Women in Boxing Series: Alima Nkosi Headlines Balfour Tournament With National Title Shot in Sight
Balfour will take centre stage in South African women’s boxing on Saturday when the Boxing South Africa (BSA) Women in Boxing Series 2026/27 returns to Mpumalanga.
The tournament will be held at the Balfour Multipurpose Centre from 13:00, with local favourite Alima Nkosi facing KwaZulu-Natal’s Nolwazi Myiwa for the Mpumalanga middleweight championship.
Nkosi has a major opportunity in front of her. According to BSA’s Mpumalanga and Limpopo manager Oupa Lubisi, victory would put her in line to challenge reigning national champion Nobengazi Booth of KwaZulu-Natal.
“Should Alima Nkosi win this fight, she will become eligible to challenge the current national champion, Nobengazi Booth,” Lubisi said.
The Balfour event is part of BSA’s Women in Boxing Series, launched in Limpopo in August and being staged across all nine provinces. The initiative is designed to give female boxers more regular opportunities to compete while bringing organised boxing closer to local communities.
Lubisi said Balfour was a natural venue choice, with Alima and her younger sister Nosipho Nkosi, who will be up against Seani Morite from Limpopo in a six-round featherweight bout, both based in the area.
“We decided to bring the tournament to Balfour because we have two boxers who are from the area. Alima’s provincial title fight against Nolwazi Myiwa is the main event,” he said.
The card will also feature Monalisa Takane, who returns to competition after a period away from the ring in an eight-round bantamweight bout against Gabisile Tshabalala.
Adding further interest is Larissa ‘Lethal’ Godrich, who is set to make her professional debut against Chantelle Jourbert in a four-round female lightweight bout. Raquel Thompson from Gauteng will also face Milicent Nemutandani of Limpopo in a four-round female junior lightweight bout.
For Lubisi, however, the tournament is about more than Saturday’s titles and individual results. He believes taking boxing events into communities can help strengthen the development pathway for future champions.
“We are excited because this brings boxing closer to the people and makes it more accessible to communities,” he said.
He also called for greater private-sector involvement to help sustain and expand the series.
“We would like to have more tournaments like this, but we need sponsorship from the private sector. At the moment, we rely on support from the provincial government.”
Women in Boxing Series Returns to Mpumalanga With Title on the Line (Graphic: SizaNazo365 | Images: McAusland Management/FB)
The potential of such opportunities is reflected in the career of Bernice Ferreira, who recently became South Africa’s first female WBC world champion. Ferreira defeated Canada’s Caroline Veyre in Atlanta, Georgia, in August to win the WBC super-featherweight world title and also retained her IBO belt to become a unified world champion.
Lubisi pointed to Ferreira’s previous appearances in the Women In Boxing Series as evidence of how local opportunities can contribute to a boxer’s progression.
“That was one of the fights that helped open the doors for her to compete internationally. It shows that we are moving in the right direction,” he said.
With Nkosi’s provincial title and a potential route towards a national championship challenge at stake, Saturday’s Balfour tournament could prove to be another important step in the growth of women’s boxing in South Africa.
Date: Saturday, 12 September 2026, 13:00
Venue: Balfour Multipurpose Centre, Balfour, Mpumalanga Province
Admission: Free