Kgothatso Montjane announces a new partnership and gets inducted into international hall of fame

The 28-year-old athlete, hailing from Seshego in Limpopo, navigated a congenital condition affecting her hands and feet.

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Despite participating in the Paralympic Games in 2008, 2012, 2016, and 2020, Montjane considers her induction as the pinnacle of her career.

Expressing gratitude for the honour bestowed upon her while still alive, she shared her joy with SABC Sport. 

''It is the biggest honour, with every challenge I have been experiencing - I have been wondering why am I doing it. That's what I feel about this hall of fame recognition, I need to keep at it so that I can give hope to other young Africans - so that they can realise that their dreams are possible,'' said Montjane. 

Montjane, the first African player to compete in a wheelchair Grand Slam tournament in 2013 after qualifying in both 2013 and 2014, was presented with keys to a luxury vehicle. This will facilitate her transportation to training and assist her in carrying out personal responsibilities.  

''My thought on getting the car, on its own it’s exploring active living. This is about rising above everything. This partnership is of importance for me as an athlete, being a wheelchair tennis player, getting to training, with big equipment - sometimes you need a bigger space to navigate through that.’’

‘’This is a partnership that is going to make sure that some of my dreams come true beyond being an athlete,'' added Montjane. 

Meanwhile, Nomonde Kweyi, the Head of Strategic Marketing at Mahindra South Africa, conveyed to the national broadcaster that Montjane is a perfect fit for their partnership.

''We're not only here to celebrate her as a person who is able to rise to the occasion - which is  in line with our brand, but we also would like to partner with her to make her life easier - so she can be able to move around and continue to achieve her day to day goals,'' said Kweyi.

They met the athlete in 2023 and she shared her story with the car dealership and it was no brainer to get her on board. The partnership has not date to it and will go on for as long as benefit both parties. The car handed to the athlete costs half a million.