Women From South Africa

"I started my degree in 2021, so it’s taken me four years to finish. The reason being that I had both my children during this time. At no point did Henley put me under pressure to finish my course at a time when it was literally an impossibility"

"I love the freedom to choose what I want to do, the freedom that comes with owning my time, while still being able to be present for my young family"

"After all, what you wear should be a reflection of who you are and how to keep yourself updated with the world’s and South Africa’s current affairs. I have been putting all of this into practice by actively searching for self-awareness; reading up on current affairs; thinking of possible questions, which I then answer myself; using social media as a tool to get my message across; using any free time I have to work with my community to find gaps that can be filled"

"South Africa weighs heavy on my heart. One of the most beautiful countries in the world — the food, weather, people, diverse cultures, parties, experience. I don’t understand how we have fallen so bad. The quality of life is horrendous! People are suffering, hustling day to day"

"From an early age, I had a seed planted inside of me, which I have been watering over the years, and seeing my dreams realised has been nothing short of amazing! Especially when this experience has far surpassed my expectations"

"I love a good challenge, and pageantry is exactly that; I get to be involved in community projects, take the lead on various campaigns, and find out more about myself and my own capabilities. Essentially, I get to step into my power. From afar, pageantry seemed like glitz and glam, which initially is what drew me to the industry; however, the closer I got, the more appreciation I had for this world, and I have not been able to turn back since"

"The issue that is most aligned with me is our flawed healthcare system. It is no secret that a lot of attention has been directed towards the Department of Health since the beginning of 2020 due to COVID-19; however, all that attention was only focused on the new pandemic on-hand. As a result, other sectors started to lag, leaving our country in shambles! I want to tackle finding interventions that will improve and strengthen health system resilience and financing through local, national, and global engagement. After all, a healthy society is a thriving one"

"It’s like a boot camp for women. It allows me to grow. About the bullying, you can choose to lock out the negativity and focus on the good things"

"It is much easier to start a business conversation when people recognise who you are. Of course there will be skeptics who question your intellectual range and ability to perform. It is how you navigate the polarities"

"I think it’s how we show love. My love language is showering people with gifts. I also reciprocate feelings when someone shows me love"

"As someone who is considered to be a part of the youth, I believe that I can speak for the majority of my generation when I say that the biggest lesson that can be learnt from 1976 is that: change is inevitable if you are willing to actively play your part towards seeking it. The students who marched bravely in 1976 knew what they wanted, and they took the necessary measures needed, drastic as they were, to see it through. We need to learn to have that resilience today as well! There are so many social injustices that need to be faced head-on. If we can learn to gather our strength and put on brave faces, we, too, can lead our own revolutions"

"beauty queens are the subject of harsh criticism and booing"

"I felt the need to build my business acumen; I wanted to meet likeminded entrepreneurs, individuals who are doing different things in their spheres. I also wanted to find out how to run a business that is sustainable, not one that is launched one day and vanishes the next"

"My family are the first people who played a role in shaping my mind and their importance in my life cannot be emphasised enough. With them beside me, I know that everything will be okay and I know that I have purpose"

"I want to branch into the research sector so I can play a role in developing nutrition related guidelines to combat South Africa’s double burden of malnutrition and obesity"

"I am lucky enough to be on a platform that allows me to provide community education on the importance of a healthy life through a healthy diet. I have also recently started a campaign called #nyakazani which aims to get community members involved in responding to crises"

"I have always pictured myself as a role model for young women. Growing up I read about female trailblazers and always thought of myself as one too. I entered the competition because I am a driven woman who wants to make changes for the better of our country"

"It is tough gaining the trust of clients as a new entrant and as an entrepreneur; one needs to find outlets to sustain cash flow when the chips are down. Fortunately, I have had the luck of balancing my business ventures with freelance work opportunities in modelling and television"

"[For the new players] it’s a matter of them adjusting to the game plan of the team so I believe that even with coach calling them, she saw something in them of which it will help boost the team"

"But, it’s also not that difficult because we have been in this team for so many years, so we know what is expected from us, so we have to make sure that we keep the kids motivated to do better"

"I think one of the things that I had to learn is that sometimes you have to be patient for some things; no matter how talented you are, you just have to be patient. And also, hard work pays off. Well, it hasn’t really fully paid off for me but I can see the rewards of working hard."

