The South Africa national netball team, also known as the SPAR Proteas, represent Netball South Africa in international netball tournaments, such as the Netball World Cup, the Commonwealth Games, the Netball Quad Series and the Fast5 Netball World Series. Their best result in a major tournament is a silver medal at the 1995 World Netball Championships. As of 1 March 2024, South Africa are currently fifth in the World Netball Rankings.
History Early tests In 1956, South Africa hosted a touring England. The tour featured a series of three Tests, with England winning all three. In 1959 South Africa toured England for the first time, winning 18 out of 25 matches. However, they once again lost all three Test matches against England.
Tournament history Major tournaments Netball World Cup South Africa made their World Netball Championships/Netball World Cup debut at the inaugural 1963 tournament. Despite victories over Scotland, the West Indies, Wales and Ceylon, they finished sixth. In 1967 they were bronze medalists. However, between 1971 and 1991, South Africa was unable to compete because of the sporting boycott during the apartheid era. In 1995, South Africa returned and with an all-white team coached by Marlene Wagner, captained by Debbie Hamman and featuring Irene van Dyk and Elize Kotze, they finished as silver medalists. During the tournament they defeated both England and New Zealand before losing in the final to Australia. In 1996 Wagner, Hamman and van Dyk were all honoured by President Nelson Mandela personally. South Africa hosted the 2023 Netball World Cup.
Tournaments Place1963 World Netball Tournament6th 1967 World Netball Tournament 1995 World Netball Championships 1999 World Netball Championships5th2003 World Netball Championships5th 2007 World Netball Championships6th2011 World Netball Championships5th2015 Netball World Cup5th2019 Netball World Cup4th2023 Netball World Cup6th
Commonwealth Games South Africa have competed at every netball tournament at the Commonwealth Games. They have never medaled at the Commonwealth Games. Their highest finish in the event came in 1998 when they finished 4th, after losing the bronze medal match to England 56–54. Ahead of the 2022 Commonwealth Games, Netball South Africa awarded 24 players professional contracts for the first time. They included Khanyisa Chawane, Marlize de Bruin, Izette Griesel, Phumza Maweni, Bongiwe Msomi, Lenize Potgieter, Karla Pretorius, Lefebre Rademan, Nichole Taljaard, Shadine van der Merwe, Ine-Marí Venter and Zanele Vimbela.
Tournaments Place1998 Commonwealth Games4th2002 Commonwealth Games5th 2006 Commonwealth Games7th2010 Commonwealth Games6th2014 Commonwealth Games6th 2018 Commonwealth Games5th2022 Commonwealth Games6th
Netball Quad Series/Nations Cup Since 2012, South Africa have competed in the Netball Quad Series, playing against Australia, England and New Zealand.
Tournaments Place2012 Netball Quad Series4th2016 Netball Quad Series4th2017 Netball Quad Series (January/February)4th2017 Netball Quad Series (August/September)4th2018 Netball Quad Series (January)4th 2018 Netball Quad Series (September)4th 2019 Netball Quad Series4th 2020 Netball Nations Cup4th2022 Netball Quad Series4th 2023 Netball Quad Series4th2025 Netball Nations Cup2nd
Taini Jamison Trophy Series Tournaments Place2015 Taini Jamison Trophy Series2nd2025 Taini Jamison Trophy Series2nd
Fast5 Netball World Series Since 2010, when they made their debut in the second tournament, South Africa has competed at every Fast5 Netball World Series. South Africa’s best performance in the series was in 2022, when they gained a silver medal after losing to Australia in the final. Their best previous performance was a third place finish in 2012.
Tournaments Place2010 World Netball Series6th 2011 World Netball Series5th2012 Fast5 Netball World Series 2013 Fast5 Netball World Series6th 2014 Fast5 Netball World Series5th2016 Fast5 Netball World Series6th 2017 Fast5 Netball World Series5th 2018 Fast5 Netball World Series6th 2022 Fast5 Netball World Series2023 Fast5 Netball World Series4th2024 Fast5 Netball World Series4th
African tournaments South Africa also competes in competitions against other African national teams. These include the Africa Netball Cup, the Diamond Challenge, tournaments at the All-Africa Games and Netball World Cup qualifiers.
All-Africa Games At the 1995 World Netball Championships, South Africa had featured only white players. At the 1995 All-Africa Games, officials requested that South Africa include six non-white players. This saw six members from the silver medal winning squad dropped and replaced. The six remaining white players subsequently withdrew on 1 September, protesting that the team was not selected by merit. So on 6 September a totally new squad was named.
Tournaments Place1995 All-Africa Games 1999 All-Africa Games 2011 All-Africa Games6th
Africa Netball Cup Tournaments Place2013 African Netball Championship1st 2019 Africa Netball Cup1st2021 Africa Netball Cup1st2024 Africa Netball Cup1st
Netball South Africa Diamond Challenge Since 2012, Netball South Africa has hosted the Diamond Challenge. The trophy is contested with mainly visiting African national teams.
Tournaments Place2012 Diamond Challenge1st2013 Diamond Challenge1st2015 Diamond Challenge1st2016 Diamond Challenge1st2018 Diamond Challenge1st2021 SPAR Challenge Series1st2022 SPAR Diamond Challenge1st
Netball World Cup qualifiers Tournaments Place2006 COSANA Games2nd 2011 World Netball Championships Qualifier1st 2023 Netball World Cup qualification – Africa1st
Netball Europe Open Championships Tournaments Place2015 Netball Europe Open Championships2nd
Notable players Current squad The current squad was selected for the 2025 Taini Jamison Trophy Series and the 2025 Australia South Africa netball series.
Captains YearsCaptains1995Debbie Hamman1999–2000Irene van Dyk2003Elsje Jordaan2003–2005Martha Mosoahle2006Charlene Hertzog2007Bronwyn Bock-Jonathan2008–2010Liezel Wium2010–2012Amanda Mynhardt2011Precious Mthembu2012Zanele Mdodana2013–2016Maryka Holtzhausen2016–2023Bongiwe Msomi2024– Khanyisa Chawane
Most-capped internationals PlayerAppearancesYearsBongiwe Msomi1712011–2023Phumza Maweni1212014–2023Erin Burger1202007–2019Maryka Holtzhausen1162007–2019Karla Pretorius1002011–Precious Mthembu972007–2022
New Zealand internationals Both Irene van Dyk and Leana de Bruin played for South Africa before switching nationalities and going onto represent New Zealand.
PlayerSA AppearancesYearsNZ AppearancesYearsLeana de Bruin34 1042003–2016Irene van Dyk721994–20001452000–2014
Head coaches YearsCoaches1992–1999Marlene Wagner 1999–2000Bennie Saayman 1999–2003Louise du Plessis 2003–2006Marlene Wagner2008–2011Carin Strauss2011Marchelle Maroun2011–2015Elize Kotze2015Bennie Saayman 2015–2017Norma Plummer2016–2017Elsje Jordaan2018–2019Norma Plummer2019–2022Dorette Badenhorst2022–2023Norma Plummer2024– Jenny van Dyk
Main sponsors YearsSponsors2000– SPAR
Honours Africa Netball Cup Winners: 2013, 2019, 2021, 2024 All-Africa Games Winners: 1995, 1999 Diamond Challenge Winners: 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2021, 2022 World Netball Championships/Netball World Cup Runners Up: 1995 Netball Quad Series/Nations Cup Runners Up: 2025 Taini Jamison Trophy Runners Up: 2015, 2025 Fast5 Netball World Series Runners up: 2022 Netball Europe Open Championships Runners Up: 2015
References
External links Spar Proteas at Netball South Africa