The quality of athlete-coach relationships is important for athletes' performance and development. In the current paper, we report a qualitative investigation of coach-athlete relationships among several Southern African Olympians and their coaches, thereby providing a perspective beyond current research predominantly done in the developed Western world. Ten coach-athlete dyads from Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe participated in semi-structured interviews. In addition, athletes from Botswana and South Africa participated in separate focus groups. The analysis revealed that elements of 3Cs +1 framework were evident, while culture also plays a pivotal role in shaping coach-athlete relations. Beyond closeness, commitment, complementarity, and co-orientation, themes associated with parental roles and cultural influences were found. We conclude that the study of athlete-coach relationships may benefit from culturally specific and sensitive research that addresses the nuances that underline the complex interpersonal dynamics between athletes and coaches.

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