"Sometimes talent alone is not enough and I’ve had to learn that along the way. Sometimes you just have to work hard."

"It’s a huge responsibility because we have so many young ones in this team so we (the older players) have to motivate them and show them the ropes"

"But I’m happy for the retired players. They raised the level of women’s football in general, not just at Banyana Banyana"

"I am also very happy with the clean sheet—it’s something we take pride in as a team. We are now looking forward to the next game with confidence and belief."

"Being able to do something different and show another side of my creativity was such a proud moment for me. It pushed me out of my comfort zone and showed me that I can tell stories in more than one way."

"I will continue playing until I feel that I can’t do it anymore. Everything we do in life is about timing and I feel as though I can still continue playing for the national team. After all, everyone is entitled to their own decisions,"

"I’m grateful for the support I was getting from my wife, family and team. That really helped me bounce back from that setback, even though it was not an easy journey"

"When you attack life at such a young age, you have ambition and you’re hoping that things will go your way until you actually get the experience that life doesn’t quite work that way."

"It was a hard-fought game from start to finish. We knew it was not going to be easy, and the University of Fort Hare challenged us, especially in the first half. I honestly feel we could have scored more goals — we created some good chances but just lacked that final touch at times."

"The game was eventful and everything we planned and prepared for throughout the week resulted in a good win for us. We are so happy with how we managed the game from the first whistle to the last"

"What made the difference today was our perseverance. We worked hard for each other, stayed composed, and stuck to the game plan. We implemented everything we had practiced throughout the week, and that helped us maintain our structure under pressure"

"As defenders, we take great pride in protecting our goal, and the fact that we have not conceded all season is something we work extremely hard for in training. Every player—from the forwards pressing high to the goalkeeper—contributes to that defensive effort."

"Our defensive structure was solid and we capitalized on their weaknesses at key moments. The communication between the backline, midfield and attack was excellent and that made it easier to control the tempo."

"I feel we did very well as a team, especially with our build-up to the game. We worked hard in training to sharpen our combinations and it was fulfilling to see several of the ideas we practiced come to life today. It was an intense match, but we kept our focus from start to finish"

"One thing the general public does not know about me is that I work very hard behind the scenes; I even have a personal trainer. I train twice a day, with my club and then with the personal trainer. So, I put in a lot of practice, especially for my passing. What you see on the field is a result of that hard work and practice"

"I’m not a person who likes to become comfortable in one position – I want to constantly improve as a player. I never want to hear people say ‘Bambanani can’t play football anymore’. So, I need to always work hard, especially because age is also not on my side"

"The coaching team was very clear in their instructions, and we all played with purpose and confidence. We are growing in every match and this result shows what we can achieve when we stay united and disciplined."

"So many people look up to us because of where we come from."

"It is important that they know that one has to work really hard to get what you want. Honestly, success does not really fall from the sky. You need to wake up early."

"We are more focused on what we need to be doing on the day when the Ghana game comes, and we are really working on that. We are focused on ourselves and not stressed about other teams, and we just need to make sure that we do (on the field) what we train"

"We need to play more competitive franchise or club cricket throughout the year, and we can't just rely on four players that go to the WPL, the Hundred, or the Big Bash"

"Every day, every month and every season teams change, and it is going to be hard, but we have to fix ourselves instead of looking at other teams, and we have to work hard to achieve what we want. So far, we are doing well, we have frustrations here and there, like mistakes on the field and we have to fix those – it’s difficult but we are working hard,"

"I think the creation of a professional franchise women's league in South Africa needs to start happening in the next year or two. I think that is the only way we can start bridging the gap between our provincial set-up and the national team"

"Gugulethu is like a community, like a school. You learn a lot from the people there. They are all parents to us. If you are able to take all the lessons from them then we can succeed. That is the weapon to achieve our goals."

"It means a lot to me, I've been trying to get it, and upon getting it, I was really emotional," said Shangase"

"At the same time, I [had to remind myself] it's still not over, the game is still on, and I still need to wipe those tears and go back to carry on with the match."

"At the moment, batting is in front now, and judging from both – I can't judge, it's two different skills and I love them both," she acknowledged."

"The album is like taking pages from my diary and choosing what I want to say, but it’s basically about my life"

"When I have nothing to say, i don't see the need to make noise."