Heidelberg’s Lebogang Tutubala wins Health & Wellness Leader of the Year 2026 Award

Heidelberg-based health and wellness advocate Lebogang Victoria Tutubala was named Health & Wellness Leader of the Year 2026 at the second Gauteng Community Leaders Awards.

Tutubala was recognised for her work empowering girls and young women through personal development, wellness and sport, particularly through Ntombazana Soul Sisters and the Soul Sisters Netball Club.

Tutubala said the announcement left her amazed and grateful to everyone who had supported the organisation’s journey.

“I was amazed and my first thought was that this is the Lord’s doing. I thought of all the girls we serve, the long walk to the netball courts we started on and every person who supports our vision. This was not just my win, but a win for Ntombazana Soul Sisters and everyone who voted,” she said.

Tutubala said the organisation’s approach goes beyond sport, with personal development at the centre of its work.

“What sets us apart is that we are a personal development NPO first. Netball and physical fitness are some of the tools we use, but our main aim is to equip girls and young women with life skills, talent, self-confidence, and the ability to become better versions of themselves. We don’t just teach them to play netball; we build them to believe in themselves, lead, and teach others. We build the girl before we build the player. Our sports development programme started with just two women passionate about girls, with no resources, just a netball ball and a vision,” she said.

Tutubala said watching the players develop confidence and leadership skills has been one of the most rewarding aspects of the programme.

“I will never forget seeing our own players starting to teach each other, encouraging one another and leading warm-ups and training with confidence. That moment showed me that we were no longer just a team; we were a sisterhood. Many players joined with little or no netball experience but have developed into competitive players.

This year we had two players chosen for the Sedibeng Netball Squad and one represented at the U21 Spar Championship in Cape Town,” she said.

Tutubala believes the award will raise the profile of Ntombazana Soul Sisters and create opportunities for the organisation to expand its programmes.

“This award gives us a voice and it puts Ntombazana Soul Sisters on the map. It means more doors will open, more girls can be reached and more communities will trust our work. It will help us grow our programmes, attract sponsors and equip more young women to become confident leaders. To every young woman, I want to say you are enough and you can start with what you have, where you are. Don’t wait until you have everything perfect because we also started with nothing but passion,” she said.