2024 CrossFit Games Africa Semifinal Preview: How To Watch, Rosters, and Schedule
The 2024 Africa Semifinal, hosted by Rebel Renegade Games, will be held at the Emerald Resort & Casino in Vanderbijlpark, South Africa, from Friday, May 31, through Sunday, June 2. Along with North America East and South America, it is one of three competitions on the third and final weekend of the CrossFit Semifinals.
- With the male and female winners from 2023 out this year, the coveted top spot is up for grabs.
Kealan Henry won in 2022 and is the only athlete with individual CrossFit Games experience in the field. However, all four athletes from the Cape CrossFit Wolfpack team that finished 31st at the Games in 2023 are competing as individuals this year.
Athletes in Africa will be tested with the six standardized events featured across all of the regions, and only one man and woman from the 40-athlete field will advance to the 2024 CrossFit Games.
Let’s take a look at the contenders.
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Top 10 Men and Women, Ranked by Quarterfinals Finish
- 1. Kealan Henry | Christina Livaditakis
- 2. Ruan Duvenage | Gemma Rader
- 3. Callum Deeble | Dina Swift
- 4. Darren Zurnamer | Gilmari Reyneke
- 5. Michael Van Tonder | Reegan Finkel
- 6. Justin Swart | Leeverne Engelbrecht
- 7. Josh Kernot | Emma Holliday
- 8. Ruan Potgieter | Tanha Bouffe
- 9. CJ Ward | Suzaan Jacobs
- 10. Dane Naude | Brady Finkel
Women’s Division
The Favorite
Christina Livaditakis: The only athlete in the top 10 of Quarterfinals outside of South Africa, Livaditakis represents Zimbabwe and trains out of CrossFit CrossAxed in Australia.
- The 27-year-old finished second in the Africa Semifinal in 2022, fourth in 2023, and is currently ranked 62nd worldwide.
Worth noting: Michelle Basnett and Mariska Smit finished first and second in 2023, respectively. Neither are competing this year, leaving a void at the top. The only woman who finished ahead of Livaditakis is our top challenger, Gilmari Reyneke.
Top Challengers
Gilmari Reyneke: Based on last year’s third-place Semifinal finish, Reyneke could be considered a favorite and is expected to push for the win.
- The 27-year-old Reyneke beat Livaditakis by 10 points in 2023 but bested her in just two of seven workouts.
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Gemma Rader: Coming in with momentum after a second-place finish in the 2024 Quarterfinals, 31-year-old Rader finished sixth in the 2023 Africa Semifinal.
Dina Swift: At 35 and having already qualified for the Masters CrossFit Games, Swift is looking to qualify as an individual as well. Along with Ruan Duvenage on the men’s side, she would be the first to accomplish that feat.
Tanha Bouffe: The 25-year-old had three fourth-place finishes at last year’s Africa Semifinal, along with a fifth-place overall finish. After securing eighth place at Quarterfinals this year, Bouffe will be in the mix this weekend.
Don’t Forget About
Reegan Finkel: Last year, Finkel competed on the Cape CrossFit Wolfpack team that won the region and finished 31st at the Games. At 21 years old, she is the youngest of the potential top contenders.
- The 2023 team was comprised of the Finkel sisters, Reegan and Brady, along with two of the top male individual competitors, Callum Deeble and Michael Van Tonder.
Men’s Division
The Favorite
Kealan Henry: The only competitor in the field with Individual Games experience, Henry enters Semifinals on a high note. He won the Quarterfinals for the Africa region, placing first in three of the four workouts. His worldwide finish of 69th is the highest of his career.
- The 31-year-old qualified for the Games by winning the 2022 Fittest In Cape Town Semifinal. He had to withdraw after five events, placing him 40th.
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He also had to withdraw from last year’s Semifinal after five workouts. If he can stay healthy, he is the favorite to stand on top of the podium.
Worth noting: Perennial Games athlete Jason Smith won the region last year but is currently serving a four-year ban for testing positive for PEDs.
Top Challengers
Ruan Potgieter: After standing on the podium in 2023 on the back of two event wins, Potgieter is the highest returning finisher from last year. Look for him to hit some home runs on his way back to the podium.
- Potgieter officially finished in second place in 2023 after Smith was disqualified.
Ruan Duvenage: Like Dina Swift, the 35-year-old is looking to be the first person to qualify for both the Individual and Masters CrossFit Games. He has already qualified as a Masters athlete.
- Duvenage finished second in the Quarterfinals in the region and is expected to challenge Henry every step of the way.
Darren Zurnamer: With back-to-back third-place finishes at the 2023 Africa Semifinal, Zurnammer is looking to break through and earn his first ticket to the Games.
- At 23 years old, Zurnamer is the youngest of the top male contenders in the region.
Callum Deeble: A member of the Cape CrossFit Wolfpack team that qualified for the Games last year, Deeble is competing as an individual in Semifinals for the first time in 2024.
- Deeble has been to the Games twice on a team. In 2021, he guided CrossFit Eikestad to a 30th-place finish in Madison.
Don’t Forget About
Michael Van Tonder: One of the four members of the 2023 Cape CrossFit Wolfpack team who is competing as an individual this year. The 30-year-old finished fifth in the 2024 Quarterfinals in the region and 13th at the Africa Semifinal in 2022.
The Bottom Line
With only one ticket to the Games available in each division in Africa this weekend, the competition will be fierce. It’s either win or go home.
Expect to see athletes leaving it all on the floor for the opportunity to compete in Fort Worth in August.
How To Watch the Renegade Games
A full slate of coverage will be available across many platforms, including the CrossFit Games website, the CrossFit Games App, Facebook, Twitch, and YouTube.
- Don’t forget to follow the Rebel Renegade Games on Instagram, too.
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2024 CrossFit Games Africa Semifinal Schedule
All times are listed in South African Standard Time (GMT+2). See below for conversions to EST and GMT.
Friday, May 31
- 9 a.m.-10:30 a.m.: Team Event 1
- 11 a.m.-12 p.m.: Team Event 2
- 12:45-3:20 p.m.: Individual Event 1
- 3:35-5:20 p.m.: Team Event 3
Saturday, June 1
- 9 a.m.-12 p.m.: Individual Event 2
- 12:20-3 p.m.: Team Event 4
- 3:20-4 p.m.: Individual Event 3
- 4:15-5:15 p.m.: Team Event 5
Sunday, June 2
- 9-11:20 a.m.: Individual Event 4
- 12:20-2:30 p.m.: Individual Event 5
- 2:45-4:15 p.m.: Individual Event 6
(Podium ceremonies will follow Team Event 5 on Saturday and Individual Event 6 on Sunday.)
Time Zone Conversions:
- Eastern Standard Time: Six hours behind South African Standard.
- The competition begins at 3:00 a.m. EST, Friday, May 24.
- Greenwich Mean Time: Two hours behind South African Standard.
- The competition begins at 7:00 a.m. GMT, Friday, May 24.
More CrossFit Semifinals Coverage
Check out these other stories as we head into the 2024 CrossFit Semifinals:
- How To Watch the 2024 CrossFit Games Semifinals
- 2024 CrossFit Games Season Prize Purse Revealed, No Increase From 2023
- 2024 CrossFit Games World Wide Rankings and Strength of Field, Explained
Featured image: @christinalivaditakis / Instagram