Telkom Netball League

New Era for Telkom Netball League Champions Golden Fireballs

The Gauteng Golden Fireballs etched their name in the Telkom Netball League history books when the team defeated their rivals and five-time champions, Gauteng Jaguars, to win their maiden title on 19 June 2022.

The Division One final saw the two sides from Gauteng battle it out at Heartfelt Arena in Pretoria. In the tightly contested match it was the Fireballs who came out on top, with a 35-32 victory. 

Fireballs are the third team to lift the trophy in the history of the league. The Free State Crinums had three back-to-back wins from 2014-2016, while the Jaguars won the five previous campaigns under head coach Jenny van Dyk.

It was history in the making for coach Elsje Jordaan, who led the Fireballs to glory after the team finished fifth last year under former mentor Rozanne Matthyse.

Jordaan’s growth as coach comes on the back of her spells as Crinums, Stings and SA U21 mentor. Her team was also positively impacted with a strong leadership duo in Spar Proteas captain Bong Msomi and experienced netballer Monique Reyneke-Meyer. 

“I had a lot of teams that I started out in, but I never had the chance to finish. I grew as a coach and became wiser. I started to understand the game well. It takes time for a coach to settle in and know what you’re all about,” said Jordaan. 

“I started to feel comfortable in my own skin. Having this group of players is any coach’s dream. We had depth and inspirational leaders in Bongi and Monique. Both of them took complete control of both sides of the court.”

Speaking on Msomi and Reyneke-Meyer’s guidance of the younger players, Jordaan said: “They had to do some babysitting, we have a lot of babies. I had to be tough on them and say they have to guide the youngsters and the youngsters bought into it.” 

A few months after marking a new dawn for the team, Fireballs’ captain Msomi was awarded for her outstanding contributions at the 2022 Momentum gsport Awards, where she walked away with the Telkom Woman of the Year accolade. 

Apart from her impact in the Fireballs side, Msomi was also acknowledged for her leadership in the SPAR Proteas side and her passion for giving back to the community through her Bongi Msomi Legacy Project. 

After receiving her Telkom Woman of the Year accolade, Msomi chatted to gsport Content Lead Celine Abrahams backstage at The Wanderers on awards night, where she highlighted the importance of her sharing her knowledge with the next generation. 

“It has been an incredible year. One that really goes down into the history books,” said Msomi. 

“Being part of the Fireballs’ winning team is a great feeling. We had a good team and we made sure that we pushed to get to the final and eventually win the title.” 

In Division One, Jaguars walked away with a silver medal, while the Free State Crinums resurgence steered them to a third place finish and a bronze medal, following an awe-inspiring 67-53 victory over the Southern Stings. 

The Crinums’ shaky start to the tournament earned them four wins out of 10 round-robin matches but fortunately, that was sufficient for a semi-final berth. Despite the first-class performance the Crinums produced in the semis against the Fireballs, the Free State side attained a 14 goal win.  

In Division Two, the Eastern Cape Aloes showed total dominance as they went undefeated in the season to win their third successive title. They then went on to beat the Kingdom Stars 42-39 in the relegation play-off match to make a return to Division One for the first time since 2014. 

2022 Telkom Netball League Division 1 Final Standings:

Golden Fireballs 

Gauteng Jaguars 

Free State Crinums 

Southern Stings

North West Flames

Kingdom Stars

2022 Telkom Netball League Division 2 Final Standings:

Eastern Cape Aloes

Mpumalanga Sunbirds

Western Cape Tornados

Limpopo Baobabs

KZN Kingdom Queens

Eastern Cape Comets

Northern Cape Diamonds

Awards:

Best Shooter: Elmeré van der Berg (North West Flames)

Best Centre Court: Bongiwe Msomi (Golden Fireballs)

Best Defender: Monique Reyneke (Golden Fireballs)

Overall Player of the Tournament: Izette Griesel (Gauteng Jaguars)

Telkom Netball League Team of the Tournament: 

GS: Nomfundo Mngomezulu 

GA: Nicholé Taljaard

WA: Bongiwe Msomi

C: Izette Griesel 

WD: Monica Gomases

GD: Monique Reyneke-Meyer

GK: Jeanie Steyn 

Substitutes:

Syntiche Kabuya

Owethu Ngubane

Sikholiwe Mdletshe

Jamie van Wyk

Tarle Mathe

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TNL stars paving the way for the next generation

Telkom plays an important role in the development and growth of netball. Its sponsorship of the Telkom Netball League (TNL) and the Telkom National Championships (TNC) is making an impact — stars are being unearthed throughout the netball pipeline.

