The announcement follows the unveiling of the South African National Netball Team by the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) at Olympic House in Johannesburg on Wednesday evening. The warm-up series is expected to provide the Proteas with valuable match practice against one of Africa’s strongest netball nations.
Head coach Jenny van Dyk believes the series comes at the perfect time as the team looks to sharpen its performance before stepping onto the Commonwealth Games stage.
“Preparation is vital if we are to perform well at the upcoming Commonwealth Games. The last time the team was together was back in February, so these matches against Uganda will be invaluable as we prepare for the competition. We couldn’t have asked for a better opponent. We’ve faced Uganda several times in recent years, including at the last Commonwealth Games, and they have always proved to be a tough challenge,” said Van Dyk.
Uganda’s national team is scheduled to arrive in South Africa on 12 July 2026, with the two countries set to contest three closed-door international matches before travelling to Glasgow.
Netball South Africa President Mami Diale said the decision to invite Uganda was made with the sole objective of ensuring the Proteas are fully prepared to compete against the world’s best.
“We carefully considered several factors before inviting Uganda. Our priority is to provide our players with the best possible preparation ahead of Glasgow. Uganda is one of the strongest teams in Africa—we lost to them at both the previous Commonwealth Games and the 2023 Netball World Cup. They are currently ranked second in Africa and sixth in the world, which speaks to the quality they bring. If you want to become the best, you have to test yourself against the best, and we believe Uganda offers exactly that challenge,” Diale said.
The South African squad will assemble on 10 July before beginning preparations for the three-match series, which will serve as the team’s final competitive test before joining the rest of Team South Africa for the Commonwealth Games.
SPAR Proteas Squad
The squad selected to represent South Africa comprises:
- Khanyisa Chawane
- Kamogelo Maseko
- Tarle Mathe
- Owethu Ngubane
- Refiloe Nketsa
- Karla Pretorius
- Nicola Smith
- Rolene Streutker
- Elmeré van der Berg
- Jamie Golob
- Karla Victor
- Sanmarie Visser
With the Commonwealth Games fast approaching, the series against Uganda is expected to provide the ideal platform for the SPAR Proteas to fine-tune combinations, build momentum and head to Glasgow with confidence as they aim to challenge for honours on one of the sport’s biggest stages.