Proteas captain Laura Wolvaardt was named Athlete of the Year as gsport handed out 28 honours at the 21st gsport Awards at the Wanderers Club in Illovo, Johannesburg on Saturday, 8 August 2026.
The 21st edition of Africa’s longest-running celebration of women in sport drew nearly 475 public nominations across 20 categories, narrowed by an independent panel of judges and decided alongside a national public vote that closed under a cloak in July.
Cricket dominated the night. Wolvaardt took the top individual honour after anchoring South Africa’s run to the 2025 World Cup Final and smashing a 47-ball T20 International century against India, her 17th international hundred, equalling the all-time record for the most centuries in women’s international cricket.
The Proteas Women were named Team of the Year for reaching consecutive World Cup finals and backing that up with an emphatic series triumph over India in April, while their head coach Mandla Mashimbyi took Coach of the Year for the tactical execution and psychological blueprint behind that rise.
Cricket South Africa was named Federation of the Year for securing standalone corporate partnerships for the Hollywoodbets Pro20 and Pro50 leagues and integrating women administrators across its executive, board and coaching structures. Spin bowler Nonkululeko Mlaba was crowned Style Star of the Year, camera operator Hlobisile Khumalo took the Public Choice Award, and statistician and broadcaster Sue Abbott received Special Recognition for three decades of analytical innovation in the women’s game.
The evening carried a rare symmetry. Banyana Banyana legend Portia Modise was inducted as the 21st gsport Hall of Famer in gsport’s 21st year, honoured at a luncheon at the Protea Hotel by Marriott Wanderers on Friday, 7 August 2026. The first African footballer to score 100 international goals, Modise closed her career on 102, none more famous than her strike from the halfway line against Sweden at the 2012 Olympic Games.
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A generation coming through claimed its own share of the night. Katleho Malebana, 17, was named School Sports Star of the Year, captaining South Africa at junior level while holding down a place in the Mamelodi Sundowns senior side. Joviale Mbisha took Emerging Athlete of the Year after defending her national 100m crown and anchoring the South African 4x100m relay team to a national record of 43.22 seconds. Simoné Kruger was named Para Sport Star of the Year for defending her F38 discus world title in New Delhi with a season’s best of 37.39m.
Lonwabo Miso became the story of the media categories, taking both Woman in Radio and Woman in Television for work that began at Voice of Wits and now reaches audiences across Radio 2000 and SABC Sport.
Stephanie Mawdsley was named Woman in Social Media for amplifying women’s football through Steph Talks Football, Cecilia van Bers took Woman in Print for photography that documents developmental and elite athletes alike, and Monya Greyvenstein received Woman in PR and Sponsorship for her work bridging athletes, media and corporate partners in women’s rugby.
Advocacy ran through the leadership honours. Boxing manager Colleen McAusland was named Woman of the Year for producing champions and campaigning against gender-based violence, a theme echoed by African Woman in Sport recipient Simangele Hadebe, who defended her WBO All Africa flyweight title in February.
Dr Debbie Alexander took Global Woman in Sport as World Triathlon’s 1st Vice President and the sole International Federation voice on the International Paralympic Committee Governing Board. Jill Fortuin was named Volunteer of the Year for more than 35 years in lifesaving, and Prabashnee Naidoo took Supporter of the Year for driving volleyball through her B’volleyd Movement.
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Hollywoodbets was named Sponsor of the Year for its investment in professionalising the Super League and the introduction of the Amplified festival format alongside SAFA and SABC. The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture presented five Ministerial Recognition of Excellence awards, to Liezl Gouws, Paris-Gail Isaacs, Jenny van Dyk, Bonolo Mokoma and Roshael Hoosen.
Penny Heyns then received the 20 Years of gsport Award, returning to the platform she opened. Heyns was gsport’s very first honouree, inducted into the inaugural Hall of Fame on 1 August 2006, and remains the only woman ever to win both Olympic breaststroke titles at a single Games.
The 2026 gsport Award Winners
Para Sport Star of the Year: Simoné Kruger
School Sports Star of the Year: Katleho Malebana
Athlete of the Year: Laura Wolvaardt
Sponsor of the Year: Hollywoodbets
Team of the Year: Proteas Women
Federation of the Year: Cricket South Africa
Volunteer of the Year: Jill Fortuin
Woman in Radio: Lonwabo Miso
Emerging Athlete of the Year: Joviale Mbisha
African Woman in Sport: Simangele Hadebe
Coach of the Year: Mandla Mashimbyi
Global Woman in Sport: Dr Debbie Alexander
Special Recognition: Sue Abbott
Woman in Television: Lonwabo Miso
Woman in PR and Sponsorship: Monya Greyvenstein
Woman of the Year: Colleen McAusland
Woman in Social Media: Stephanie Mawdsley
Woman in Print: Cecilia van Bers
Style Star of the Year: Nonkululeko Mlaba
Supporter of the Year: Prabashnee Naidoo
Public Choice Award: Hlobisile Khumalo
gsport Hall of Fame 2026: Portia Modise
Ministerial Recognition of Excellence: Liezl Gouws
Ministerial Recognition of Excellence: Paris-Gail Isaacs
Ministerial Recognition of Excellence: Jenny van Dyk
Ministerial Recognition of Excellence: Bonolo Mokoma
Ministerial Recognition of Excellence: Roshael Hoosen
20 Years of gsport Award: Penny Heyns
Main Photo Caption: Proteas Women’s captain Laura Wolvaardt was named Athlete of the Year at the 21st gsport Awards, and being on tour in the United Kingdom, the South African women’s cricket captain was respresented by Coach of the Year, Mandla Mashimbyi, the held at the Wanderers Club in Illovo, Johannesburg on Saturday, 8 August 2026. All Photos: Sachin du Plooy-Naran
Photo 2 Caption: Ministerial Recognition of Excellence award (from left) Liezl Gouws, Paris-Gail Isaacs (represented by her mom), Jenny van Dyk (represented by Vanes-Mari du Toit), Bonolo Mokoma and Roshael Hoosen were honoured by Deputy Minister Peach Mabe.
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