A year of turmoil, transition and triumph for netball in South Africa

South African netball witnessed an eventful year in 2025. The major story of the year has to be the suspension of former Netball South Africa (NSA) president, Cecilia Molokwane, from all netball activities.

The former Limpopo Baobabs coach will be facing a disciplinary inquiry in January after being suspended by World Netball (WN) amid allegations of intimidation and “excessive use” of NSA resources related to the 2023 Netball World Cup.

Molokwane resigned from her role as a Director on the WN Board in October, just a few days before the NSA Quadrennial General Meeting.

After all the turmoil, NSA elected a new executive, which is now led by veteran administrator Mami Diale. Diale was first elected as a board member in 2002 and served as director of demarcation and structures, and was later elected vice-president in the 2021 election.

Khosi Dlamini was voted Diale’s vice, while Dumisani Chauke earned her first executive position in NSA after she was voted as the Director of Coaches.

Diale says her tenure will focus on “rebuilding and restoring netball.”

TOUGH LESSONS AGAINST THE TOP SIDES

The Spar Proteas had a mixed bag of results this year. The Jenny van Dyk-led side began the year with the tour to Jamaica for the Margaret Beckford Sunshine Series, where they suffered a 3-0 whitewash loss to the Sunshine Girls. They moved to the United Kingdom for the Nations Cup, where they faced England, Malawi and Uganda.

The Proteas managed to beat the She-Cranes and the Vitality Roses in the group stage, then proceeded to defeat the Queens of Malawi in the semis. The hosts managed to make a comeback in the final and defeated South Africa. The team showed a lot of improvement and promise in this competition.

However, their Australasian tour was a bit of a tough one. They lost both series to New Zealand and Australia. The Silver Ferns made a dramatic comeback in the last test to deny the Proteas the only win of their series on the last second of the match.

The tour of Australia proved even harder for the Proteas. The Origin Diamonds dominated all three matches to clinch the series in a whitewash.

DEFENDING THE AFRICAN TITLE

After the tough lessons against the top four teams in the world, the Proteas went to the Africa Netball Cup with one intention: to defend their title. They continued their dominance on the continent and secured a record fifth title without losing a single match throughout the competition. They defeated rivals Uganda 56-34 in the final to end the year on a high.

Protea players have remained some of the most sought-after in the world. Eight senior national players are set to compete in the Netball Super League (NSL) next year, one more player than in the 2025 season. Kamogelo Maseko and Jamie van Wyk will be making their debuts in the competition.

Elmere van der Berg, who played for Manchester Thunder for two seasons, has exited the UK league and will compete Down Under for Adelaide Thunderbirds.

The Precious Mthembu-led side made history by becoming the first South African team to reach the top four at the Netball World Youth Cup 2025 held in Gibraltar. Mthembu’s charges missed out on a podium finish after losing the bronze medal match 55-35 to England, having tasted their first defeat of the competition at the hands of eventual winners, Australia.

FIREBALLS DOMINATE DOMESTICALLY

The Gauteng Golden Fireballs successfully clinched their second Telkom Netball League title in style. They won their first TNL title in 2022. The Fireballs were the only side to have gone unbeaten this season. They defeated the 2024 champions, the Free State Crinums, in Division One.

The KwaZulu-Natal Kingdom Stars earned promotion to the elite stream while the Limpopo Baobabs have been relegated after spending just one season in Division One.

Dr. Elsje Jordaan ended her year with another big title. Her side, Johannesburg A, won a historical fourth straight title in the Championships

The men’s senior team made it three in a row when they secured the Africa Netball Cup title. The Proteas Men won the first men’s title when it launched in 2023, and coach Jabulani Vilane complemented the consistency of some of the teams in the competitions. However, he says he is hopeful that other countries will take up the sport.

“I see the consistency of some of the regular teams in the competition. If more African teams can also try to join in, that would be great,” he says.

Ekurhuleni A proved superior at the Males National Netball Championships this year, winning the competition for a third time in a row. The Judy Rathethe-led side was one of the 60 teams in this year’s competition; they beat the West Rand in the final.

Meanwhile, the University of Johannesburg men’s side became the second University Sport South Africa Netball Championships champions. The men’s category in the tournament was introduced in 2024. Last year’s winner, the Tshwane University of Technology, finished second.