ATHLETICS South Africa (ASA) president Aleck Skhosana views SA's hosting of the Global Athletics Conference next month as the beginning of a new era and a revival of the sport in the country.

ASA had been a perennially troubled entity under James Evans for more than five years before he was eventually deposed in June.

Skhosana said while there was still room for improvement, the hosting of the conference is an opportunity for the organisation to show corporate South Africa they have a handle on their business.

"You cannot only say that ASA has gone past its troubles because they are well documented but we believe that when a war is on, it has a start date and an end date," Skhosana said. "The end date for the troubles and the wars was on June 7. We are now in a rebuilding, repackaging and revitalising phase of ASA, where we are now concentrating on our development mandate. That now deals with the transformation and the unity of the people in athletics."

Legendary Trinidadian sprinter and multiple Olympic medallist Ato Boldon, who was skyping live from Miami, said it was time for Africa to look at athletics as a viable business option.

Boldon, who will be one of the keynote speakers, said athletics has the opportunity to flourish like other sports but its individual nature makes it hard for young people to be attracted to the sport.