South Africa’s largest annual inter-district netball tournament heads to the northern suburbs of Cape Town in August with defending champions Johannesburg looking to extend their remarkable winning streak on enemy territory.

The SPAR National Netball Championships will take place at Stellenberg High School in Bellville from 6-11 August, featuring 122 teams and approximately 1 900 players competing for national honours during Women’s Month.

Johannesburg will be chasing a fifth consecutive national title after edging Cape Town 52-51 in last year’s dramatic final in Boksburg. The victory came after Johannesburg had opened the tournament with a defeat to the Cape side in the round-robin stages before fighting their way back to lift the trophy.

The defending champions also return as the under-21 title holders, setting up another exciting week of competition as the country’s top emerging and established players battle across six days.

A total of 58 senior district sides and 64 under-21 teams will compete, with approximately 100 umpires officiating matches across two venues. Facilities include two indoor courts with specialised flooring, eight outdoor courts – three with floodlights – and additional courts at Gene Louw Primary School in Durbanville.

Talent identification platform

The championships remain a key talent identification platform for Netball South Africa, with many current and former SPAR Proteas having first showcased their abilities at the annual tournament.

Netball South Africa president Mami Diale expressed her excitement ahead of the tournament.

“For many years, the SPAR National Netball Championships have been a valuable platform for university clubs and coaches to discover the untapped talent available in the country. The tournament’s consistent growth demonstrates the talent and the desire of thousands of young girls to play the sport,” she said.

Diale also paid tribute to tournament sponsors SPAR and highlighted their partnership on the End Period Poverty campaign.

“The aim is to ensure that no girl misses school, training or matches because she cannot afford sanitary products. This initiative will touch the lives of all girls playing netball in South Africa who are experiencing menstruation. A confident player is a safer one,” she said.

Building towards 2027 World Cup

Mpudi Maubane, SPAR Group PR, communications and sponsorship manager, said the company remains committed to supporting women’s sport and addressing critical social issues.

“We believe that when women thrive, families flourish, communities grow stronger and our nation moves forward. Throughout the championships, we will reinforce our commitment that there is no place in our society for either gender-based violence or period poverty,” he said.

“These championships also reflect the vision of Netball South Africa president Mami Diale, ‘Netball for One, Netball for All’. It is a vision that SPAR supports as we build and continue our journey towards the 2027 Netball World Cup in Sydney, Australia.”

Chair of Cape Town Netball and the local organising committee Hanlie van der Merwe said hosting the championships was a great honour.

“It’s such a prestigious event and one where we’ve seen many of our SPAR Proteas emerge over the years. We hope that Cape Town’s hosting of this event will inspire many junior players in the area to work hard to one day be part of these championships,” she said.

“We are also incredibly proud of Stellenberg High School, who are providing one of the best netball facilities in the country for these championships.”

Tournament details

The championships culminate on Tuesday 11 August with the under-21 final followed by the senior final. The event will also celebrate Women’s Day on 9 August, shining a spotlight on the continued growth and success of women’s sport in South Africa.

Selected matches will be broadcast live on SuperSport, with broadcast details to be announced closer to the tournament.

Teams competing in the senior A section include Johannesburg A, Mangaung, Dr Kenneth Kaunda, Cape Town A, Tshwane A, Nelson Mandela Bay A, Alfred Nzo and Botswana.

The under-21 A section features Johannesburg A, Dr Kenneth Kaunda, Tshwane, Cape Town, Ekurhuleni and Royal Bafokeng.

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