The 2022 edition of the Telkom Netball League has been an outstanding platform for netball stars to catch the attention of the national selectors ahead of the Netball World Cup next year, and in the process, it’s taking their careers to the next level.

Elmeré van der Berg, 21, was the leading goal scorer in TNL with 361 goals in Division 1 for North West Flames, and was awarded the Best Shooter. Her impressive performances at this year’s instalment has gained her a global contract with Leeds Rhinos Netball for the 2023 Vitality Netball Superleague season. She made her debut for South Africa last year and has been on top of her game ever since.

“I am very excited about getting the opportunity to play in Super League with the Rhinos and to experience the UK’s netballing system,” says Van der Berg. “I know it’s going to be a competitive season, as the Super League has some of the best players from all over the world. I have spoken to some of my South African teammates who play in Super League and they said every game will be hard. [But], together with regular training, I think it will help me develop as a player.”

Van der Berg is now a role model for the younger generation. Her message to the youth is: “Never give up on your dreams and keep on working hard, because one day you will get rewarded for putting in the hard work.”

She says: “I am very excited about the [Netball] World Cup and it will be an honour for me to be selected to play in the World Cup, but I will continue working hard.”

2022 Momentum gsport Awards Style Star of the Year finalist, Tumi Mahloko, is another player making strides both on and off the court. The Golden Fireballs championship winner displays an incredible amount of discipline when it comes to her game.

Getting to the top and staying there takes commitment: “It means waking up every day and deciding to be consistent, no matter how you feel. You will always have to make sacrifices to get where you want to be, and it takes a lot to be at the top.” 

Apart from having the discipline and making the sacrifices, what else keeps Mahloko motivated? She says: “My mom, and changing my life for the better.”

The gsport Newsroom, powered by Momentum in partnership with Telkom, continues to amplify women’s sport coverage and close the visibility gap. North West Flames captain Didintle Keebine says it is helping athletes to grow their presence.

“I believe the media is currently on the right track to amplify women’s sport. One of my biggest desires is to see women from disadvantaged areas receive recognition, just as those from advantaged areas [do].”

Keebine, who continues to make her mark, advises young girls to believe in what they want. “I believe that if you really want something, you’ll find a way. If you don’t, you’ll find an excuse. You are going to have people who are going to tell you that you can’t do something; there will always be nay-sayers in life. You can’t let that get to you. You need to go out there and make something of yourself and prove them wrong.

“You can do anything you put your mind to, and when you have your mind set on something, there is literally nothing that can stop you. When you believe, anything is possible. Whatever it is you want to achieve: if you can’t fly, run; if you can’t run, walk; if you can’t walk, crawl. No matter what, keep moving forward, you will make it. Trust the process,” she concludes.

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Telkom Netball Championships provides exposure for youth

Development in any sporting code is important as it provides an opportunity and platform to groom the youth to reach their full potential.

Since 2021, the Telkom Netball Championships has been a prime example, providing a great opportunity for players aged between 16-19 years-old to prepare, compete and be exposed to university and provincial team scouts. 

From the onset, the aim has been to also give team managers, coaches, umpires and administrators an opportunity to get involved in the game and develop in their roles.

This year, we saw the second edition of TNC take place in July, in which Dr Kenneth Kaunda were crowned U19 Division champions. 

Part of the winning squad, players Tlotlang Mokomela and Favour Umeh, spoke to gsport about the tournament and how it has impacted their rising careers.

Mokomela said: “TNC opened many doors and created opportunities for me to express my talent, and it most definitely helped me to grow as an individual.”

Umeh said it exposed her to a new side to the sport: “TNC has exposed me to a whole new type of netball. It opened my eyes to the difference between high school and professional netball. It showed me that there is a standard that needs to be upheld in your skill and fitness, or you get left behind.”

They also spoke about amplifying the interest for greater participation in the sport on and off the court, and shared advice to those who aspire to play in the Telkom Netball Championship. 

“The championship encourages good sportsmanship on and off the courts. Good sportsmanship helps girls build great friendships and helps them grow while learning from one another. The advice I would give to young girls is that they should never give up on their dreams; they must work hard to achieve their goals, because hard work pays off in the end. They must take TNC as a learning experience and to enjoy every single moment of the tournament,” said Mokomela.

