South Africa's Best Bets This Week

This Week's Betting Preview: New Rugby Seasons Kick Off as AFCON Qualifiers Take Centre Stage

There is plenty of sporting action to look forward to this week across rugby, football, cricket and horse racing. At Bets.co.za, you'll find the latest previews, betting odds, predictions and expert tips covering the biggest fixtures and competitions throughout the week.

AFCON Qualifiers Take Centre Stage

The focus in African football turns to the CAF Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, with the opening round of fixtures taking place across Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. National teams from across the continent begin their qualification campaigns, with plenty at stake from the opening matches.

We will also have coverage of selected Nations League fixtures as international football dominates the schedule this week.

New Seasons Begin in the URC and Rugby Premiership

It is a particularly busy week of rugby, with two major competitions beginning their 2026/27 campaigns on Friday. The United Rugby Championship gets underway with all four South African franchises in action as the Bulls, Stormers, Lions and Sharks begin their new seasons.

The Rugby Premiership also kicks off with its opening round, while France's Top 14 continues with round four.

In New Zealand, the NPC reaches round nine, the penultimate round before the playoffs. With teams battling for better positions on the log ahead of the knockout stages, there are key fixtures across the board this weekend.

Springboks Face Australia on Sunday

The only international rugby fixture of the weekend sees Australia host South Africa on Sunday in what promises to be an exciting clash.

Rassie Erasmus has made 13 changes to the Springbok side that beat the All Blacks a fortnight ago, providing a very different look to the South African team for their meeting with the Wallabies.

South Africa and Australia Begin ODI Series

There is also plenty happening on the cricket front, with the Asian Games continuing as some of cricket's smaller nations test themselves against some of the biggest and best teams in the world.

South Africa's ODI series against Australia gets underway on Thursday, while England and Sri Lanka complete their ODI series over the weekend.

Daily Horse Racing Betting

If horse racing is your sport of choice, Bets.co.za has the best racing action from across South Africa covered every week. From the country's biggest meetings to regular fixtures, you'll find race previews, expert selections and the latest betting odds throughout the week.

Whether you're following the AFCON qualifiers, the start of the URC and Rugby Premiership seasons, the NPC, Top 14, international rugby or this week's cricket action, Bets.co.za has the latest previews, predictions and betting tips to keep you covered throughout the week.