Cape Town erased the heartbreak of last year’s one-goal final defeat by edging Tshwane by the same margin to claim the Spar National Netball Championships title with a 56-55 victory at Stellenberg High School in Cape Town on Tuesday, 11 August 2026.
Eight months after losing the final 52-51 to Johannesburg in Boksburg, the Cape side turned the tightest of margins in their favour in front of a home crowd.
Just like Tshwane’s semi-final against Johannesburg on Monday, the final was closely fought from the start, with Cape Town taking a 13-12 lead into the first break.
Every time the hosts pulled ahead, Tshwane hit back, never allowing them to move more than a couple of goals in front. With both sides guilty of unforced errors and soft turnovers, neither could establish any real dominance, and the Pretoria side moved one goal ahead by half-time.
Tshwane kept their noses in front for much of the third quarter, as a solid defensive effort caused Cape Town to squander several opportunities to close the gap. But the hosts finally drew level at 38-all before pulling ahead to take a 40-39 lead into the fourth quarter.
A nerve-wracking final 15 minutes followed, with Cape Town just managing to keep their noses in front. With Tshwane level at 55-55, the Cape side had under 20 seconds to score from their centre pass. They held their nerve, former Spar Proteas shooter Sigi Burger sinking the final goal to hand her side a thrilling victory.
“Obviously there’s a lot of pressure on your hands,” said an elated Burger afterwards. “But the beauty of being slightly older and more mature is it’s about being able to handle those big moments… and knowing it’s just another shot,” said the 30-year-old.
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Former Spar Proteas defender Phumza Maweni, assistant coach of the Cape Town side, played in the Western Cape team that last won the tournament in its different format in 2016.
“It was hard on the bench… but I trusted the girls. I think the girls took the information and delivered exactly what we wanted them to deliver… It was good for us to win a final for our crowd. We’ve waited too long and I’m sure our community are very happy with this,” she said.
Head coach Freda Kemp added: “We lost the finals by one [goal] last year and as they say, the table has been set for us – it’s hometown, home crowd and we really worked hard making sure the players had everything they needed to perform on the highest level so I’m very proud of what they did today.”
Having gone unbeaten to finish top of the log before dethroning four-time defending champions Johannesburg in the semi-finals, Tshwane coach Rozanne Matthyse was delighted with her team’s progress after they failed to reach the semi-finals last year.
“The progression that we made in such a short time… I’m very proud. It’s for me 10 steps forward. So, I’m looking forward to what’s coming with such a young team, only having three that’s over 30, the rest are all under 25, so we still have a lot to be grateful for… Although we lost, I’m proud of what they produced today,” she said.
The bronze medal in the senior A section also went the distance, with Mangaung defeating Johannesburg 45-44 in their playoff match.
In the under-21 A section, Johannesburg cruised through the week unbeaten and continued that form to claim a comfortable 52-38 victory over neighbours Tshwane in the final. They led 27-20 at half-time and doubled that advantage to 14 goals by the final whistle, handing coach Bongi Msomi’s team the trophy for a third consecutive year.
The former Spar Proteas captain took over the side in 2024, the year after they had failed to win a match.
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“The first year we got gold, I really didn’t expect it, but it made us realise that we are on the right path. Then coming into the second year was slightly easier,” said Msomi. “I think this year, if I can put it out there, it was quite tough, because you know you’re coming back a second time as a champion, everyone is going to come for you.”
“But I’m incredibly proud of the girls and how they’ve received me, firstly myself as a leader, but as a coach as well. So, it’s all their work. You can be good as a coach, but if the players are not receiving it well, results are not going to come… And we’ve been the lucky ones to receive a group that just clicks and wants to go,” she said.
Mangaung defeated Royal Bafokeng 49-40 to claim the bronze medal in the under-21 tournament.
2026 Spar National Netball Championships Final Results
Senior A Section Final
Cape Town 56-55 Tshwane
Third Place Playoff:
Mangaung 45-44 Johannesburg
Senior A Individual Awards
Best Shooter: Ine-Marí Venter (Tshwane)
Best Mid-Court Player: Sanelisiwe Ntobela (Johannesburg)
Best Defender: Asemahle Dyidi (Cape Town)
Player of the Tournament: Luca Keun (Tshwane)
Under-21 A Section Final
Johannesburg 52-38 Tshwane
Third Place Playoff:
Mangaung 49-40 Royal Bafokeng
Under-21 Individual Awards
Best Shooter: Shilo Baradelli (Johannesburg)
Best Mid-Court Player: Naledi Mokoa (Tshwane)
Best Defender: Kimberley Amiras (Tshwane)
Player of the Tournament: Boitumelo Mokoena (Johannesburg)
Original Copy: Kgotla PR and Communications and BLD Communications, with editing by gsport
Main Photo Caption: Cape Town celebrate with the trophy after holding their nerve to edge Tshwane 56-55 in a one-goal thriller and claim the senior A title at the Spar National Netball Championships at Stellenberg High School in Cape Town on Tuesday, 11 August 2026. All Photos: Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images
Photo 2 Caption: Tshwane shooter Ine-Marí Venter, named best shooter in the senior A section, sends up a shot in the one-goal final defeat by hosts Cape Town.
Photo 3 Caption: Johannesburg lift the under-21 A trophy for a third consecutive year after a 52-38 win over neighbours Tshwane in the final.
Photo 4 Caption: The senior A and under-21 A individual award winners share a smile after collecting their honours at the Spar National Netball Champs.
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