The South Africa national netball team, also known as the SPAR Proteas, represent Netball South Africa in international netball tournaments, such as the Netball World Cup, the Commonwealth Games, the Netball Quad Series and the Fast5 Netball World Series. Their best result in a major tournament is a silver medal at the 1995 World Netball Championships. As of 1 March 2024, South Africa are currently fifth in the World Netball Rankings.
Karla Pretorius is a South African netball player, and has represented her country with the South Africa national netball team. She plays in the positions of Goal Defence (GD) and Wing Defence (WD).
Bongiwe Msomi is a former South Africa netball international and current netball coach. Between 2011 and 2023, Msomi made 171 senior appearances for South Africa. She represented South Africa at the 2011, 2015, 2019 and 2023 Netball World Cups and at 2014, 2018 and 2022 Commonwealth Games. She was a member of the South Africa teams that medalled at the 2012 World University Netball Championship and the 2012 Fast5 Netball World Series. Between 2016 and 2023 she captained South Africa. When she retired, she was South Africa's most capped netball international. Msomi was also a member of two Netball Superleague title winning teams – in 2015 with Surrey Storm and in 2017 with Wasps Netball. In 2022 she captained Gauteng Golden Fireballs when they won the Telkom Netball League title. Since 2019, Msomi has served as netball head coach at the University of Johannesburg.
The Premier Netball League is the top level netball league featuring teams from South Africa. It was formed in 2014 and is organised by Netball South Africa. Between 2014 and 2018, due to sponsorship and naming rights arrangements, the league was known as the Brutal Fruit Netball Cup. Since 2019, the league has been sponsored by Telkom and, as a result, it is widely known as the Telkom Netball League. In 2014, Free State Crinums were the inaugural winners. Gauteng Jaguars are the league's most successful team, having won six titles. The league features two divisions and uses a promotion and relegation format. The winners of the Division Two Shield can gain promotion to Division One by winning a play off.
Netball South Africa is the main governing body for netball in South Africa. It is affiliated to World Netball and Africa Netball. It is responsible for organising and administering the South Africa national netball team, the South Africa men's national netball team, the Diamond Challenge and the Telkom Netball League, as well as numerous other leagues and competitions for junior and youth teams. Its headquarters are based in Arcadia, Pretoria.
Limpopo Baobabs are a South African netball team based in Polokwane. Since 2014 they have represented Limpopo in the Telkom Netball League. In 2023 they won the Division Two Shield and, after winning a play-off, they were promoted to Division One.
The Netball South Africa Diamond Challenge is an international netball series hosted by Netball South Africa. The series traditionally features South Africa playing a series of test matches against mostly visiting African national teams. South Africa won the inaugural 2012 series.
Shadine van der Merwe is a South Africa netball international. She has represented South Africa at the 2018 and 2022 Commonwealth Games and at the 2019 and 2023 Netball World Cups. In South Africa, she played for UP Tuks in Varsity Netball and for Gauteng Jaguars in the Brutal Fruit Netball Cup. In 2017 she captained both teams to national titles. She has since played for Surrey Storm, Manchester Thunder and Loughborough Lightning in the Netball Superleague and for Adelaide Thunderbirds in Suncorp Super Netball.
Khanyisa Chawane is a South African netball player. She was selected to represent the South African netball team at the 2019 Netball World Cup and the 2023 Netball World Cup hosted in South Africa.
The 2021 SPAR Challenge Series was the sixth Diamond Challenge netball series.. The series was played at the Cape Town International Convention Centre and broadcast live on SuperSport in South Africa. It was originally scheduled to be played in January 2021, however it was delayed due to a resurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa. It was eventually played in March 2021. It was effectively two separate series played alongside each other. South Africa, Namibia and Uganda played each other in a Tri Nations Series that earned them points on the World Netball Rankings. Meanwhile, two invitational teams, a Netball South Africa President's XII and the Baby Proteas played each other in a series of five matches. These two teams were basically the South Africa B and under-21 teams respectively. Both the South Africa and Uganda squads did not feature any players from the Netball Superleague, Suncorp Super Netball or the ANZ Premiership. South Africa won the Tri Nations Series, winning all six of their matches while the President's XII won their series against the Baby Proteas 4–1.
Lefébre Rademan is a South African netball player, who has represented the national team. At club level, she plays for Severn Stars in the British Netball Superleague (NSL), and has previously played for Celtic Dragons and London Pulse in the NSL, as well as Free State Crinums in the South African Netball League.
The 2021 Varsity Sport, the 10 season of a South African university.
Marlize de Bruin is a South African women's rugby sevens and netball player.
Varsity Netball is a netball league featuring teams representing universities in South Africa. It was formed in 2013. UFS Kovsies were the inaugural winners and they remain the league's most successful team, having won five titles. It is one of several similar sports competitions that form the Varsity Sports series. Others include leagues for men's football, women's football, field hockey and rugby union.
University of Johannesburg Netball Club, commonly known as UJ Netball, are a South African netball team based at Kingsway Campus Auckland Park at the University of Johannesburg. Their senior team represents the university in Varsity Netball. They also enter teams in University Sports South Africa, Netball South Africa and local Gauteng competitions. In addition they organise a University of Johannesburg netball league.
Free State Crinums are a South African netball team based in Bloemfontein. Since 2014, they have represented the Free State in the Telkom Netball League. They were the inaugural league champions. Between 2014 and 2016, Crinums won three successive titles. In 2024, they won a fourth title.
The 2018 Diamond Challenge was the fifth Diamond Challenge netball series. It featured South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe and a Netball South Africa President's XII. The series was played in late November and early December 2018 at Seshego's Ngoako Ramathlodi Sports Complex. With a team coached by Norma Plummer and captained by Bongiwe Msomi, South Africa won the series. South Africa finished the series undefeated, winning all five matches, and Msomi was named the Player of the Tournament. The series was broadcast live on SuperSport in South Africa.
The 2012 Diamond Challenge was the inaugural Diamond Challenge netball series. It featured South Africa, Botswana, Malawi and Zambia. The series was played in August 2012 at Pretoria's Heartfelt Arena. Malawi won the group stage of the series, winning all three matches, including defeating South Africa 47–42 in their third match. However, it was South Africa who won the overall series, after they defeated Malawi 47–43 in the final. The series was broadcast live on SuperSport in South Africa.
The 2013 Diamond Challenge was the second Diamond Challenge netball series. It featured South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The series was played in October 2013 at the NMMU Indoor Sports Centre at Nelson Mandela University in Port Elizabeth. South Africa entered an Invitational team featuring under-21 players, including Shadine van der Merwe. Coached by Elize Kotze and captained by Bongiwe Msomi, South Africa won the series. South Africa finished the series undefeated, winning all three matches. In the final they defeated Zimbabwe 59–45. The series was broadcast live on SuperSport in South Africa.
The 2013 African Netball Championship was hosted by Malawi in June 2013. It was the second African Netball Championships tournament. It featured eight African national teams. With a team coached by Elize Kotze and captained by Maryka Holtzhausen, South Africa won the tournament. South Africa finished the tournament undefeated, winning all five of their matches. In the final they defeated Malawi 54–52 after extra time.
