History will run through Walvis Bay on 12 September, when the coastal city joins the African continent in a spectacular celebration of the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games Flame.

As the Olympic Flame begins its historic journey from Greece to Africa, Walvis Bay will join communities across the continent in the massive “We Run for Africa” activation, a symbolic 30,500-kilometre journey representing the approximate circumference of Africa.

The Namibian leg of the celebration will unfold at Atlantis Sports Club, turning the coastal city into a stage for youth, sport and Olympic history.

Schoolchildren, athletes, families and the wider community are being called upon to take part in the event, which will combine sport and celebration with a strong message about Africa’s young generation and its future.

The programme will feature speeches, youth sports workshops, Olympic education and ocean conservation activities, giving the Walvis Bay event a distinctly Namibian character.

The significance of the occasion cannot be overstated. Dakar 2026 will be the first Olympic sporting event ever held on African soil, with Senegal preparing to welcome the world’s young athletes for the Youth Olympic Games later this year.

The Youth Olympic Flame will be lit in Greece on 10 September, before arriving in Dakar on 12 September, launching the official Flame Tour.

For Walvis Bay, participation in the continental activation places Namibia directly inside one of the most significant moments in the history of the Olympic movement.

The Olympic Flame, traditionally ignited by the sun’s rays at ancient Olympia, represents continuity between the ancient and modern Games.

But on 12 September, its symbolism will take on a new meaning as Africa takes centre stage. For Namibia’s young people, the event is an opportunity to experience the Olympic movement not simply as spectators, but as participants in a historic continental celebration built around friendship, respect and excellence.

And for Walvis Bay, a city whose identity is inseparable from the ocean, the inclusion of ocean conservation alongside sport and Olympic education sends a powerful local message.

The road to Dakar starts in Greece. But on 12 September, Walvis Bay will run with Africa, and into Olympic history.

By Rudi Bowe