The Women in Sports Trust takes a purposeful and principled approach to selecting its beneficiaries. Through a well-defined and transparent evaluation process, we ensure that all individuals and organisations we support are not only deserving, but are also committed to driving meaningful impact.
Our criteria are rooted in accountability, empowerment, and alignment with the Trust’s mission—centred on uplifting communities, fostering leadership, and enabling systemic transformation in the sports sector.
At its core, the Trust is far more than a source of funding. It is a bold, future-focused movement designed to champion Black women in sport—amplifying their voices, unlocking their potential, and positioning them as powerful agents of change across South Africa’s sporting landscape.
Funding Criteria & Applications
Reflecting on a truly memorable weekend connecting with our incredible beneficiaries from the University of Pretoria and the University of Johannesburg.
Empowering young talent takes collaboration, commitment and strong partnerships. These relationships continue to create meaningful opportunities for women and contribute to the development of sport in South Africa.
A special thank you to the TuksFootball leadership, led by Mr. Kenneth Neluvhani, together with Deputy Director of Sports Operations Mr. Senzo Mbatha, for presenting the Women in Sports Trust with a framed TuksSport football jersey.
We are equally grateful to Prof. Smith and the University of Johannesburg Sport team for spending meaningful time with our Women in Sports Trustees as part of our annual Women’s Month celebration.
We are grateful to work alongside institutions that continue to invest in opportunities for women and the continued development of sport in South Africa.
A special thank you to our programme director, coach and sports psychologist for their contribution to this memorable celebration.
We extend our sincere gratitude to both institutions for their continued partnership and dedication to sports development in our country.
Senzo Mbatha reflects on “The Concept of a Woman” and the impact of creating opportunities for young women through education and sport.
I had the privilege of representing #TuksSport at the Women in Sports Trust & Women Entrepreneur Trust event at the Johannesburg Country Club, under the theme “The Concept of a Woman.”
It was both inspiring and humbling to hear the stories of young female student-athletes who continue to navigate significant financial and societal challenges while pursuing academic and sporting excellence.
Our TuksFootball programme, under the leadership of Kenneth Neluvhalani, has been one of the major beneficiaries of support provided by the Women in Sports Trust.
While the conversations were viewed through a women’s lens, the stories of challenge, resilience, sacrifice and determination reflected a much broader South African story.
Never let a crisis go to waste. Find the silver lining, learn from it and use it to improve.
Define your journey, and you will enjoy it.
Creating opportunities that help shape young women’s futures through education, sport and meaningful partnerships.
There is no single or universal experience of womanhood. Every journey is shaped by different backgrounds, ambitions, identities, challenges and circumstances.
Through the voices of our beneficiaries and speakers, this conversation explores resilience, opportunity, entrepreneurship, leadership, sport and the experiences that continue to shape women’s journeys.
Different backgrounds. Different ambitions. Different experiences. Each speaker brings her own perspective to a wider conversation about identity, opportunity, resilience and womanhood.
A 19-year-old Sports Management student, young leader and athlete passionate about women empowerment, personal development and helping young people embrace their potential.
Dieketseng Masina is a 19-year-old passionate Sports Management student, young leader and athlete with a strong interest in women empowerment and personal development.
Through her involvement in sport and leadership, she has developed a deep appreciation for resilience, discipline and the power of women supporting one another.
As a young woman who believes in using her experiences to inspire others, Dieketseng is passionate about encouraging young people to embrace their potential, overcome challenges and confidently take up space in society.
Architect, entrepreneur and Founder and Creative Director of Thebeibelwe Architecture & Interior Design, creating opportunities through proudly African contemporary design.
Lebogang Modikoane is an architect, entrepreneur and the Founder and Creative Director of Thebeibelwe Architecture & Interior Design, a proudly African, female-led design studio based in South Africa.
Her journey as a woman entrepreneur has been shaped by resilience, courage and a deep belief in the power of creating opportunities, not only for herself, but for others.
Through Thebeibelwe, Lebogang has built a growing practice bringing together architecture, interior design, African identity and contemporary design across hospitality, commercial, corporate and aviation spaces.
She is passionate about changing perceptions of African design and creating platforms for women and young creatives to participate meaningfully in the built environment.
