Netball SA boss calls for consistency in government incentives

In 2022, Banyana Banyana received a R15 million bonus from the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture for winning the women's Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon).

However, the Proteas netball side, who defended their continental title in the 2022 Africa Netball World Cup qualifiers, received no financial incentives. 

With the women's cricket team recently receiving a bonus of R7.5 million for their runners-up finish in the ICC Women's T20 World Cup in February, Molokwane expects nothing less if they go one step further in the 2023 Netball World Cup in July.

"If they gave cricket that amount, and we are the champions, we want more. They didn't give us the R5 million – I'm still crying about it – as African champions, and we should be treated the same," bemoaned Molekwane.

"Remember, it starts from the head. If they don't treat us the same from above, it's not going to happen that everybody else treats us the same.

"If Banyana Banyana was the African champions, and the Proteas [netball] were the African champions, let's be treated the same, let's be given [the same incentives].

"These are players and they will ask us as leaders, 'Why are the others being given money and we are not being given money. What did we do wrong? Is it because we are playing netball, we are not playing football?' So, it comes to those kinds of politics and I don't want to entertain politics."

Although he wouldn’t disclose amounts, new Sports Minister Zizi Kodwa confirmed there will be a financial reward for the Proteas, should they earn a medal in the global tournament in Cape Town. 

"I'm sure there's evidence – when a team performs, you know what we do, you can't be asking that question. When a team performs, ask us [about] the T20 Women's cricket, you know what we do," he insisted.