Khanyolwethu Senior Secondary School captain, Inam Lumkwana, says their trip to the United Kingdom is a trip of a lifetime. The 2026 DStv Schools Netball Challenge (DSNC), powered by Bestmed Medical Scheme, champions are heading to Britain for a weeklong tour.
The Western Cape sides Khanyolwethu and Paarl Gimnasium won their respective streams, Ubuntu and Botho, in this year’s Netball Challenge and, along with their medals, they earned a trip overseas.
The DSNC was launched in 2021 and is divided into two streams, Botho and Ubuntu, for schools in both rural and urban areas, providing an equal opportunity to showcase their talent on a national stage.
While in the UK, the teams will play Millfield High School, Loughborough University and Bromsgrove High School before concluding with a match against the England Under-18 team.
Before heading to Britain, the players spent the day at MultiChoice City where they got to learn about the different careers that MultiChoice, a CANAL+ company, has on offer. They also got to tour the famous Studio 6 to learn how a live show is produced.
The reward for winning the DSNC trip is a highlight for most of the players. None of the Khanyolwethu players had passports or had even been outside of the country. Lumkwana says the opportunities that the DSNC has brought will broaden their world.
“We are so happy that we are about to leave. Most of us are the first in our families to have passports, let alone go overseas. Some of us struggled to get our passports because some had issues with parents or guardians who could help with the process. But as a team, we didn’t want anyone who played in the finals to be left behind because we all fought hard to win the competition. We are excited to explore a new country, see new places and for us to bond with the Paarl girls as well. We are also looking forward to displaying kasi netball to the people of the United Kingdom,” says Lumkwana.
Both teams will play against the four teams and Paarl captain Anja Smit says she is excited to get out of her comfort zone on the court.
“We are excited to experience everything, meeting new people and playing against the other teams. I am looking forward to being pushed beyond my limits because we are in a bubble here and we are used to the teams. I am excited to get tested beyond our limits and seeing how we adapt. I think we are going to learn that netball is so much more than what we know in South Africa. I think we are going to see a new perspective of what netball is to other people in other countries,” she explains.
UK TOUR AT A GLANCE
27 September: Teams arrive in London
27–29 September: London and cultural programme, including South Africa House, the South African Embassy, Buckingham Palace and London Eye River Cruise
30 September: Match against Millfield High School, Somerset
Match Day 2: Loughborough University
Match Day 3: Bromsgrove High School, Worcestershire
Match Day 4: Loughborough University v England Under-18
4 October: Return to South Africa