For Lebogang, entrepreneurship is about building a legacy, creating opportunities and demonstrating that African women can lead, create and compete on a global stage.
Cape Town educator, licensed SAFA coach and founder of ME, an NPO using sport to enhance girls’ lives and improve their overall wellbeing.
Inge Kaba is from Cape Town and grew up in Mandalay. She is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Education in Senior Phase & FET.
She is also a licensed SAFA coach holding both her CAF D and CAF C licences.
Inge is the founder of an NPO called ME, which focuses on enhancing girls’ lives and improving their overall wellbeing through sport.
She dreams of opening a sports orphanage that will give children access to the same kind of opportunity she is being granted today.
A University of Pretoria student athlete and Women in Sport Trust beneficiary whose journey reflects resilience, dual-career excellence and purpose.
Thandiswa Tafane is a student athlete at the University of Pretoria.
As a beneficiary of the Women in Sport Trust, her journey reflects resilience, dual-career excellence and a commitment to inspiring the next generation.
Award-winning entrepreneur, storyteller and creative professional whose decade-long career spans television, writing, communications, voice-over artistry and public speaking.
Atlehang Ramathesele is an experienced and award-winning entrepreneur whose creativity extends into writing, television production, communications, voice-over artistry and public speaking.
A BA Honours graduate in Media from Wits University, Atlehang has built a multi-layered career spanning more than a decade and has produced over 250 hours of on-air content.
She established Blossom Ink Media, a growing creative communications and production agency where she and her team create and manage powerful content and communication for companies, brands and individuals.
As Managing Director of Blossom Ink Media, Atlehang guides the creation and production of content for TV, digital and print, supported by effective communication strategies.
Her editorial experience includes serving as Editor of Business Day Homefront, Managing Editor for Media24, Senior Writer for CFO South Africa and contributor to Sunday Times Lifestyle.
Her work has allowed her to cover a wide range of business and lifestyle content and interview personalities ranging from CEOs of listed companies to Hollywood figures.
At heart, Atlehang is an avid storyteller passionate about bringing inspiring ideas to life and creating empowering and impactful narratives about women and Africa.
No single story defines womanhood. Each voice adds a different experience to a wider conversation about identity, ambition, opportunity, leadership and possibility.
Supporting education, high-performance athletes and international participation through meaningful bursary funding.
Categories Of FundingThe Trust awarded 13 students studying at UJ bursaries in 2024 in the aggregate amount of R1.1 million. Whilst it is currently finalising the list of approved applicants, the Trust will in all probability award a further R1 million to aid approximately 13 students during 2025.
TUT was awarded R1,012,722 in 2025 to award 26 high-performing female athletes bursaries to study at its facilities which included boarding and tuition.
The SA Swimming Association was awarded R150,000.00 to each of its elected swimmers, water polo players and a diver to participate internationally.
UJ highlighted the significant impact that bursaries awarded by the Women In Sport Trust had on students during the 2024 academic year.
UJ highlighted the impact which bursaries awarded by The Women In Sport Trust had on students in 2024.
The bursaries played a vital role in 2024, improving access to education and positively influencing students’ academic success, retention rates, and financial stability.
The bursary allowed all recipients to register for the 2024 academic year, as it also covered their outstanding institutional debt.
All recipients continued to excel, passing all modules and maintaining their exceptional academic performance.
69% of recipients have met all graduation requirements, while the remaining 31% will advance to the 2026 academic year — their final year of study.
Through bursaries, talent identification and national outreach, the Women In Sport Trust continues to help create pathways for students and high-performance athletes to pursue both academic and sporting excellence.
During 2024, the Trust supported 13 students studying towards a degree or diploma in sport science.
Applications were received not only from universities, but also from high-performance athletes, swimmers, and the SA Fencing Association.
The Trustees have been conducting roadshows across South Africa to seek out talent, with the goal of delivering a future Olympian.
The Women In Sport Trust has historically awarded bursaries to students since 2013/2024.
We’d love to hear from you! Connect with the Women in Sports Trust to explore how you can support, collaborate, or benefit from our mission to empower and uplift black women in sport across South Africa. Let’s champion change together.
