Uganda and South Africa closed out the 2026 Africa Netball Cup as champions after eight days of competition at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, with the tournament also determining Africa’s final qualifiers for the 2027 Netball World Cup in Sydney.
The She Cranes reclaimed the women’s continental title in dramatic fashion, edging defending champions South Africa 56-53 in a tightly contested final that lived up to its billing.
Uganda completed an unbeaten campaign, underlining their consistency throughout the tournament. After topping Pool 2, the She Cranes booked their place in the final by defeating Namibia 52-41 in the semi-finals before holding off a determined South African side in the championship decider.
South Africa settled for silver, while Malawi secured the women’s bronze medal after beating Namibia 50-45 in the third-place playoff.
Hosts Kenya finished fifth following an entertaining 63-57 victory over Zimbabwe, bringing their campaign to a positive conclusion in front of the home crowd.
In the men’s competition, South Africa successfully defended their continental crown, overcoming Eswatini to claim back-to-back Africa Netball Cup titles. Their triumph capped another strong showing by the South African programme across both sections of the championship.
The Kasarani tournament featured 11 African nations [ South Africa, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Lesotho, Tanzania, Namibia, Botswana, eSwatini, Malawi, and Hosts Kenya ] and carried significance beyond the medals, with four countries earning qualification places for the 2027 Netball World Cup.
Malawi and Namibia secured the two remaining African berths through their performances in Kenya, joining Uganda and South Africa, who had already booked their places through the World Netball Rankings published on December 1, 2025.
The championship therefore provided a decisive platform for the continent’s leading teams, with the final standings determining which nations would join the already qualified pair at the global tournament in Sydney.
For Kenya, the fifth-place finish offered a respectable end to a campaign that included mixed fortunes for the hosts. The home sides battled through a competitive field before signing off with victory over Zimbabwe.
With the Kasarani competition now concluded, Uganda return to the summit of African women’s netball, South Africa retain their grip on the men’s title, and Malawi and Namibia complete Africa’s quartet heading to Sydney 2027.
