As a Gen Z living in Johannesburg, I have watched padel go from “what is that?” to “good luck finding a court after 5pm” in the blink of an eye.
One minute it was a niche sport played at a handful of private clubs. The next, it was everywhere. Instagram clips. Influencer sightings. Group chats scrambling to secure bookings. Entire weekends organised around a 90-minute game followed by coffee or a meal.
Padel did not slowly build momentum in South Africa. It was quick! And the data backs that up. According to industry directories and club listings compiled in 2025, South Africa now has an estimated 600 to more than 900 padel courts nationwide, spread across over 300 clubs. The highest concentration is in Gauteng and the Western Cape.
Gauteng alone accounts for more than 130 padel clubs and roughly 450 courts, based on aggregated club listings from platforms such as Padel Courts South Africa and booking directories.
While figures vary depending on whether private and newly built courts are included, all sources point to the same conclusion. Padel has become one of the fastest growing sports markets in the country.
That growth became very clear during a recent visit to 10by20 Padel at Killarney Country Club in Johannesburg, where we spent time with padel club owner Shezard Tayob. Tayob understands both sides of the game, sport and entrepreneurship. Before padel, he played professionally on the Sunshine Tour between 2005 and 2009. After stepping away from golf, he entered the fast food franchise space, opening his first Chicken Licken in 2011, followed by a second and then a third store.
Padel entered his life in 2022, just as the sport began gaining serious traction locally. He was invited to play his first game at Pirates Club. That same day, he went online, bought a racket, shoes and a bag. He was hooked immediately. But, what really caught his attention was not just the sport. It was the demand. During peak hours, from late afternoon through to the evening, courts were fully booked days in advance. If you did not plan ahead, you simply could not play. That scarcity signalled opportunity. Padel stopped being just a hobby and started looking like a business.
Today, Tayob is involved in eight to nine padel clubs. And he is very clear about one thing. Not all of them are successful.
Some venues underperformed and others had to be relocated. In some cases, competitors opened nearby with better facilities, indoor courts or stronger food and beverage offerings, instantly changing the market dynamics. Weather has also played a role. Extended summer rainfall over the past few years has hit outdoor clubs hard, cutting into peak time revenue.
This means Padel clubs are not guaranteed wins. They are capital intensive businesses that rely heavily on location, execution and experience. Industry estimates in 2025 show that a standard installed padel court costs between R600,000 and R900,000, while premium or indoor courts can exceed R1.2 million per court.
Multiply that across four, six or eight courts, before staffing, rent, lighting, tech and marketing, and the risk becomes very real. Despite that risk, padel continues to pull people in. Part of the appeal is how well the sport fits modern lifestyles. A typical session lasts around 90 minutes, making it more accessible than sports like golf, while still offering strong social value.
There is also a cultural layer to its success. In urban centres like Johannesburg, experience matters. Where you play matters. Who else plays there matters.
Padel clubs have leaned into this by blending sport, hospitality and social media. Some venues now offer features like “Push It”, a system that allows players to record highlight clips instantly for social sharing.
Social media is no longer a by-product of the sport. It is part of the experience. If the system is down, players complain. They want the clip.
On the consumer side, pricing data from club websites and booking platforms in 2025 shows that most padel courts charge between R350 and R500 per hour.
Off peak rates can drop to around R250 at some venues, while premium locations charge R500 or more during peak times. Split four ways, that works out to roughly R100 to R125 per player. Premium, but still accessible enough to scale.
Padel is widely regarded as the fastest growing sport in the world, and South Africa has firmly positioned itself as one of its most active emerging markets.
What started as a recreational trend has evolved into a full lifestyle economy, sitting at the intersection of sport, hospitality, content and entrepreneurship.
I found out that not every club will survive nor will every investor win. But the behaviour shift is real and measurable. And it is pretty clear that padel is not a passing trend and will be here to stay for a long time.
