Sustainability
Responsibility for the sport, the people, and the horse.
What we owe to the industry we operate in — the racing community, our colleagues, the horses in our care, and the environment around our venues.
Our approach.
A sport with a long future depends on a lot of short-term decisions.
Horse racing is as old as any sport in South Africa, and its future depends on the quality of the decisions we make today — about the horse at the centre of the sport, the people whose work makes it possible, the communities around our racecourses, and the environment on which turf racing depends. Sustainability at 4Racing is not a separate department; it is the set of commitments that sits across the whole group.
Our four pillars
Where our commitments are focused.
Responsible gambling
Free, confidential support for anyone whose gambling is causing harm — and the commercial practices that reduce the risk of harm in the first place.
Community
Sponsorship, outreach and investment in the communities around our racecourses — from schools and local businesses to industry welfare programmes.
Environment
Turf management, water, energy and the natural ground on which turf racing depends — stewardship of the land our venues occupy.
Grooms programmes
The thousands of grooms whose daily care of thoroughbreds makes racing possible — training, welfare and recognition.
Responsible gambling
Free, confidential help — around the clock.
4Racing supports the National Responsible Gambling Programme (NRGP) — financially, operationally and through our advertising standards. The NRGP counselling line runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week, in every one of South Africa's eleven official languages. Call 0800 006 008, WhatsApp HELP to 076 675 0710, or visit the NRGP online. The sport we run is only sustainable if we take the people it reaches as seriously as the people who run it.
Our responsible gambling commitment
Grooms programmes
The people closest to the horse.
Grooms are the backbone of South African horse racing. They feed, exercise, bath, treat and prepare the thoroughbreds that run at our courses — and the quality of their work is a direct measure of the quality of the sport itself. 4Racing invests in grooms through training programmes, welfare support and recognition across the calendar — because a healthy grooms workforce is both a moral obligation and a practical necessity for a sustainable sport.
Partnership enquiriesCommunity and environment
Two areas of ongoing commitment.
Community initiatives
Sponsorship of local schools and community programmes, investment in the racing communities around each of our venues, and support for the industry bodies that look after participants — trainers, owners, jockeys and their families. Where we race, we invest.
Environmental stewardship
Water and turf management are the core environmental disciplines of any turf racecourse. Our venues work with groundskeepers, agronomists and environmental specialists to minimise water use, manage waste, and protect the biodiversity of the grounds we occupy.
Need to talk?
Free, confidential, 24/7.
If gambling is affecting you or someone you know — call 0800 006 008, WhatsApp HELP to 076 675 0710, or visit the NRGP.
Responsible gambling