We, the undersigned members of SAMA Fitness, fitness and athletics clubs in the city of Mthatha, and the general public call on the Mthatha Mall to engage with the Virgin Active Group to occupy the current SAMA Fitness premises following the announced closure of SAMA Fitness on the 29th of June 2026. 

The closure of SAMA Fitness will have far-reaching consequences for our community. Approximately 30 employees, including administrative staff, personal trainers and cleaning staff, stand to lose their jobs and livelihoods. Beyond these direct job losses, hundreds of members who rely on the facility for their health and well-being will be left without a suitable alternative. 

SAMA Fitness has become much more than a gym. It has created a thriving fitness ecosystem that supports sports clubs, athletic clubs, children's swimming lessons, and a community committed to healthy living. Allowing the ecosystem to disapear would have a significant social and economic impact on Mthatha. 

Transitioning the facility to Virgin Active would preserve this valuable community. It would help protect existing jobs, retain the established member base, and ensure that the fitness programmes currently operating at the facility can continue with minimal disruption. 

In addition, Virgin Active offers members access to a national network of clubs, allowing for the majority of SAMA Fitness members who travel for work, study or leisure to continue using their membership anywhere in South Africa. This provides a far greater benefit than replacing SAMA Fitness with a localised gym operator. 

We understand that Virgin Active has expressed strong interest in occupying the existing premises. We therefore urge Mthatha Mall to engage with Virgin Active as a matter of urgency to facilitate this transition to ensure that the SAMA Fitness community continues to thrive rather than disapear.