Meet the Spar Proteas

The Spa Proteas are set to become the pride of South Africa but also for the whole continent when the country hosts the 2023 Netball World Cup in Cape Town. The continental champions are the highest-ranked African team in the world as they sit fifth on the World Netball rankings after defending their continental title successfully in Namibia in 2021 without losing a single game.

After a disappointing showing at the 2022 Birmingham, the Proteas showed their prowess at the Africa qualifiers where they had not lost a single match, coach Dorette Badenhorst also used the tournament to have a look at the players who didn’t make the final squad for the Commonwealth Games to work on different combinations as the team continued to prepare for the big tournament in Cape Town next year. Some of the regular players had been given some rest from the national team ahead of the other tournaments like the Diamond Challenge later this year.

Bongiwe Msomi:

She is one of the most experienced players in the current squad, having made her debut for the senior team in 2011. The Gauteng Golden Fireballs captain is also one of the longest-serving skippers of the national team after she was announced the captain of the team in 2016, succeeding Maryka Holtzhausen. Msomi led the team to their first-ever Quad Series victory against the England Roses in 2017.

Phumza Maweni:

Although Maweni started playing netball at a later stage of her life, she is one of the stars of the team. Her gallant performance saw her being named goalkeeper of the season in the Vitality Super League where she was in the colours of Team Bath which took bronze last season. She is one of the few South African players to have played both in Australia and the United Kingdom for the likes of Sunshine Coast Lightning in the Suncorp Super Netball League, and Loughborough Lightning and Severn Stars in the Super League.

Shadine van der Merwe:

Van der Merwe is a versatile defensive player who is effective in the mid-court and the circle defence both as goal defence and goalkeeper. She has been part of the senior team since 2018 and has seen her share of professional netball in the Vitality Super and the Suncorp Super Netball Leagues for Surrey Storm, league-winning Manchester Thunder and Adelaide Thunderbirds. She’s also represented South Africa at two Commonwealth Games, 2018 Goal Coast and 2022 Birmingham, she was also part of the Proteas team that finished in the top four at the 2019 Netball World Cup in Liverpool.

Khanyisa Chawane:

The Free State Crinums star was one of the standout players at the previous World Cup and this earned her her first professional contract with Team Bath in the Super League. The former Baby Proteas captain has an incredibly speedy pace and always plays a vital key in securing turnovers to supply to the attackers, this has seen her being a regular feature in mid-court for the national team since her first senior national cap in 2018.

Izette Griesel:

The back-to-back Telkom Netball League Player of the Tournament has been an integral part of the national team since her first cap in 2015. She has since represented the country in two Netball World Cup tournaments and two Commonwealth Games.

Ine-Marie Venter:

Venter made her name for herself in national colours after she made an impressive showing at the 2018 Commonwealth Games where she replaced an injured Lenize Potgieter from the squad. Although young, she was commanding in the shooting circle for the Proteas that was crippled by injuries. Her incredible talent has taken her to Australia for the Melbourne Vixens and Queensland Firebirds, she was in the colours of Saracens Mavericks in the last season of the Super League in the United Kingdom.

24 Netball SA contracted players

Khanyisa Chawane, Marlize de Bruin, Izette Griesel, Kamogelo Maseko, Tarle Mathe, Tshina Mdau, Nomfundo Mngomezulu, Bongiwe Msomi, Lungile Mthembu, Sesandile Ngubane, Refiloe Nketsa, Lenize Potgieter, Karla Pretorius, Lefébre Rademan, Monique Reyneke, Nicola Smith, Nicholé Taljaard, Elmeré van der Berg, Shadine van der Merwe, Jamie van Wyk, Ine-Marí Venter, Zanele Vimbela, Boitumelo Mahloko, Phumza Maweni.

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