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31 October 2022 | Story Samkelo Fetile | Photo Tania Allen
Sne Mdletshe
Kovsie netball star and former Proteas netball team under-21 captain Sikholiwe Mdletshe hopes that she will inspire an entire generation both on and off the netball court.

Sikholiwe “Sne” Mdletshe’s passion and performance on the netball court makes her a force to be reckoned with. A fierce sportswoman and strong academic, Sne’s passion for her craft is also about inspiring those around her, and the next generation. This star netball player at the University of the Free State (UFS) scooped several Player of the Match awards during the 2022 Varsity Netball tournament, and she was also a clear crowd favourite. Despite the Kovsie netball team suffering a defeat in the semi-finals against North-West University (NWU), Mdletshe is grateful for the opportunity to live out her passion on the netball court. 

Where it all began

Mdletshe’s love for sports came very early in her life, and it was something for her to savour. “I have always had a passion for sports, whether it was athletics, soccer, or netball. I did it all – from primary school I played all the sports that were there, and in high school as well. I have just always been an active kid, and sports was a way to keep me busy,” she said.

Success and her family’s never-ending support helped motivate her. “My achievements in all the sporting codes really pushed me, from breaking records to getting the victrix ludorum award in Athletics [victrix ludorum is Latin for "the winner of the games", usually presented to the most successful team or competitor at a sports event], to getting Sports Star of the Year. Those were the things that really drove me to pursue and focus on sport. And of course, my family that pushed and supported me every step of the way.”

Balance between academics and sport

In 2019 Mdletshe captained the South African under-21 netball team while completing her BCom Accounting degree (which she completed cum laude). In 2020 she captained the UFS netball team. She also received her first call-up to the national Proteas netball team, for which she now has two caps. In 2021 she completed her BCom Accounting honours degree and is currently pursuing her Postgraduate Diploma in Chartered Accountancy. She believes that it is all possible through balancing, and she also hopes the next generation of students is encouraged to do extramural activities like sport.

“I came to the UFS in 2017 to study and play netball. Throughout the years, my lecturers have really helped me to find the perfect balance between academics and netball. The same can be done for the next generation of students, and a lot more can be achieved, individually and for Kovsie Sport as a programme.”

SA netball making strides

Mdletshe said she is not dissuaded by the slow growth of netball in South Africa. “Netball’s progress in being considered a professional sport in SA is steadily growing. We see the progress made in terms of players being paid to play netball. Earlier this year, a squad of contracted players was announced, and I am really looking forward to seeing some more growth and development in netball as a sport, especially it being considered a professional sport in the country, where many more netball players can be brought into the system. Big tournaments like the Varsity Netball Tournament make me very hopeful, and there is already a significant level of growth and interest shown in the sport. The way things are going gives a lot of encouragement to the younger generation who can possibly pursue netball as a professional career.”

Gratitude to all

Mdletshe gave a lot of praise to the Kovsie community. “I am honoured to have represented the UFS in varsity sports. For my performances, I would like to thank the coach and all my teammates for always pushing me. Gratitude to all the role players and most importantly to all our fans, who came out in numbers to rally behind us.”

She added: “Your journey in sports and in life will not be the same as the person next to you, and do not let that demotivate you. Take your time, make decisions that are best for yourself, and trust that your path will lead you exactly where your heart desires to be.”

News Archive

School of Nursing receives a considerable grant
2011-06-01

Our School of Nursing once again became the proud recipient of a grant from the Atlantic Philanthropies, an international organization dedicated to “bringing about lasting changes in the lives of disadvantaged and vulnerable people”.

Atlantic Philanthropies granted millions of rands to South African nursing training institutions via University Based Nursing Education (UNEDSA), which will provide six recipient institutions the opportunity to transform nursing academic programmes in South Africa over a period of four years.

We recently received a R3 100 000 grant for the school to transform nursing scholarship and clinical practice. This is but the latest installment in a total grant of R16 million.

The School of Nursing, under the leadership of Prof. Anita van der Merwe, former Head of the School of Nursing, submitted a proposal to UNEDSA and was selected as one of the six recipients of the award. The school is now at the beginning of the third financial year of the project.

According to Dr Annali Fichardt from the School of Nursing, the school established a unique Virtual Health Teaching and Learning facility for training students in a non-threatening, simulated environment and to prepare nurses to be capable and to function optimally in the dynamic health-care environment. This provides opportunities for experimentation and sharing of integrated teaching and learning in nursing education.

The project helped establish a new unit for continuing professional development and research capacity development to serve practicing nurses and staff members of the School of Nursing. These initiatives will result in a fully transformed and accredited portfolio of programmes at undergraduate, post-basic and postgraduate levels to meet the needs of a range of health-care settings and learners.

The School of Nursing hopes to create an innovative teaching and learning environment that empowers students and professional nurses to become clinically excellent, able to practice independently in both resource-poor and technology-rich areas, and manage such complexities in an innovative way.

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