Beyond the Court: How KwaNdebele Netball League Is Changing Lives Through Sport

With 33 teams competing across three age categories, the KwaNdebele Netball League (KNL) is becoming more than a grassroots sporting competition.

In communities across Mpumalanga’s KwaNdebele region, the initiative is using netball to keep young people active, create opportunities and build a pathway towards higher levels of the sport.

Established in 2024, KNL is a non-profit organisation based in Kwaggafontein in the Thembisile Hani Local Municipality, with teams also coming from the neighbouring Dr JS Moroka Local Municipality.

Rather than being confined to one venue or community, KNL hosts rotational leagues and tournaments across different villages, bringing organised netball closer to the players it serves.

At the heart of the initiative is a belief that sport can play a much bigger role in communities than simply providing competition.

More than just netball

KNL president Nomakhuwa Mahlangu says the league has become a way of keeping young people occupied while exposing them to the positive values associated with sport.

“Through this league, we have managed to bring netball closer to the people in our communities,” Mahlangu told SizaNazo365.

“Using sport, we have been able to keep children busy and active, which also helps keep them away from social ills such as substance abuse and teenage pregnancy.”

The growing participation suggests there is a strong appetite for the sport in the region.

KNL currently has 33 teams — 12 in the Under-15 category, 11 Under-19 teams and 10 open teams — drawn from the Thembisile Hani and Dr JS Moroka municipalities.

“This shows that there is huge interest in what we do, and it is encouraging,” Mahlangu said.

KwaNdebele Netball League Is Changing Lives Through Sport (Graphic: SizaNazo365 | Images: KNL)

Creating a pathway for talented players

While increasing participation is important, KNL’s ambitions extend beyond simply growing the number of teams.

The organisation wants to develop players who can eventually compete at professional level and represent provincial and national teams.

There are already signs that the league can provide such a pathway.

Mahlangu revealed that one of the league’s players was selected by a Tshwane-based team to participate in the 2026 SPAR National Netball Championships in Cape Town earlier this month.

The player was ultimately unable to attend because of work-related commitments, but the selection nevertheless offered an indication of the talent emerging from the grassroots competition.

“We already have players with great potential,” Mahlangu said.

For KNL, creating more opportunities for players to be noticed and progress is a key part of the long-term vision.

KwaNdebele Netball League winners wearing medals, holding a giant ceremonial prize money check (Image: Supplied)

Keeping the competition meaningful

The league also uses prizes to encourage teams and players to remain competitive.

In the previous edition, the Under-19 winners received R10,000, medals and playing kit, while the Under-17 champions received R5,000 and the Under-15 winners R2,500.

However, sustaining the competition remains a challenge.

Mahlangu says the sponsorship currently available to KNL mainly covers the prizes awarded at the end of the season, meaning the organisers have to finance most of the other costs themselves.

“The sponsorship we get at the moment only covers prizes; everything else we have to take from our own pockets,” she said.

KNL’s sponsors include Phala Group, its main sponsor, as well as Shibobo Sports and House of Busai.

“We are very grateful for their continued support. Without it, running this league would be very difficult,” Mahlangu added.

KwaNdebele Netabll League teams (Image Supplied)

Taking women’s sport beyond the younger generation

The league’s community focus was on display during Women’s Month.

On 9 August 2026, KNL hosted a Women’s Day tournament featuring 14 teams at the Hlomani High School sports grounds in Kwaggafontein D.

Among the participating sides were Black-Panthers, Happy Stars, Fire-Crackers, Rising-Champions, Queen City, Ubuhlebuzile, Five-Stars, Middle Stars, Nets Top Models, Siphumelele, Jump Short, Philly Eagles, VUNC and Gem Valley.

The initiative will now extend its Women’s Month activities to women beyond the traditional youth categories with the second edition of the +40 Netball Games scheduled for Sunday 30 August at Nobuhle Sports Ground in Kwaggafontein D.

The event is designed to encourage women aged 40 and above to remain physically active while creating opportunities for networking and social interaction.

“On Women’s Day, only the youth participated. On Sunday, it will be women aged 40 and above,” Mahlangu said.

The event will also feature traditional games, ensuring that participation is not limited to those who play netball.

“It is going to be a fun-filled day with lots of activities apart from netball as we will also be having traditional games,” Mahlangu said.

She hopes the event will also encourage adults to become stronger supporters of young athletes in their communities.

“We’ll be using this as an opportunity to encourage each other to encourage our children to take up sport and support them all the time.”

For an organisation established only two years ago, the KwaNdebele Netball League has already developed a significant grassroots footprint.

But its ambitions go beyond 33 teams, local tournaments and prize money.

The bigger goal is to make netball accessible in communities, use sport to create positive opportunities for young people and ultimately see players from KwaNdebele progress to the professional and national stages.