Sport has often been the glue holding our society together. Ever since Nelson Mandela donned the number six jersey as he presented the Rugby World Cup to Francois Pienaar in 1995, our shared love of sport has had a profound effect on the national psyche.
The Springboks have been at the forefront, but the Proteas, our swimmers, athletes and Bafana Bafana have all had us rooting for our country. Until recently though, it’s mostly been about the men.
Male sportspeople are household names. Young boys dream of being like Siya Kolisi, Eben Etzebeth, Kagiso Rabada, Akani Simbine or Lyle Foster. By contrast, most South Africans would struggle to name even one or two female sports stars and would probably not know the names of the captains of our national women’s teams.
This is not because of a lack of talent among SA’s female athletes. In the democratic era we have been blessed with brilliant female sports stars, such as Caster Semenya, Natalie du Toit, Penny Heyns, Tatjana Smith, KG Motjane and Ilana Meyer. Despite this, women’s sport has lagged in the public mind.
Over the past few years Banyana Banyana have taken a far higher profile, performing far better than their male soccer counterparts. This week they qualified for the Women’s Afcon, beating Democratic Republic of Congo through a stoppage-time goal by the brilliant Thembi Kgatlana. Desiree Ellis has also been an important part of this success story.
And now the cricketers have taken centre stage. On Wednesday the Women Proteas claimed a historic victory, blowing England out of the water in the semifinals of the ICC limited over World Cup. This match will surely go down as one of the greatest SA team performances ever — male or female.
England were favourites to win, having smashed the Proteas in the opening game of the tournament at the very same ground just three weeks ago. But the Proteas kept their heads up and stuck together to overcome this early defeat, beating New Zealand, India, Bangladesh and Pakistan along the way.
Still, they went into the semifinals as underdogs, having lost to England in the same round in 2017 and 2022. They did not let this get in their way. Brilliant with both bat and ball, they supported one another and drew on their varied strengths. There were breathtaking individual performances from Laura Wolvaardt and Marizanne Kapp, but the victory belonged to every single player in this incredible team.
The coaching staff has also been a major factor. Head coach Mandla Mashimbyi has shown wisdom and insight and has the trust of his players. In his ability to lead, analyse and inspire, he is beginning to resemble a Rassie Erasmus.
Women’s sport matters. Female athletes are vital role models who embody skill, discipline and courage. They demonstrate that women belong in every sphere of society and can compete at the highest level. They send a powerful message to young women and help build resilience and confidence. They also send a message to young men, demanding respect and modelling independence.
But most importantly, this team is beginning to reshape our national culture. The male Springbok rugby team has played a crucial role in building nonracialism in SA. In the same way, the women Proteas are teaching us what it means to be a nation. SA belongs to all who live in it, black and white, male and female.
We will all be rooting for our team when they play the final on Sunday in Navi Mumbai. But whatever the outcome, they have cemented their place in history and our hearts.
• Bethlehem is an economic development specialist and partner at Genesis Analytics. She has worked in the forestry, renewable energy, housing and property sectors as well as in local and national government. She writes in her personal capacity.
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