Champions crowned as DStv Schools Netball Challenge head to the United Kingdom

Now in its sixth edition, the DStv Schools Netball Challenge has become one of South Africa's leading school sport competitions, creating opportunities for thousands of young athletes to compete at the highest level of school netball. Since its launch in 2021, the tournament has grown to become the premiere netball platform to crown the SA champion school, with many former participants progressing to provincial teams, the Telkom Netball League and South Africa's national age-group structures.

This year's National Finals brought together the country's top school teams from all nine provinces to compete across the Botho and Ubuntu streams. Designed to ensure learners from both urban and rural communities have an equal opportunity to compete, the two streams reflect the tournament's commitment to broadening access to competitive school netball while encouraging talent from every corner of South Africa to showcase itself on a national platform.

Following three days of pool-stage and knockout action, the country's top school teams battled for the coveted 2026 national titles, delivering memorable performances across both the Botho and Ubuntu streams.

Khanyolwethu Senior Secondary School took the win for the Ubuntu stream with a final score of 36-27 against Kwamziwentsha High School, showing an outstanding performance as first time winners of the netball tournament. “I would like to thank DStv, MultiChoice a CANAL+ Company, Bestmed and everyone who contributed to the success of this tournament. It feels amazing to have won and receive a boarding pass to the United Kingdom. We have been in the DSNC tournament since 2023 with no luck of winning, and look now, God made it happen. Thank you very much” shared Khanyolwethu’s team coach, Dimpho Lephallo.

The Botho stream champions, Hoerskool Paarl Gim defeated Helpmekaar Kollege 22-16. “I’m very proud, we are excited for the opportunity to go overseas and represent South Africa. We are also very grateful for the opportunity to take part in the DStv Schools Netball Challenge, it has been an absolute privilege,” said Juline Van De Merwe, team coach for Hoerskool Paarl Gim.

As a reward for their victories, the 2026 champions are headed to the United Kingdom for a skills development tour during the September school break. The young champions will be based at Loughbrough University in Leiceistershire where they’ll train before partaking in a series of friendly matches against the University's U18 team and the England U18 team.

They’ll also visit London to take in the sights and sounds of one of the world’s most famous cities and also visit South Africa House.

“In order to be a winner, to be someone who does what is important and makes a difference, you need to go out to explore the possible opportunities the world has to offer. Congratulations to these young ladies, they played really well,” added Di Woolley, President of South African School Netball

Litlhare Moteetee, Vice President: Africa Corporate Communications, CANAL+ Group, said:

“The DStv Schools Netball Challenge has now become an important part of the school sport calendar. Every year we see young players from across the country come together, compete at a high level and represent their schools with pride. Congratulations to this year's winners and to every team that qualified. We'd also like to thank the coaches, teachers and officials whose commitment makes this tournament possible. Together with Bestmed Medical Scheme, we are proud to support a tournament that gives young netball players the chance to test themselves against the best, build confidence and take the next step in their sporting journey.”

Ahead of the National Finals, the DStv Schools Netball Challenge continued to invest in the development of young players through coaching clinics held across Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal, the Free State and the Northern Cape. Led by former Spar Proteas goalkeeper Phumza Maweni and Bongiwe Msomi, the clinics combined technical coaching, tactical preparation, mentorship and life skills to help learners prepare for the country's biggest school netball stage.

The coaching clinics were further strengthened through partnerships with the Bongi Msomi Legacy Project and the Phumza Maweni Foundation, giving learners the opportunity to engage with some of South Africa's most respected figures in netball.

The tournament's long-term impact is reflected in the stories of former participants who have gone on to represent South Africa. Baby Proteas goal shooter Mbali Diphoko credits the competition with helping her develop as a player while proving that schools from under-resourced communities can compete alongside the country's traditional netball powerhouses. Proteas player Kyla Dames has similarly described the DStv Schools Netball Challenge as a platform that provides valuable exposure, helping young athletes get noticed by university coaches and national selectors.

The 2026 DStv Schools Netball Challenge National Finals once again showcased the depth of school netball talent across South Africa while reinforcing the tournament's role in creating opportunities for young athletes. As another successful edition comes to a close, the competition continues to strengthen the pathway from school sport to provincial, university and national representation, ensuring the next generation of South African netball talent has a platform to thrive.