By Levy Masiteng
Sporting excellence took centre stage at Sun City on Sunday night as the country’s finest athletes, teams, coaches and sporting administrators were celebrated at the 19th Annual South African Sport Awards.
Held at the Sun City Superbowl in the North West under the theme “Crowned by Greatness”, the glittering ceremony honoured achievements from the 2025 sporting year, with sprint star Akani Simbine taking the night’s biggest prize.
The three-time Olympian walked away with the coveted Sport Star of the Year award, beating two formidable finalists in Proteas captain Temba Bavuma and Springbok hooker Malcolm Marx.
Meanwhile, swimming sensation Pieter Coetze claimed the Sportsman of the Year award, edging golf star Christiaan Maas and boxer Kevin Lerena.
Coetze won the 100m backstroke world title at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships in Singapore and took silver in both the 50m and 200m backstroke.
Athletics provided another major highlight when Prudence Sekgodiso was crowned Sportswoman of the Year, beating Proteas captain Laura Wolvaardt and canoe champion Kira Bester.
Sekgodiso won the women’s 800m title at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Nanjing in March 2025, becoming South Africa’s first female medallist at the World Indoor Championships.
The Proteas Men’s Test team claimed the Sport Team of the Year award after their historic success in winning South Africa’s maiden ICC World Test Championship title in 2025.
Cricket South Africa was also named National Federation of the Year.
Athletics also collected major recognition, with Thabo Matebedi named Coach of the Year, while young sprint star Bayanda Walaza took the Youth/Junior Sport Star of the Year award.
Simoné Kruger was named Sportswoman of the Year with a Disability, while Puseletso Mabote took the corresponding Sportsman of the Year with a Disability award.
The Men’s Under-20 Rugby Team was named Youth/Junior Sport Team of the Year.
Other winners included Anthony Moruthane for Sport Administrator of the Year, Aimee Barrett-Theron as Technical Official of the Year, Nqobile Kunene as Sport Volunteer of the Year and the Khokho Association South Africa as Recreation Body of the Year.
In the media categories, Skhu Nkomphela won Sport Visual Journalist of the Year, while Rachel Makhura was named Sports Media Journalist of the Year.
Former Sowetan photographer Veli Nhlapo, alongside Selwyn Nathan and Siya Vabaza-Booi, received the Steve Tshwete Lifetime Recognition. Nhlapo, who retired in July after a career spanning more than four decades, described the honour as an emotional moment.
The Andrew Mlangeni Green Jacket was awarded to Patson Banda, Prof. Mlungisi Ngubane, Teenage Dladla and Willie Mtolo, while a number of sporting figures also received Minister’s Excellence Recognition.
