Felisitus Kwangwa

Zimbabwean defender and national captain who led the Gems to their first-ever Netball World Cup appearance and became the first Zimbabwean to play in England's Netball Superleague.

Felisitus Kwangwa was introduced to netball at age 10 at Mtshede Primary School in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, having also shown early talent in football and athletics. She earned her first senior cap for the Zimbabwe Gems against Zambia at 19, having progressed through the junior national team from age 17. By age 23, Kwangwa had been named captain of the Gems, leading the team's successful qualification campaign for Zimbabwe's first-ever Netball World Cup appearance in 2019. At the tournament in Liverpool, she was a standout performer, earning three Player of the Match accolades and helping Zimbabwe to an eighth-place finish — a historic result for a team playing on the global stage for the first time. Her performances in Liverpool caught the attention of England's Netball Superleague, and after the Covid-19 pandemic delayed her move, Kwangwa became the first Zimbabwean player to sign for a UK Superleague club, joining Surrey Storm, where she won the Coach's Player of the Season award in 2022. She captained Zimbabwe again at the 2023 World Cup in Cape Town, and has combined her playing career with coaching roles, including at Notting Hill and Ealing High School in London, while continuing to develop netball back home in Zimbabwe.

Versatile, determined defender capable of playing goal defence, goal keeper and wing defence

A pioneering figure for Zimbabwean netball, opening the door for future Gems players to compete in professional overseas leagues

• First Zimbabwean to play in England's Netball Superleague
• Zimbabwe captain, 2019-2023 World Cups
• 3x Player of the Match, 2019 World Cup
• Surrey Storm Coach's Player of the Season 2022