This Women’s Month, SuperSport Puts Women at the Heart of the Sporting Story

correspondent | Thursday August 13, 2026 12:42

 

12 August 2026 - There are moments in sport that stay with us long after the final whistle.

A swimmer touching the wall first after years of doubt. A runner crossing the line to make history for her country. A footballer finding the back of the net when everything is on the line. A rugby analyst breaking down a moment that changes a match. A presenter commanding a studio filled with millions of viewers. A producer calling the shots from the gallery. A camera operator capturing the emotion of a defining sporting moment.

These are all stories of women. And this Women’s Month, SuperSport is putting those stories exactly where they belong: at the heart of the sporting conversation.

Across Africa and around the world, women continue to redefine what is possible in sport, breaking records, challenging expectations, creating history and inspiring the next generation to believe that there is a place for them in every arena.

At SuperSport, that belief goes beyond August. It is part of an ongoing commitment to women in sport and women in sports media, one that is brought to life through the athletes SuperSport showcases, the competitions it broadcasts and the remarkable women who help bring those stories to audiences across the continent.

That commitment is embodied by SuperSport’s ongoing #HereforHer initiative, a movement dedicated to amplifying women’s sport, elevating female athletes and increasing the visibility of women across sports media and broadcasting. It is a commitment that has been backed by action, from the launch of the dedicated 24-hour All Women’s Sports Network (AWSN) on DStv Stream Channel 244, which brings more than 2 500 hours of live women’s sport annually to audiences across South Africa and the rest of Africa, to investment in women working in technical, production and on-air roles.

It is also a commitment that has produced industry firsts, including SuperSport becoming the first broadcaster in the world to deliver a major international tournament, the 2023 Netball World Cup, with an all-female production crew of 120 people.

This August, the timing could not be more fitting.

The sporting calendar is alive with extraordinary women, and SuperSport is there to tell their stories.

The recent Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games provided a powerful reminder of the depth, resilience and brilliance of African female athletes, with women producing some of the Games’ most memorable performances.

For South Africa, Lara van Niekerk delivered one of the most compelling stories of the Games when she successfully defended her Commonwealth title in the women’s 50m breaststroke.

Having endured a difficult four years that included health setbacks and moments when she considered walking away from swimming, Van Niekerk returned to the top of the podium in Glasgow, showing that defending a title can require every bit as much courage as winning one for the first time.

Danika Vyncke provided another glimpse of the future of South African swimming when she claimed silver in the women’s 50m freestyle S13, clocking 28.41 seconds to break the African record and secure her first Commonwealth Games medal. Her achievement was part of a strong showing by South African women in the pool, with Erin Gallagher and Aimee Canny also contributing to the medal haul.

Elsewhere on the continent, Nigeria’s Esther Nworgu produced a performance of extraordinary power, winning gold in the women’s lightweight para powerlifting event while breaking the Commonwealth Games record twice on her way to the title. Rwanda’s Florence Niyonkuru also created history, winning bronze in the women’s 10,000m to secure Rwanda’s first-ever senior Commonwealth Games medal.

These are not simply medal-winning performances. They are stories of women changing the sporting history of their nations, and they are precisely the stories that deserve to be seen, heard and celebrated.

SuperSport’s Commonwealth Games coverage reflected that same commitment, with a formidable group of women bringing experience from the field of play into the broadcast booth.

Former South African sprinting great Geraldine Pillay-Viret brought the perspective of an athlete who competed at the highest level and has since established herself as a respected presenter, analyst and field reporter.

Former Proteas netballer Simnikiwe “Simi” Mdaka brought her understanding of elite netball and her experience of representing and captaining South Africa to the studio, while Thato Moeng continued to demonstrate why she is one of the most recognisable women in African sports broadcasting, bringing her energy, authority and versatility to a multi-sport event of global significance.

Karien Jonckheere’s extensive experience as an Olympic and international sports journalist added another important dimension, particularly in telling the stories of athletes and sporting disciplines that do not always receive the same level of attention.

Amanda Mynhardt, former Proteas captain and an accomplished netball analyst, brought her elite court experience and tactical understanding to the coverage, while Jean-Marie Neethling Stander’s swimming background added further specialist insight to the pool action.

Together, they represented something bigger than a collection of broadcast roles: they represented women with lived sporting experience helping audiences understand the athletes, the pressure and the moments that matter.

And nowhere is the growth, power and potential of women’s sport more visible right now than at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.

The expanded 16-team tournament has already delivered drama, upsets and performances that have captured the imagination of the continent. Tournament debutants Malawi stunned ten-time champions Nigeria 3-2 in one of the tournament’s biggest shocks, with sisters Temwa and Tabitha Chawinga at the centre of a historic victory that announced Malawi as a force to be taken seriously.

