Local school crowned Botho champions at Kay Motsepe netball finals

Pretoria’s Afrikaanse Hoër Meisieskool has been crowned the Botho section champions at the 2026 Kay Motsepe Schools Championship partnership programme netball finals, held at Mutanga Lodge in Cullinan on August 15.

The Pretoria school finished ahead of Helpmekaar Kollege, which took second place, while Hoër Meisieskool Oranje secured third place in the Botho section.

The championship, which forms part of the South African Schools Netball (SASN) programme, brought together young netball players from schools across the country, with teams competing in the Botho and Ubuntu sections.

The Ubuntu section was won by Idlangamabela Secondary School from Mpumalanga, followed by Jabulile Secondary School in second place and Motjedi Secondary School in third.

The Ubuntu Section is designed for disadvantaged and under-resourced public schools, particularly those in rural areas, townships and low-income communities. It aims to give these schools an equal opportunity to compete despite limited facilities and coaching resources.

The Botho Section caters to well-resourced public and private schools with strong sporting facilities and established netball programmes.

Both sections compete simultaneously at the national finals, allowing two separate champions to lift trophies and secure funding to upgrade their respective schools’ sporting facilities.

The tournament offered R1.4-million in prize funding across the different categories, including winners, runners-up and third-place finishers. The winning schools are expected to use their prize money towards selected legacy projects in their communities.

The coach of Afrikaanse Hoër Meisieskool Pretoria said the team’s victory was a testament to their hard work, unity and growth after finishing third in last year’s Kay Motsepe Netball Championship.

She expressed gratitude to the Kay Motsepe Foundation for giving the U/15 players an opportunity to showcase their talent.

“As a school, we came together and decided to be a community and do this as a unit,” she said.

Netball South Africa director of coaches Dumanisi Chauke praised the tournament for exposing young players to opportunities that they may not otherwise have had access to.

She mentioned that some of the players are playing on a real netball court for the first time and they had to travel from different provinces.

“When I started playing netball in Malamulele, we were playing in a gravel court, but that didn’t stop us,” Chauke said.

The tournament also highlighted the role of sport in creating opportunities for young people, particularly those from under-resourced communities.

Dr Precious Motsepe mentioned that the tournament was particularly significant during Women’s Month, as it provided young girls with an opportunity to participate in sport and showcase their talent.

Motsepe said the foundation would like to see the young girls succeed beyond sport.

“We want these girls to also show up in classrooms, meetings and offices,” she added.

The championships therefore served not only as a platform for competition but also as an opportunity to promote development, education and empowerment among young women.

With schools receiving financial support for community legacy projects, the tournament also extended its impact beyond the netball court, allowing participating schools to contribute to their communities.

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