Ladies, get ready to make a splash during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, because the 2025 edition of Secret Swim is just around the corner.
Organised by ILoveBoobies – a Cape Town-based, non-profit charity that aims to provide breast cancer screenings – the eighth annual Secret Swim is where women across South Africa come together for a fun morning of swimming, picnicking and good vibes.
Also, it’s a time to honour breast cancer survivors, pay tribute to those we’ve lost and show support to the women who are currently battling the disease.
SECRET SWIM: WHEN AND WHERE?
The event starts at 7:30 next Saturday, 11 October 2025. It is expected to end approximately at 9:00.
It will be hosted at 18 beach-, dam- and pool-based venues across the country. Take a look:
- Eastern Cape: East London, Gqeberha and Port Alfred.
- Garden Route: George and Plettenberg Bay.
- Gauteng: Centurion.
- KwaZulu-Natal (North, South and East Coasts): Ballito, Howick, Kloof, Margate, Pennington and Richards Bay.
- Mpumalanga: Hazyview.
- Northern Cape: Upington.
- Western Cape: Atlantic Seaboard, Bloubergstrand, False Bay and Helderberg.
Once you’ve secured an opening for your chosen location, you will receive a pin to the exact swim spot at 23:59 on Friday, 10 October 2025, via email and SMS.
WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT
Participants will meet at their respective Secret Swim locations. Registration will take place at 7:30, after which you can get some temporary tattoos and pose for pre-swim selfies.
At 7:45, there will be a welcome talk and safety briefing. A group photo will follow, where you have the option to pose topless (from behind, of course).
At 8:00, it’s time to hit the waters! You can swim solo, float about with your friends or take a quick dip – the important thing is that you’re comfortable and having fun.
Female lifeguards will be on duty during the event. As for your personal belongings, bag-watchers will look after them for you.
Once you’ve had your swim, feel free to mingle with other participants over a picnic (be sure to bring some snacks and hot drinks on the day) before the gatherings disperse.
SECRET SWIM: MAKING BREAST CANCER SCREENINGS POSSIBLE
The event is open to women of all ages who have been affected by breast cancer in different capacities or who want to show their support.
The entry fee costs R200. All proceeds from the Secret Swim gatherings will go towards funding free breast cancer screenings for 1 000 women in underserved South African communities.
To secure your place in the Secret Swim, or for more information about ILoveBoobies’ mission, visit their website at iloveboobies.co.za.
