Collaboration crucial for professional netball league dream - Peace Mabe

Speaking at the launch of the Telkom Netball League earlier this week, Mabe said there needs to be improved accountability and stronger collaboration between government and Netball South Africa to turn the dream of a professional netball league into a reality and mobilising sponsorship.

"It's a conversation that we've had for years because of the change of leadership, both politically and in Netball itself. We had a good meeting with the CEO and we've agreed that most of the things can be resolved through constant engagement," said Mabe

READ: Telkom reflects on Netball league success

"So we've agreed that we need to have a monthly meeting so that we can be able to hold one another accountable on the commitments that we have made. And also that will strenghten the relationship between government and Netball. And it will also be easy for us to support them in terms of mobilising sponsorships."

Mabe said that netball South Africa has received increased government funding, despite budget cuts across many other sporting codes. She credits this to the federation's strong governance, accountability and proven value for money.

She added that there are monthly and quarterly meetings held to assess and respond to requests for international competitions and programmes, emphasising that accountability remains central. Mabe also revealed plans to establish a centralised “sports house” that will accommodate multiple federations under one roof, reducing administrative costs such as rent and ensuring funding is directed towards athlete development.