South Africa has had a big week in Netball, so it only made sense that for us to invite veteran Netball player and SuperSport analyst and commentator Simnikiwe Mdaka for a chat on IG Live on Tuesday, 29 November 2022.
This week Simi, as she is affectionately known, was the MC when Netball World Cup 2023 announced that retail giant SPAR and telecommunications giant Telkom will be the official sponsors for the 2023 Netball World Cup in Cape Town.
“We are very proud of our association with these two companies. We are delighted that they will be premier sponsors of NWC2023,” said NSA President and NWC2023 Board member, Cecilia Molokwane
“Their domestic sponsorships have been crucial to the development of netball throughout South Africa, from grassroots level to our national team and we at NSA believe it is important for them to be part of the first Netball World Cup to be played in Africa.” added Molokwane.
According to Mdaka it’s incredible to see these tow major brands say “This is the biggest event to happen for Netball in South Africa and we want to be a part of that.”
Additionally Mdaka says: “The proud moment for me is the fact that SPAR has been with NSA for over 20 years, Telkom joined in 2018 – it indicates that Netball is not a one hit wonder, Netball is here for the long haul.
Mdaka also credited SPAR and Telkom for always committing to help Netball in the country and not only when a global showpiece is around the corner.
As we look ahead to the spectacular in Cape Town next year this is what the from Protea said about the current team, “The current SPAR Proteas has a brilliant fusion of youngsters that are really hungry and eager and they are challenging the experienced players. The experienced players are also able to influence and impart knowledge to the younger players.”
As we put spotlight on sponsorship Lonwabo and Simnikiwe spoke about players who play team sport and attracting sponsor as individuals. “It’s an area that we haven’t explored, it does put players on the back foot that brands only focus on the team and not the players. We should encourage individuals to grow their own brands to align themselves and put themselves in a position that will attract major sponsors. NSA is creating opportunities if you want to be involved post playing which is great for players too.
We’ve seen Mdaka work alongside the SS Netball team but also present TV shows like the Kasi Games and this is what she had to say about her growth on TV. “TV doesn’t come easy to me. I enjoy being nervous. It was a challenge moving from playing Netball to broadcasting. What was moving for me is covering the stories. To see a child from the township, getting to understand the effort they have to go through to get to playing sport at the highest level.
As the countdown continues ahead of Cape Town 2023 this is the legacy she would love the tournament to leave once the visitors have gone back home. “The legacy program by government and NSA is running, the program to create multipurpose sports courts, is well underway and on the go. But also, it’s one thing to put a facility there, we also need to equip the community to be coaches and umpires and then you will see children also showing interest. If we can start with the skills and invest in that and create a ripple effect that will also filter on to the kids around these facilities.”
She adds: “It’s a collaborative effort, Netball SA are going to remote areas and developing multipurpose sports courts. Where the collaboration for me comes in, is the custodians, the community needs to protect these facilities. What is the community saying about what is happening to the facilities of our children?”
Can the Proteas win the World Cup? “I’d love to say the Proteas can win and doing it at home will be amazing. But I am a practical person and I’m a bit nervous, we’ve got 8 months. There’s been a change in the coaching staff as well. Those things can possibly destabilize the team but we are South Africans and we perform well under pressure, under adverse conditions. I do think that if we use the next 6 months with training building on all the things that build a winning team, we can finish even in the top 3.
And speaking of her future, Simi is still dreaming big “I love the broadcasting and I’ll take any opportunity to connect with the people. I’m always keen to engage people on sport and how we can grow the game. She also hopes to use her corporate background to grow sport. She wants to bring back those skills she gets in the corporate world to improve the commercialization of the game.”
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