Zambia’s Barbra Banda also made an immediate statement, scoring four goals in Zambia’s emphatic 6-0 opening victory over Egypt. And for South Africa, Thembi Kgatlana once again showed her big-game credentials, helping Banyana Banyana navigate a demanding group stage and continue their title defence.

For viewers, the WAFCON is also an opportunity to see an exceptional group of women from SuperSport bring the tournament to life.

Lerato Phago has been at the forefront of the studio presentation, combining football knowledge with an engaging broadcasting style, while former Banyana Banyana captain Simphiwe Dludlu brings the authority of an elite international player and coach to the analysis. Nthabeleng Modiko adds another distinctive voice, drawing on her experience as a former Banyana Banyana midfielder and coach to provide viewers with an informed perspective on the tactical and technical demands of the game.

These women are not simply presenting women’s football. They are helping shape how audiences experience it, understand it and connect with it. That distinction matters, because visibility matters.

When young girls see women leading the conversation around sport, analysing the biggest games and standing confidently at the centre of major broadcasts, they see possibility. They see careers. They see themselves.

That message extends beyond football. Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry, which has now kicked off with the return of the All Blacks to South Africa for a landmark tour against the country’s leading franchises and the Springboks, provides another powerful example of women playing a central role in some of SuperSport’s biggest sporting properties.

The historic tour includes clashes between the All Blacks and the DHL Stormers, Hollywoodbets Sharks, Vodacom Bulls and Lions, followed by the four-Test showdown against the Springboks, culminating in the final Test in Baltimore.

It also features a major women’s international fixture, with the Springbok Women taking on the Black Ferns at FNB Stadium on 5 September.

For SuperSport, the story behind Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry is therefore not simply about the two most successful nations in rugby history.

It is also about the breadth of voices telling that story. Layla Arrison, Motshidisi Mohono and former Springbok Women captain Mandisa Williams are among the women bringing their expertise, personality and authority to the coverage.

Williams, in particular, offers viewers the unique perspective of someone who has lived the demands of elite international rugby and captained the Springbok Women, while Mohono continues to demonstrate the commanding presence and broadcasting excellence that have made her one of the continent’s leading sports anchors. Arrison represents another generation of women carving out their place in rugby broadcasting and proving that the conversation around the game is richer when more voices are part of it.

And the action does not stop there.

The Hundred continues to provide a global stage for some of South Africa’s finest female cricketers, with Proteas stars including Marizanne Kapp and Nadine de Klerk featuring for London Spirit, while Laura Wolvaardt is part of the Southern Brave squad.

Kapp, one of the most accomplished all-rounders in the women’s game, has already established a remarkable legacy in The Hundred, while Wolvaardt continues to underline her status as one of the world's premier batters. Their presence ensures that South African fans have another opportunity to follow their sporting heroes on the international stage.

Then, as August draws to a close, attention turns to New York and the US Open, where the world’s best tennis players will once again converge for the final Grand Slam of the year.

The 2026 US Open runs from 23 August to 13 September, with the women’s singles main draw beginning on 30 August and the women’s final scheduled for 12 September. Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff and Iga Świątek are among the stars who will command the spotlight, providing yet another reminder that the very best of women’s sport continues to generate drama, excellence and global interest.

And while the athletes take centre stage, so too do the women behind the screens who make SuperSport’s coverage possible. They are presenters, analysts, producers, directors, reporters, camera operators, editors, technicians and storytellers. They are women who have spent years earning their place in an industry that has not always made that journey easy. Their contribution is not an addition to the sporting story; it is part of the story itself.

That is why #HereforHer remains so important to SuperSport.

It is about more than broadcasting more women’s sport. It is about creating visibility, opening doors, developing talent and making sure that women are not simply invited into the conversation but are empowered to lead it.

The initiative’s women’s empowerment programmes are designed to help female employees develop the skills and confidence needed to progress into senior roles, reinforcing the belief that the future of sports broadcasting must include women at every level.

That is ultimately what Women’s Month means at SuperSport. It is about celebrating the woman who wins the medal, the woman who scores the winning goal, the woman who stands on the touchline, the woman who holds the microphone, the woman who sits behind the camera and the woman making the decisions in the room. It is about recognising that every one of them has a story worth telling.

And SuperSport intends to keep telling those stories.

Because women’s sport is not a once-a-year celebration. It is not a side story. It is not an afterthought. It is sport. It is excellence. It is entertainment. It is history being made in real time.

This Women’s Month, SuperSport is proud to be there for every moment, every breakthrough and every woman who continues to show us what is possible.

From Morocco to Glasgow, from the cricket grounds of England to the tennis courts of New York, from the rugby fields of South Africa to the studios and production galleries that bring it all to life, the message is clear: SuperSport is Here for Her.

And audiences across Africa can watch these extraordinary women in action, live on SuperSport.