The 2025 Western Cape Ubuntu representatives are sharp and ready for the DSTV Schools Netball Challenge (DSNC) powered by Bestmed Medical Scheme national finals.
Provincial winners, Kayamandi High School, and runner-up Nomzamo Secondary were taken through their paces by Khanyisa Chawane as they prepare to meet other schools from across the country. The Netball Challenge will see new champions ascending to the podium this year as 2024 champions, Khombindlela High School have not qualified for the national finals set for 25 to 26 July at the Hoërskool Dr. E.G. Jansen in Boksburg.
The DSNC, a partnership between Multichoice and the SA Schools Netball (SASN), is a platform that provides young athletes an equal opportunity to showcase their talent on a national stage. The competition is divided into two streams, Botho and Ubuntu, for schools in both rural and urban areas, and has been a platform for national coaches and selectors to spot and observe talent.
The Western Cape is the first of four regions hosting coaching clinics for Ubuntu teams ahead of the national finals. KwaZulu Natal, Limpopo and Mpumalanga and Gauteng will follow suit.
The Puma brand ambassador didn’t only share training drills but also imparted life skills knowledge to aspiring netball players. Chawane reckons the coaching clinics will play a pivotal role in getting the players ready for the nationals but also careers in netball.
“It gives the kids a lot of confidence especially going into this tournament having to have experience of someone professional getting to coach them. It gives them confidence in knowing that they can go out there and win or not feel inferior to other schools but feel like they are equal to every person there because they have been coached by someone who is professional and someone they look up to. It is also more for the individuals to believe in netball and that they deserve to be where they are,” says Chawane.
The midcourt maestro says it was essential to instil the basics of the game in the players, as those are necessary to shine through at big tournaments.
“They are all naturally talented. It is just going back to the textbook basics that we think don’t matter because we are talented. The small things like catching and passing, are things that actually matter in big games in those tournaments. You want to take them back to the basics, something they can hold on to, especially before a tournament,” she says.
Nomzamo’s Liyabona Mbalana believes the opportunity to meet and train with Chawane will keep her focused on her dreams.
“It was a very interesting experience because we trained with Chawane, who is one of my role models in netball. I was really happy to see her, we had a good day. I learnt a lot from KC and I could relate to some of the things she spoke about when she introduced herself. She spoke about not having parents, I’m left with only one, my father but we are not close. I lost my mom. She continued playing sport even after losing her parents and I thought that even though I don’t have a mother, I must continue playing sport. Sport will take me places.
She taught us the basics of the court, how to pass, how to intercept the ball, and how to (find) space. This will help us a lot because we want to continue playing netball even at varsity. I hope everyone learnt and will apply what we were taught,” explains Mbalana.
Kayamandi goal attack, Yonelisa Mnono says with the skills learnt, they will be aiming to take the Ubuntu title.
“I am hoping what we learnt we will apply, not only in our school team but the teams we play for in our communities. We feel lucky and happy that we will represent our province at the nationals. I hope we will make everyone proud and win. If not, we will settle for any position on the podium. We know there will be other teams who will be working as hard as us, if not more, also gunning for the win,” she says