Three of South Africa's leading amateur golfers, Charlotte Millard, Isabella Ferreira and Lourenda Steyn, will fly the flag for the country in the 2026 All Africa Challenge Trophy at the IBB International Golf and Country Club in Abuja, Nigeria from 2–7 November.
The All Africa Challenge Trophy is one of the continent's premier women's amateur team championships, bringing together leading players from across Africa to compete for continental honours.
The trio heading to West Africa this weekend share an impressive collection of national and international achievements, underlining the strength and depth of women's amateur golf in South Africa.
Millard, Ferreira and Steyn currently occupy three of the top four positions on the GolfRSA Open Amateur rankings, with Millard leading the standings, Ferreira second and Steyn fourth.
Millard has enjoyed an outstanding 2026 season, highlighted by her victory in the South African Women's Amateur Stroke Play Championship at The Els Club Copperleaf in February.
The 20-year-old Killarney Country Club golfer demonstrated tremendous composure to defeat Ferreira on the fourth extra play-off hole after the pair tied on seven-under-par 207. Millard, who earned her first Protea colours at the 2026 GolfRSA International Amateur Championship, also finished third in the prestigious R&A Africa Amateur Women's Invitational at Royal Johannesburg earlier this year.
Her impressive run of form further includes victories in the Ackerman Championship, Cobra Puma CGGU Championship and the Eastern Province and Border Championship, and the individual title in the recent SA Women’s 72-Hole Team Championship and the GolfRSA No 1 brings valuable experience to the team.
Ferreira has been equally impressive, building on her international success at the 2025 Egyptian Ladies Amateur Open with a string of victories and consistently strong performances throughout 2026.
The George Golf Club golfer claimed the Western Province Women's Amateur Championship in March, edging Millard for victory at Westlake Golf Club. She added the Free State Open, Southern Cape Open, Gauteng North Open to her growing list of achievements. The 23-year-old also claimed individual glory in the Run Africa Dames in Réunion, where she partnered with Millard and Kesha Louw to win the team event on a three-round total of 432.
Runner-up finishes in the South African Women's Amateur Stroke Play Championship, Ackerman Championship and Ekurhuleni Open further underline her consistency and have helped to propel Ferreira to second in the national Open Amateur rankings.
Completing the formidable line-up is 17-year-old Steyn, one of South Africa's most exciting young talents.
The Centurion Country Club golfer has established herself as a proven performer on the international stage, winning the individual title at the 2026 All Africa Junior Team Championship in Kenya and helping South Africa secure the girls' team title.
Her international credentials include victories at the 2025 Zimbabwe Junior Open and Dutch Junior Open, while a fourth-place finish at the 2026 Annika Invitational Europe further demonstrated her ability to compete against leading international junior talent.
Steyn also finished runner-up at the R&A Africa Amateur Women's Invitational and represented South Africa at the Toyota Junior Golf World Cup in Japan. On the domestic circuit, she added victories in the Limpopo Championship and Free State Open to her achievements this season.
She recently added another milestone to her growing résumé when she successfully defended her Women's A-Division title at the GolfRSA Champion of Champions, becoming the first player since Caitlyn Macnab in 2017 and 2018 to win consecutive titles in the division.
Womens Golf South Africa President Madeleine de Wet welcomed the selection and expressed confidence in the team's ability to challenge for continental honours.
"This is an exciting team, and what makes it particularly special is that all three players have earned their places through consistently strong performances at home and abroad," said De Wet.
"Charlotte and Isabella have been among our leading performers throughout the season, while Lourenda continues to demonstrate remarkable maturity and competitiveness at such a young age.
They are talented, determined and fiercely competitive, but they also understand the responsibility and privilege of representing South Africa. We are extremely proud of what they have achieved, and we have every confidence that they will give an excellent account of themselves in Nigeria."
Team South Africa will be managed by Womens Golf South Africa Vice-President Petricia Buurman.
GolfRSA Chief Executive Officer Grant Hepburn said the selection reflects the continued success of the organisation's investment in women's golf and its National Squad programme.
"One of GolfRSA's key objectives is to create a clear pathway for talented young golfers to progress from junior competition to elite amateur golf and ultimately to the international stage," Hepburn said.
"Charlotte, Isabella and Lourenda are excellent examples of that pathway in action. They have benefited from the competitive opportunities, structures and support available through GolfRSA, and their performances demonstrate the quality of players coming through our women's amateur ranks.
"Competing against the best players on the continent is another important step in their development, and we look forward to seeing them represent South Africa with pride and determination."
The 2026 All Africa Challenge Trophy will be hosted by the Ladies Golf Association of Nigeria, with national teams from across the continent gathering in Abuja for one of the most significant events on the African women's amateur golf calendar.