South African · Hammarsdale, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa · Born 19 January 1988South African centre and the most-capped Proteas player in history, who captained the team to their best-ever World Cup finish in 2019.
Bongiwe Msomi was born on 19 January 1988 in Hammarsdale, KwaZulu-Natal, the fifth of eight children. She began playing netball almost by accident at 16, filling in for a friend's training session at Chief Luthayi High School, and credits her first coach, S'thembiso Mncwabe, with funding much of her early development out of his own pocket. Msomi made her senior Proteas debut in 2011 at the World Netball Championships in Singapore, and became vice-captain in 2013. She was handed the national captaincy in 2016, a role she held until her retirement, leading South Africa to their most successful Netball World Cup campaign in history at Liverpool 2019 — a fourth-place finish, South Africa's best result in 25 years. She captained the Proteas again when they hosted the World Cup for the first time on African soil in Cape Town in 2023, having by then become South Africa's most-capped netball international. Msomi built an extensive club career across three countries, starting with Kingdom Stars in South Africa before signing for England's Surrey Storm in 2015 and Wasps Netball in 2017, winning the Netball Superleague title and earning Player of the Match in the Grand Final. She also played a season for Adelaide Thunderbirds in Australia's Super Netball. She retired from international netball in December 2023 with 171 caps, and continues to coach and manage netball at the University of Johannesburg while running the Bongi Msomi Legacy Project, supporting young players in her hometown of Hammarsdale.
Captaining South Africa to their best-ever World Cup finish, fourth place, at Liverpool 2019
How They Played
Pacey, creative centre known for tactical intelligence and calm decision-making under pressure
Lasting Impact
A defining figure in South African netball's rise to genuine international competitiveness, and an inspirational leader for the next generation of African netballers
Career Honours
- South Africa's most-capped netball international (171 caps)
- Netball World Cup 4th place 2019 (best-ever finish, as captain)
- Netball Superleague title 2017 (Wasps)
- Ministerial Recognition of Excellence Award 2019
| Club | Period | Apps |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom Stars | 2010–2016 | — |
| Surrey Storm | 2015–2016 | — |
| Wasps Netball | 2017–2019 | — |
| Adelaide Thunderbirds | 2018–2018 | — |
| Gauteng Golden Fireballs | 2020–2022 | — |
South African Athletes