Wits Unveils R300m Zylstra Sports Complex to Transform Sport, Health and Exercise Medicine

The world‑class facility brings high‑performance training, sports science, clinical services, AI‑driven rehabilitation and a new aquatics centre under one roof at Wits.

The R300m Wits Brian and Dorothy Zylstra Sports Complex, an integrated training, exercise, clinical practice, and research complex, was launched at Wits University on 30 May 2026.

The Wits Brian and Dorothy Zylstra Sports Complex will open to athletes, patients, and the public in September.

Located on the Wits Education Campus in Parktown, next to the Linder Auditorium, this Wits Centenary project is a flagship institute for training, exercise, teaching, research, and services in sports science and exercise medicine, in the heart of Johannesburg.

Professor Zeblon Vilakazi FRS, Wits Vice-Chancellor and Principal, says: “Today we celebrate one of the largest family gifts to Wits University, which ignites a new era for our University’s sports culture. Thank you to the Zylstra family and the Skye Foundation for their generous and sustained support of their alma mater. This namesake – the Wits Brian and Dorothy Zylstra Sports Complex – is a fitting way to honour two remarkable Wits alumni.”

A world-class and inclusive facility

The Wits Zylstra Sports Complex envisages becoming a world-class and inclusive South African facility for the promotion of physical activity, excellence in sport, and training in disciplines related to sports science and exercise medicine.

Professor Georgia Torres, Chief Operating Officer of the Wits Zylstra Sports Complex and Head of the Department of Exercise Science and Sports Medicine at Wits, says: “The beauty of this building is that it’s all under one roof. There is a proximity of place that allows for the formation of an interdisciplinary clinical team, which enables the process to impact human performance and health.”

What’s available?

The Wits Zylstra Sports Complex combines significant refurbishment of the existing building (formerly the Impilo Building) with architectural innovation to create a state-of-the-art facility.

The Wits Zylstra Sports Complex now houses enhanced and sophisticated sports and exercise grounds, facilities, and equipment, as well as consulting rooms, research laboratories, and operational headquarters. Key offerings of the Wits Zylstra Sports Complex are listed below.

The Go To-Centre of Excellence for cardio-metabolic exercise rehabilitation, focusing on chronic diseases including cardiovascular disease, cancer, hypertension, obesity, and diabetes.

Sports and exercise medicine and movement laboratories for sport performance, and biomechanical and clinical exercise testing and programming.

High Performance Sport gym and training facility for Wits’ national and international high-performance teams, and serving as a hub and host for inter-school, inter-university, and national sporting events and tournaments.

Physician, physiotherapist, biokineticist, exercise clinical physiologist, sport scientist, sport psychologist, dietician, and health coach consulting rooms.

Disability sport and therapeutics, which were assessed and developed in collaboration with Wits University’s Disability Rights unit.

Interdisciplinary AI-data integration powered by partner Technogym, which enables interdisciplinary programming and monitoring of athletes and patients.

Comprising a global network of academically excellent interest groups, Wits Sport and Health (WiSH) will drive research initiatives in the Wits Zylstra Sports Complex, which also houses the Wits Cricket Research Hub and Women’s Health Research Group.

WiSH Director Jon Patricios is Professor of Sport and Exercise Medicine at Wits and the originator of the concept of this integrated sports space. Patricios says:

“This one-of-a-kind Wits Zylstra Sports Complex ushers in an exciting future for Wits Sport and Health, servicing our greater Wits and Johannesburg community – and ultimately nationally and internationally – through dynamic teaching, research, high-performance training, and evidence-based clinical practice. The multidisciplinary concept and ambitious vision of WiSH aligned with the donors’ desire to create a world-class facility at Wits. The stars have aligned!”

Academic postgraduate degrees, including Master’s and PhDs in Biokinetics, Sports Science, Sports Medicine, Sports Physiotherapy, and (in 2028), the Sport and Exercise Medicine specialisation and Clinical Exercise Physiology.

Significant investment into sports scholarships and bursaries for Wits University student-athletes via Wits Sport, particularly in high-performance sports at Wits, which include rugby, soccer, basketball, netball, cricket, hockey, and rowing.

Director of Sport at Wits, Mandla Gagayi, says: “The Wits Zylstra Sports Complex is a game-changer for Wits Sport because it allows us to adapt to the new demands and challenges of sport that have come with new sciences and technologies.”

New Aquatics Centre, including a 50m, covered, heated training pool; hot and cold pools; steam and sauna rooms; and SA’s only flume pool. Also available are a resident swim coach and lifesaving coach, as well as a synchronised swimming school and a Paralympic swim school. Unique hydrotherapy is available for intensive training or rehabilitation.

Radiology and X-ray facilities, including a DEXA machine (Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry), which is a specialised medical scanner to measure bone density and body composition. DEXA is the gold standard for diagnosing osteoporosis and assessing fracture risk.

World Anti-Doping Association (WADA) facility.

Professor Shabir Madhi, Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences at Wits, says: “The generous donation from the Zylstra family and the Skye Foundation – which has enabled the establishment of this state-of-the-art sports complex – builds on Wits’ strong legacy of leading in the field of sports science and exercise medicine. The Wits Zylstra Sports Complex will also strengthen training of future professionals, on and in these fields, and serve as a training resource for use by national and international teams.”

Access and costs

Monthly membership packages provide access to all equipment, facilities, and services at the Wits Zylstra Sports Complex.

These packages are being tailored for Wits staff, students, and alumni; secondary schools; and national teams.

Discussions are underway with medical aid providers to enable them to refer their members to the Wits Zylstra Sports Complex, particularly those in need of physical exercise rehabilitation.

Technogym’s ACTIVATE is the operational and commercial arm of the Wits Zylstra Sports Complex. The gyms will operate on a unique model of AI-driven member journeys and integrated equipment that enables individualised programming, taking the guesswork out of gym training.

Brian and Dorothy Zylstra and The Skye Foundation

The Wits Zylstra Sports Complex is the legacy of Wits alumni Brian and Dorothy Zylstra. The VIP sneak-preview tribute launch marks the culmination and final tranche of significant and generous financial disbursements by the Zylstra family’s Skye Foundation.

Philip Zylstra, Chair of the Skye Foundation, Wits alumnus, and eldest son of Brian and Dorothy, says:

“We feel that the Wits Brian and Dorothy Zylstra Sports Complex will be a landmark building and a resource not only for Wits, but for the schools and sporting organisations from South Africa and abroad that will use it. It will be a fitting testament to my parents, Brian and Dorothy, and a sign of gratitude for the role the University played in many of our lives.”

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