South Africa’s emerging netball talents are set to take centre stage at the 2025 Telkom Netball Championships, which runs from July 07 to 11 at Hoërskool DF Malan and Laerskool Totius in Bellville, Cape Town. The tournament features U17, U18 and U19 teams and serves as a vital platform to spot the next generation of netball stars. The event will be live-streamed on SuperSport Schools.
Netball South Africa (NSA), in partnership with South African Schools Netball (SASN), has teamed up with one of the country’s top mobile network providers, Telkom to create this important event. The championship offers a unique opportunity for girls nationwide to showcase their netball talent and enter NSA’s development pipeline. This initiative is instrumental in enriching the talent pool for the Telkom Netball League (TNL) and nurturing future national team players.
Last year’s event in Pretoria was a testament to the tournament’s growing significance, with a record-breaking 88 teams participating across the three age groups – the highest number since the competition began in 2021. This year, the tournament has drawn 102 teams, including guest teams from Namibia, who will participate in the U17 and U18 age groups.
The consistent growth underscores its importance in talent identification.
“Since its inception, the tournament has grown steadily into a key event on the local netball calendar, empowering young girls and nurturing future netball stars,” said Netball South Africa Acting President, Mami Diale.
The championship directly contributes to the identification of talent, as evidenced by the selection of a U17 national team of 12 players from last year’s participants. This South African team then went on to play against Namibia’s U18 side, securing a convincing 46-25 victory.
This year a national U17 team will be selected to represent SA at the Confederation of School Sport Associations of Southern Africa (COSSASA) Games in August. This will be held in Eswatini.
“All our dreams come true if we have the courage to pursue them. Often they come in unexpected places at unexpected times and you need to decide how you will handle the success of those dreams.” said Chairperson of South Africa Schools Netball, Di Wooley.
Meanwhile, the games will be played according to World Netball rules, preparing young netball stars for the rigours of the international game.
Tickets available at the venue, R20 per person per day and parking at R30 per vehicle per day.
Live streaming available on the SuperSport Schools app.
