build incredible communities.”

Andrew Ingram, Communications Manager, NSRI

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Conclusions

The Survival Swimming Centres have been created by an ecosystem of companies from the swimming pool industry. They are an example of how organisations can join forces to tackle the challenges of a project efficiently, effectively and sustainably. By leveraging each other’s strengths, resources and expertise, they have created a powerful platform that makes the most of the knowledge and experience within the swimming pool industry. The Survival Swimming Centre project is an initiative that not only teaches children the basics of water safety, but also helps create spaces that foster communication and collaboration within local communities.