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By Johnathan Paoli
University and national women sport veterans have urged young athletes to embrace opportunities, complete their studies and believe in their dreams to inspire the future generation to lead.
The University of Johannesburg (UJ) recently marked Women’s Month and its 20th anniversary with a dialogue celebrating women’s resilience, leadership and empowerment in sport.
Opening the conversation, UJ Sport Senior Director Nomsa Mahlangu called for collective accountability and mentorship.
“Today we celebrate each other; we drink from each other’s cup,” she said, underscoring the importance of women supporting one another as they climb leadership ladders.
Mahlangu said established professionals must serve as guides and sources of hope for the next generation of leaders, ensuring that the gains made in women’s participation in sport were not lost, but multiplied.
The event, titled: “Breaking Barriers: A 20-Year Journey of Women in Sports,” was hosted in collaboration with the Soweto Library and Information Centre and brought together influential female voices who have carved a path in South African and international sport.
The panel discussion included UJ alumna and South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) first vice president Lwandile Simelane, former Banyana Banyana captain and football analyst Amanda Dlamini, and former SPAR Proteas netball captain Bongiwe Msomi.
They were joined by UJ coaches, managers and student athletes, creating a space where experiences and strategies for empowering women in sport were candidly shared.
Dlamini, who grew up playing street football in rural KwaZulu-Natal before captaining the national women’s team, reflected on how sport and education worked together to build her confidence.
“Football has helped me grow as a leader, and school added a confidence boost for me to be able to express and articulate myself better,” she said.
Her story highlighted both triumph and challenge.
While she credited football for instilling leadership qualities, she also pointed to the societal obstacles that limited young girls’ opportunities in sport.
These included a lack of resources, entrenched gender stereotypes and unequal support compared to male counterparts. She urged student athletes to remain resilient and to use education as a tool to strengthen their influence both on and off the field.
For Simelane, her journey from humble beginnings to the executive boardrooms of South African sport, illustrates the value of perseverance and service.
“I started by washing team kits, organising events and carrying boxes. Those experiences shape people to serve better,” she said.
Simelane emphasised the importance of volunteering and committing to tasks that may seem menial, but ultimately built discipline and resilience.
She appealed to aspiring leaders to embrace the learning process and let hard work pave the way to higher office.
Adding to the discussion, Msomi highlighted the vital role mentorship played in shaping successful athletes and administrators.
“Just like men, women require guidance to develop in sport and any other industry,” she said, noting that talent alone could not sustain a career.
She urged student athletes to prioritise their studies.
“Academic wisdom combined with talent gives you credibility and opportunity. Please give young women the opportunities to learn and be in the positions that you occupy when you retire.”
Msomi credited her former coach, Norma Plummer, for mentoring her not only on the netball court but also in life, demonstrating the profound influence that dedicated mentors had on young women athletes.
The panellists stressed that while progress has been made, women continued to face structural barriers, from underfunding to underrepresentation in leadership.
Yet, through mentorship, education, resilience and solidarity, these challenges could be overcome.
As UJ celebrates two decades of existence, the discussion serves as a reminder that women’s voices in sport were vital for equality and shaping the future of leadership in South Africa.
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