Umeh added: “Showing that you enjoy something will make others want to participate in your joy. If everyone can learn to enjoy netball on and off the court, then participating will be easy. It may sound cruel but, if you want to play TNC because you want to be on TV, then you’ll lose the joy of netball. One thing I learnt is that netball needs to be fun for you all the time, or else you’ll burn out and waste your talent. Play netball because you enjoy it — any other reason is irrelevant.” 

With the excitement of the 2023 Netball World Cup coming to take the centre stage in South Africa, Mokomela and Umeh are equally excited and look forward to seeing the SPAR Proteas lifting the trophy. 

“I am looking forward to seeing all the different countries play in our country and for us to take the opportunity to learn from the different teams and their style of play. I am also looking forward to seeing the SPAR Proteas lift the cup on home soil,” said Mokomela.

Umeh says she is anticipating how the tournament will impact the country’s economy: “I’m looking forward to the exposure South Africa is going to get and the potential of economic growth it may produce. Also, for the SPAR Proteas to make us proud.”

Netball South Africa selector Sameshia Esau also called on TNC to go to communities. “We need to create fun moments and festivals in the community. We need to take current TNC and national players into those areas, identify talent and make sure that equipment and proper coaches are trained and groomed. Also, make sure the girls understand you can be an umpire, be a technical official and there’s a lot for everyone in the sport.”

Esau shared advice to young girls who want to end up playing in the Telkom Netball Championship: “Have fun with the game that we love and allow yourself time to grow and develop. We all peak at different ages: some young, and some later in life. Do not be too hard on yourself and always enjoy it. Hard work pays off. Remember you cannot select yourself. Netball is a team sport; remember the basics,” she concluded.

TOURNAMENT RESULTS:

Dr Kenneth Kaunda took gold in the under-19 division, with Cape Winelands grabbing silver ahead of Tshwane, who received bronze. The under-18 division gold went home with Cedars (Western Cape) as Delta (Gauteng) took silver and Willows (Western Cape) going home with bronze.

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Spar and Telkom make netball history in Africa

Two South African giants, SPAR and Telkom, have joined hands with World Netball and Netball South Africa (NSA) as official premium sponsors of the 2023 Netball World Cup (NWC2023) in Cape Town.

The two companies are both known for their unstinting support for netball over a long period — SPAR as sponsor of the SPAR Proteas, SPAR International Challenge and the SPAR National Championships, and Telkom as sponsors of the Telkom Netball League (TNL) and the Telkom Netball Championships for schools, so it is fitting that they should be involved in the first NWC to be played in Africa.

Netball is the biggest women’s sport in South Africa and is played across the country, from remote villages to metropolitan areas.  “We are very proud of our association with these two companies. We are delighted that they will be premier sponsors of NWC2023,” said NSA President and NWC2023 Board member, Cecilia Molokwane.

“Their domestic sponsorships have been crucial to the development of netball throughout South Africa, from grassroots level to our national team, and we at NSA believe it is important for them to be part of the first Netball World Cup to be played in Africa,” added Molokwane.

Max Oliva, CEO SPAR Southern Africa, said: “We have sponsored the SPAR Proteas as well as national and international competitions for more than 20 years and regard netball as our flagship sponsorship. We are extremely proud of the SPAR Proteas, who have gone from strength to strength, but we are also very proud of our association with the SPAR National Championships, which provide opportunities for young women from around South Africa. We are extremely excited to be part of NWC2023 as our ongoing support to netball.” 

Testament to SPAR’s commitment to the welfare and empowerment of women, Telkom through the Telkom Netball League and Telkom Netball Championship have provided a strong launchpad for young players to showcase their skills and talents.

“Through our partnership with NSA, we have witnessed the extensive growth and development of netball in South Africa, and we are elated to be making history as an official partner for the Netball World Cup,” said Telkom Chief Marketing Officer Gugu Mthembu.

“Through our partnership with NWC2023, we are able to make netball more accessible for local talent to be transformed into international superstars,” said Mthembu.

NWC2023 will be held at the International Convention Centre in Cape Town from July 28 – 6 August 2023, bringing together the world’s top netball-playing nations.

“It is always great to know that we have the country’s support for the world cup preparations and proceedings, and of course the sponsorship support is one of the most valuable aspects and a part of a determining factor of readiness going forth,” said SPAR Proteas captain Bongiwe Msomi.

“We’ve seen countries struggle and miss opportunities/competitions due to lack of sponsorships and funding; a huge thank you to companies like SPAR and TELKOM for even going an extra mile in being the title sponsors. Both these brands have been of great assistance in the development of netball in our country, and it is great to see them follow through up to the World Cup preps to ensure that we are fully supported and ready. This partnership surely gives a sense of protection and readiness for what is set to be the biggest event for Netball South Africa to host in our home soil. Thank you SPAR, thank you Telkom, we appreciate you.” 

