Black Prosperity Takes Center Stage at Africa’s Premier Horse Racing Event

Plates of oysters, prawns and sushi filled Ashwin Reynolds’s table. A singer provided smooth R&B, bartenders served sparkling wine, and guests in the suite at the racecourse wore tailored suits and elaborate floral headpieces.

Reynolds, 52, a construction‑company owner who once recorded betting slips for his grandfather, could never have imagined such luxury at a Durban racetrack. Until apartheid ended in the early 1990s, people of colour were excluded from these elite venues.

Yet on Saturday he mingled with a racially diverse crowd at the Durban July, Africa’s most lucrative horse‑racing fixture. In 2021 he became the first person of colour to own the winning horse of the marquee race.

This year marks the 130th running of the Durban July in the coastal city of Durban. The event has evolved into a day‑long celebration that goes beyond the sport itself, featuring music, fashion, food and conspicuous displays of wealth that momentarily eclipse the economic hardships many South Africans face.

More than a dozen VIP tents, known as marquees, stretch across the grassy infield of the 2,800‑metre pear‑shaped track. Renting a table in a marquee costs several hundred dollars and includes sleek banquettes, bottle service and buffets. Some marquees function as networking hubs, gathering professionals from fashion, music, politics and business, where emerging artists can rub shoulders with established producers and entrepreneurs may court officials.

Each year attendees dress to a theme; this year’s motif was “country allure.”

Many Black South Africans view Durban July as a celebration of their place in high society—a stark contrast to the centuries when they were deprived of resources and barred from wealth creation.

“It’s no longer just a white‑man’s event,” said Teddy Geldart, a 40‑year‑old television producer, perched on a sofa in a marquee where American R&B singer Bryson Tiller headlined.

“It’s ours now, and that feels amazing—to enjoy luxury in our own country,” he added.

During apartheid, non‑white spectators could attend Durban July but were confined to a small section of the grandstand called the silver ring, explained Anita Akal, 83, who is photographing her 55th edition of the event. White guests occupied the gold ring near the finish line.

Even then, spectators could mingle across racial lines—a rare occurrence in the apartheid era, noted David Thiselton, a veteran horse‑racing journalist who has covered the race since 1990.

Today, the grandstands attract primarily racing enthusiasts who purchase $18 tickets and often dress more modestly than the party‑goers in the marquees. A large portion of this crowd is South African of Indian descent, a community that loves the sport. Inside the infield ring, where horses parade, most attendees are white and continue to own most of the horses, while the VIP hospitality areas are now predominantly Black.

“Everyone puts aside racial tension, arguments and fights for this day,” said Vishal Ramlakan, a 50‑year‑old truck driver attending for the third time.

Muzi Yeni, 39, welcomed the growing Black presence at Durban July but lamented that fewer are engaging with the racing itself. Yeni, a jockey of 22 years, is one of only a handful of Black jockeys at the event. He said diversification among riders has been slow because most trainers are white and may not give Black jockeys equal opportunities.

Only three Black jockeys have won the main race, and Yeni hopes to become the next, showing other Black riders that the victory is achievable. (Yeni finished seventh in Saturday’s race.)

Doris Mataboge, 55, a nursing teacher attending for the fifth time, grew up in a rural area and fell in love with horses in the fields. She placed a modest $1.85 bet and, for the first time, won just under $10 when her chosen horse crossed the finish line.

Before the races began, attention turned to a group of models.

One of them, 18‑year‑old Karabo Bapela, said the event is boosting her confidence.

“We’re not there yet,” she admitted.

She emphasized that she does not take the opportunity for granted.

“It feels freeing to be part of this, knowing that our grandmothers could not go out in public or mingle with people of another colour,” she reflected.

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