Daniel Quinta - CEO - Accelerate Sport

Daniel Quinta Appointed CEO of Accelerate Sport

As part of its strategy to strengthen its client services, operations and to drive growth, Accelerate Sport has today announced the appointment of Daniel Quinta as the new CEO, effective 1 February 2020. He succeeds Edward Gregory, who has recently moved to the UK where he has joined global e-sports powerhouse, Fnatic.


Commenting on his new role, Daniel said, “I’m honoured and grateful to have been given the opportunity to lead this exceptional organisation of young, creative and talented professionals. We continuously strive to provide sponsors and clients with the platform to create a meaningful impact in the sports market. We believe that true value lies beyond just cricket, rugby and soccer, that is why we work with federations that are not restricted by traditional norms. Our passion is to empower women’s sport, and I look forward to helping them reach the heights they deserve”.


Born in Rustenburg where he attended school at Fields College, Daniel later went on to earn a BCom Honours degree in Recreation and Sport Management from the University of Pretoria. He joined Accelerate in August 2015 as a Sales and Marketing Executive, and then later moved on to Head of Marketing. With his impressive track record of strong leadership and industry knowledge, Daniel has been responsible for a great portion of Accelerate’s success over the years. In essence, Daniel will now be responsible for growing the business and expanding the model beyond the current scope. He will also continue to play a key role in developing dynamic content for federations and create new opportunities and value for sponsors.


“Daniel is a perfect fit for the role to lead our brand into the future, given his wonderful personal growth, strong command of our business and proven ability to drive results in the sport market”, said Gary Grant, Managing Director of Accelerate. He further added, “We are on a positive growth course and well positioned to continue building on our strong momentum. I’m pleased that Daniel will lead our organisation to ensure a seamless transition of growth and market leadership, he thoroughly deserves it”

City Surf Series - Ian Thurtell 5

City Surf Series Welcomes Thirsti

The City Surf Series heads back to Cape Town for the first time since 2018 in a refreshed event that will see it become the first ever multiple venue surfing tournament on the World Surf League.

In a welcome boost to the City Surf Series and the City of Cape Town, Accelerate Sport have today announced Thirsti Water as the new title sponsor of Cape Town Pro. This will mark the return of the series to the city where it all began back in 2016. As part of the partnership, Thirsti will become the official water across all City Surf Series for 2020.

The City Surf Series is a series of surfing events by Accelerate Sport in collaboration with Surfing South Africa (SSA) and the World Surf League (WSL) which aims to provide competitive WSL Qualifying Series events for local South African surfers. This provides them with the opportunity to compete in, earn valuable WSL QS ranking points, all while earning prize money without the hassle and expensive of having to travel overseas. The Series also attracts a large contingency of International surfers seeking the same objectives but enjoying South Africa’s rich surf destinations and enjoyable currency.

Commenting on the significance of this partnership, Bronwen Blunden, Sponsorship Manager of Thirsti Water said, “The City Surf Series is a perfect partner for Thirsti considering our shared vision to develop local surf talent and steering them to the world stage”. We look forward to welcoming some of the best up and coming talent to our shores and providing the platform for our locals to compete against them. She added, “Cape Town is a strategic opportunity for us and the event will put us on the path of making a contribution to the local communities”.

The Thirsti Cape Town Pro will also become the only mobile event on the WSL calendar, which will see the event change venue across Cape Town over a 5-day waiting period. This unique event will result in the best surfing conditions being selected across each different venue on 3 selected days, in providing the best stage for surfers to compete in. The event may also be become the first ever to be held across two oceans should the conditions cater for it.

“We are pleased to welcome Thirsti Water to our growing family of key sponsors and partners. They already have a strong brand presence in the market with a high-profile of brand associations, and we are looking forward to sharing successes with them”, said Gary Grant, Managing Director of Accelerate Sport. “Our partnership will provide additional exposure and awareness for the sport and deliver broader audience reach.”

About City Surf Series
The City Surf Series is a collaboration between Surfing South Africa (SSA), the World Surf League (WSL) and Accelerate Sport which aims to provide competitive WSL Qualifying Series events for local South African surfers.