“Let me take this opportunity to proudly welcome both Telkom and Spar to the #2023 Netball World Cup corporate partners family. The announcement is indeed long overdue, and I am confident that they will use this relationship to leverage themselves well by ensuring that they become part of the legacy that will grow the sport and equally make it fashionable,” said Pricilla Masisi, 2023NWC Tournament Director.  

“With them on board I am confident that they will use their various platforms inclusive of their outlets to conduct social media and in-store promotions, therefore adding to the hype and excitement of the upcoming world showpiece. Their announcement as partners demonstrates that the country is indeed ready to deliver a successful upcoming #2023 Netball World Cup. Cape Town is ready, Ke Nako.”   

The tournament will be broadcast live on SABC and SuperSport. In partnership with SABC, the opening and closing ceremonies, all play-off matches as well as all SPAR Proteas Netball World Cup matches will be broadcast live in South Africa.
— Netball SA

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SuperSport announces an all-women NWC 2023 production team

As we look ahead to the 2023 Netball World Cup hosted for the first time ever on African soil, host broadcaster SuperSport is gearing up for its own history-defining moment — it has announced an all-women production crew for the tournament in March 2022. 

This will be the first time in 16 editions of the event, dating back to 1963, that the broadcast will be entirely women-led. This momentous move is headed by SuperSport’s Head of Production Operations, Dheshnie Naidoo.

Previously speaking in an official announcement earlier this year, Naidoo shared that she spent several months on the project doing both theoretical and practical training in the lead-up to the 60-match tournament, as SuperSport is determined to showcase women both on and off the court next year.

“We are partnering with industry leaders and creating a branding presence profiling women involved in the World Cup,” she explained. “SuperSport already has several female production directors, producers and operational crew, and we are excited to be leading this venture.”

SuperSport has brought us key Netball South Africa tournaments live, such as the Telkom Netball League, setting the pace for broadcasters that have lagged behind in giving a platform to women’s sport. This move, to finally and deservedly entrust an all-women crew to handle this mega showpiece, will inspire generations to come. 

Sport broadcasting veteran Lebo Motsoeli agreed that SuperSport has always been an ally for women sportscasters: “It’s really great to see broadcasters taking a leap in trusting that women can deliver world-class broadcasting productions. It’s not a first for SS as they continue to give female broadcasters equal opportunities to excel, regardless of the sporting code.”

With women just barely being trusted as anchors/presenters, this showpiece will hopefully put on full display that there is, and always has been, depth in women working the many roles that a top-notch broadcast encompasses. 

Mpumi Manyisi, 2022 Momentum gsport Awards Mail & Guardian Woman in Print winner, and a young producer who has worked behind the scenes at the likes of Soweto TV and now eTV’s Morning Show, says: “This is definite power of recognition for women working behind the scenes of television making. This is a bold statement to the television industry: to say women are more than capable and can hold their own.” 

Another sport broadcasting great, Cynthia Tshaka, highlights the kind of socioeconomic impact this will have for women: “There is still an alarmingly high prevalence of inequality, violence against women and children, and a lack of women development, with tangible results, except for a selected few in South Africa. We know that a complex set of individual factors exacerbate this phenomenon, but media directed at advancing women’s agenda can help a great deal to accelerate a better quality of life, for both women and men.

“The disadvantages faced by women in the labour market (which the sport industry is part of) have negative economic consequences for society as a whole. The elimination of the various barriers that women face will result in an increase in their earnings and consequently, an increase in the income of the households. Therefore, reducing gender inequalities in sport will benefit not only women, but society as a whole.

“When women in sport are seen in a positive light in the media, it translates to how women are perceived and treated by the entire society. If we understand that what we see in sport is a microcosm of what is taking place in society and in our communities, we will understand that how the media portrays women in sport has a direct effect on our communities and society at large,” Tshaka said.

“Media houses must open their doors and understand that if they do not portray women positively or do not give opportunities for women to be portrayed positively, by having many sport shows about women and televising all women sport games — not only when it is a world stage event like the upcoming Netball World Champs, but constantly — they are part of the problem in the struggle of women’s for equality and equity.”

Here’s to hoping that women-led events, like the one we are anticipating so eagerly in Cape Town next year, will become a more commonplace and industry standard than a rarity in the coming years.