Harry Gwala toppled log leaders Tshwane A 36-29 in the under-19 A final as four champions were crowned on the closing day of the sixth edition of the Telkom Netball Championships at Hoërskool Dr EG Jansen in Boksburg on Friday, 10 July 2026.
The five-day showpiece, presented by Netball South Africa in partnership with South African Schools Netball and Telkom, brought together under-18 and under-19 teams from across the country, along with a guest side from Namibia, in a tournament that serves as a crucial development platform for the next generation of South African netball talent.
Harry Gwala and Tshwane A arrived at the title decider inseparable. Both sides swept through the round robin phase unbeaten and played to a 36-36 draw when they met on Thursday, leaving the pair locked together at the top of the standings on 13 points apiece.
Tshwane A booked their place in the final with a commanding 41-24 semi-final win over Dr KK A, while Harry Gwala edged Johannesburg A 35-33 in a tight second semi-final. When it mattered most, Harry Gwala found another gear, pulling clear to seal a seven-goal victory and the under-19 A crown.
The result completed a remarkable rise for Harry Gwala, who finished only fifth in the division in 2025, and ended Tshwane A’s two-year reign, denying the defending champions a third successive title after their triumphs in 2024 and 2025. The trophy also found a new home in Gauteng, with the championships moving to Boksburg after Cape Town hosted last year’s edition in Bellville.
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Johannesburg A recovered from their semi-final disappointment to claim third place with a 36-30 win over Dr KK A, while Mangaung finished fifth, ahead of Cape Winelands, Cape Town A and Zululand.
In the under-18 division, Oaks completed a perfect campaign by beating Willows 37-33 in an all Western Cape final. The champions won all ten of their matches across the week and defeated Willows for a second time in as many days, having also taken Thursday’s meeting between the tournament’s two unbeaten front-runners.
Iqhude secured third place with a 35-27 win over Gamma, while guest side Namibia ended the tournament in sixth position after an impressive week that yielded seven wins from nine round robin outings.
Tshwane enjoyed double success in the under-19 B divisions. Tshwane B survived a one-goal semi-final against Ekurhuleni A, winning 32-31, before beating Sedibeng 41-31 in the B1 final. Sedibeng had earlier seen off Cape Town B 36-33 in the other last-four clash.
Tshwane C rounded off a dominant unbeaten run with a 41-31 victory over Ekurhuleni B in the B2 final, having powered past Johannesburg C 48-28 in the semi-finals. Ekurhuleni B, who earned their place in the decider with a 37-30 semi-final win over Amajuba, suffered a second successive defeat in the B2 final after losing by a single goal to Cape Town B in 2025.
Ekurhuleni A claimed third place in the B1 division with a 40-25 win over Cape Town B, and Johannesburg C did likewise in the B2 section, beating Amajuba 37-28. Royal Bafokeng defeated West Rand B 44-19 to finish fifth in the B2 standings, while Mopani edged Ekurhuleni C 41-36 for seventh.
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The final day of under-18 action also saw Cedars overpower Dolphins 52-22, Jaguars edge Morula 37-34, Mooka hold off Ikhala 40-36, Diamonds pip Impala 39-38 and Rubies beat Sharks 37-35, while Delta got the better of Namibia 31-28 in the battle between the top sides outside the final.
Staged from Monday, 6 July to Friday, 10 July, the championships form part of Netball South Africa’s talent identification structures, with many of the players on show aiming to break into the federation’s high performance pipeline and, ultimately, the Telkom Netball League.
Final Standings U19 A
1. Harry Gwala
2. Tshwane A
3. Johannesburg A
4. Dr KK A
5. Mangaung
6. Cape Winelands
7. Cape Town A
8. Zululand
Final Standings U18
1. Oaks
2. Willows
3. Iqhude
4. Gamma
5. Delta
6. Namibia
7. Jaguars
8. Morula
9. Cedars
10. Dolphins
11. Ndlovu
12. Cheetahs
13. Mooka
14. Ikhala
15. Diamonds
16. Impala
17. Rubies
18. Sharks
19. Nyathi
Final Standings U19 B1
1. Tshwane B
2. Sedibeng
3. Ekurhuleni A
4. Cape Town B
5. Ethekweni A
6. Eden
7. NMB
8. Nkangala A
9. Capricorn A
10. Chris Hani
11. King Cetshwayo
12. Vhembe A
13. Johannesburg B
14. Lejweleputswa A
15. Dr KK B
16. Ugu
17. West Rand A
18. Waterberg
19. uMgungundlovu
20. Amathole
Final Standings U19 B2
1. Tshwane C
2. Ekurhuleni B
3. Johannesburg C
4. Amajuba
5. Royal Bafokeng
6. West Rand B
7. Ekurhuleni C
8. Mopani
9. Ehlanzeni
10. Thabo M
11. Bojanala
12. Vhembe B
13. Ethekweni
14. ZFM
15. Sekukhune
16. Nkangala B
17. Ilembe
18. NMM
19. Francis Baard
20. Gert Sibande
21. Capricorn B
22. Lejweleputswa B
23. Fezile Dabi
24. uThukela
Main Photo Caption: Harry Gwala claimed the under-19 A title at the 2026 Telkom Netball Championships, beating log leaders Tshwane A 36-29 in the final to cap an unbeaten week at Hoërskool Dr EG Jansen in Boksburg on Friday, 10 July 2026. All Photos: Netball South Africa
Photo 2 Caption: Tshwane A finished as under-19 A runners-up after topping the round robin standings and reaching the final without defeat.
Photo 3 Caption: Johannesburg A secured third place in the under-19 A division with a 36-30 win over Dr KK A on the closing day in Boksburg.
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