The Spar Proteas will kickstart 2026 with a three-test match Spar Challenge series against Vitality Roses in January at Ellis Park Indoor Arena in Johannesburg, Netball South Africa revealed in a media release in Pretoria on 14 November 2025.
The last time South Africa faced England at home was back in 2023 during the Quad Series in Cape Town before facing them again during the Netball World Cup in the same year at the same venue.
Head Coach Jenny van Dyk has already faced the Vitality Roses twice during the Netball Nations Cup in 2024, where she lost one 61–55 and won another 61–59.
“We are thrilled to host Vitality Roses for a test series on home soil this January. We look forward to welcoming fans to this competitive event.”
Spar Proteas Head Coach, Jenny van Dyk
“The players are hard at work preparing for this challenge and there are a few players that we are looking at that may be brought into the squad come January,” said Van Dyk. “The series will also assist us as we begin to build a team for the Commonwealth Games and beyond.”
The two nations will play each other between the 29 January and 1 February 2025, at Ellis Park Indoor Arena, with the English set to arrive in the country two weeks earlier.
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As a build-up to this series, the Proteas will travel to Lilongwe in Malawi to compete in the Africa Nations Cup from 8 to 14 December 2025. South Africa heads into this tournament as African champions and would want to defend their title and use this as a confidence booster going into the new year.
“Spar are delighted to welcome England to our shores for the 2026 Spar Challenge in January next year. As headline sponsors of the Spar Proteas, we have always encouraged our national team to compete against the world’s top-ranked netball nations to give themselves a chance of proving their worth and improving their world rankings.”
Spar National PR, Communications and Sponsorships Manager, Mpudi Maubane
“With England being ranked four, only one spot in the world ahead of South Africa, we can expect a tightly contested three-test series in Johannesburg which will give the local netball and sporting fans a chance of experiencing two of the best netball teams doing battle on home soil,” continued Maubane. “The Spar Challenge will no doubt encourage the development and promotion of the game at all levels.”
South Africa will regroup and assemble camp early January in preparation for the series, where van Dyk will confirm her final 15-player squad before the tournament commences.
“It is always good to play nations that are ranked on top of us, and this is important because we really would like to improve our world rankings and move up the ladder,” said Mami Diale, Netball South Africa President.
Broadcast information and ticket details will be communicated in due course.
Original Copy: Netball South Africa, with editing by gsport
Main Photo Caption: Elmeré van der Berg pictured in attack for the Spar Proteas in a historic away series in February, 2025. Netball has announced that South Africa will host the Vitality Roses in a three-test match home series in January at Ellis Park Indoor Arena to kickstart 2026 in Johannesburg. File Photo: Netball South Africa
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