South African athlete Marlie Viljoen said the conditions at the ongoing 2026 African Athletics Championships in Accra have improved.

This comes after complaints from her teammate Aiden Smith on day one of the championships last Tuesday about inadequate food and the conditions of accommodation.

The comments necessitated the country’s Sports Minister, Gayton McKenzie, to release a statement saying he ordered alternative accommodation for the athletes, but they chose to remain at the on-site University of Ghana hostel for the rest of the competition.

Viljoen’s compatriot, Aiden Smith, criticised organisers of the event that is taking place in Ghana at the University of Ghana Sports Stadium for rationing food for athletes, which sparked a massive fallout in the early days of the competition.

Speaking to Joy Sports after her 400m final on Thursday, Marlie Viljoen said, “I don’t have a problem with it. It’s the same for everyone. I understand it’s not the best circumstances, but they have improved immensely over the last two days. The food last night was amazing.

“But you know, this is Africa. We’re all going through the same thing. The circumstances are the same for everyone. So, I just try to cancel that out and get to that start line.”

‘I don’t have a problem. It’s the same for everyone. I understand it’s not the best situation, but things are improving, and last night’s food was amazing.’
South Africa’s Marlie Viljoen on conditions at the African Championships#JoySports pic.twitter.com/RygR1pXak5
— #JoySports (@JoySportsGH) May 14, 2026

The six-day competition, which kicked off on Tuesday, was marred by technical issues for the first two days. Reporters and athletes were rocked by the unavailability of finish times long after races were over, and even start entry lists, as the championships website was not working.

But Thursday’s events were much smoother, with results displaying on the screens soon after events were completed.

The action continues on Friday through to Sunday.

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South African Athlete Says Conditions Have Improved at African Championships

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