Thembisile Netball’s Grassroots Rise: How a Mpumalanga Association Is Producing Future Stars
The Thembisile Netball Association is steadily building a strong grassroots pathway in Mpumalanga, with 16 teams competing locally and an increasing number of players breaking through to higher levels of the sport.
According to association chairperson Emmah Ndala, the monthly league provides regular competition for teams from different wards across the Thembisile Hani Local Municipality.
“We have 16 teams from different wards under the Thembisile Hani Local Municipality,” Ndala said.
League matches are played throughout the year at the KwaMhlanga Combo Courts, a local multi-sport facility in KwaMhlanga, before the season concludes in October to allow school-going players to concentrate on their year-end examinations.
The association forms part of the development structure overseen by the Nkangala Netball Federation, which falls under the Mpumalanga Netball Association and ultimately Netball South Africa. Mpumalanga’s netball structures are divided into the Nkangala, Gert Sibande and Ehlanzeni regions, with local municipalities serving as an important starting point for player development.
Players Getting Opportunities to Progress
Despite limited sponsorship, Ndala believes Thembisile’s programme is making meaningful progress.
This year, 23 players from the Nkangala region travelled to Cape Town in August to represent the province at the SPAR National Netball Championships.
For local players, those opportunities provide a clear incentive to work towards higher levels of the sport.
One of the association’s success stories is Siphokazi Madonsela from Kwaggafontein, who has been playing professionally for the Mpumalanga Sunbirds since last year.
“We are very proud of her. This shows that there is progress and it motivates the other players,” Ndala said.
The association now hopes to produce players capable of taking the next step and representing South Africa at national level.
Phola Mall Sponsorship Makes a Difference
Thembisile recently hosted the 2026 Phola Mall Top 8 Netball Tournament on 22 August, with the Mountainview-based Jaguars retaining the championship trophy for a second consecutive year.
Phola Mall in KwaMhlanga is among the association’s key sponsors, providing annual support that helps create additional competitive opportunities for the teams.
Ndala believes such tournaments are important because they give players something to work towards beyond the regular league programme.
The association is now calling for more sponsors to come on board, arguing that additional tournaments would increase competitive opportunities while keeping young players motivated and engaged in sport.
Thembisile Netball Association Chairperson Emmah Ndala (Graphics: SizaNazo365 | Image Supplied)
Transport Remains a Major Challenge
One of the association’s biggest obstacles is transportation, particularly for teams competing outside the local area.
Thembisile has a team participating in the Nkangala Netball League, requiring regular trips to places such as Middelburg. Since 2024, the association has also been represented in the Mpumalanga Netball Super League, where it is one of four Nkangala teams competing.
The results have been encouraging. Thembisile finished third in the inaugural 2024 Super League season before improving to silver-medal position last year.
The association also represented the Thembisile Local Municipality at the 2026 Mpumalanga Premier’s Cup in KaNyamazane, east of Mbombela, in July, finishing as silver medallists.
To assemble representative teams, the association selects players from its various local teams to form a Thembisile side for regional and provincial competitions.
Ndala says better access to transport and continued sponsorship would help the association expand its programme, provide more competitive opportunities and further strengthen the development of netball in the community.
For a grassroots programme with ambitions of producing more professional and potentially national-level players, Thembisile’s progress suggests that the talent is there. What is increasingly needed is the support to help that talent travel further.