South Africa’s SPAR Proteas have cemented their dominance on the continent after successfully defending their Africa Netball Cup title with a commanding 56–34 victory over Uganda in the final played on Sunday in Lilongwe, Malawi.
Under the guidance of head coach Jenny van Dyk, the Proteas delivered a disciplined and assured performance to retain their status as African champions and secure a record-breaking fifth continental crown — the most by any nation in the competition’s history.
South Africa entered the final unbeaten and brimming with confidence, having navigated the tournament without a single loss. The Proteas wasted no time asserting their authority, dictating the tempo from the opening whistle and racing into an early lead. Despite fielding a slightly altered starting line-up from their semi-final encounter, the South Africans settled quickly and closed the first quarter with a commanding 16–7 advantage.
Captain Khanyisa Chawane was a notable absentee on the day, with Elmere van der Berg assuming leadership duties. The change did little to disrupt South Africa’s rhythm, as the Proteas maintained relentless pressure in both attack and defence. Uganda struggled to penetrate a well-organised defensive unit, managing just nine goals in the second quarter, while South Africa extended their lead to 27–16 at the half-time break.
Tactical adjustments in the third quarter further underlined the Proteas’ depth and composure. With Refiloe Nketsa on a caution, van Dyk reshuffled her defensive unit, introducing Sanmarie Visser at goal defence and shifting Jamie van Wyk to wing defence. The changes paid immediate dividends as South Africa dominated the pivotal “championship quarter”, outscoring Uganda 17–10 to stretch the lead to 44–26.
The final quarter saw the Proteas maintain their discipline and control, comfortably seeing out the match to seal a 56–34 victory and lift the Africa Netball Cup once again.
Reflecting on the triumph, van Dyk praised both her team’s execution and Uganda’s competitiveness.
“Uganda will always make you work on the netball court. We knew we needed a solid game plan and to start strong. From the onset, we understood this game would be won in the circle. I must commend Uganda for a great final. As a team, we set ourselves a target of 60 goals and fell short today, but what matters most is that we are champions,” she said.
South Africa’s success extended beyond the women’s competition, with the men’s national team also retaining their African title earlier in the day. The South African men defeated Zimbabwe 40–29 to claim their second continental crown in three years, under the leadership of coach Jabulani Vilane.
The dual triumph underscores South Africa’s growing influence in African netball, as the country continues to set the benchmark for excellence on the continent.
